TWO local women have raised £7,000 for charity, following a year’s hard-work in preparation for a trek of the Grand Canyon.

Over the course of the year, the two friends have organised quiz nights, cake sales, bingo nights, fun days and jumble sales to raise the impressive sum.

Amy Lethbridge has raised £2,500 for the Devon Air Ambulance Trust, in memory of Daniel Foale, known to his friends as DJ, who was killed in a car accident near Dartmouth in January 2015.

And Kirstie Lett has raised £4,500 for the British Heart Foundation, in memory of her baby cousin, Riley Dylan Sperryn who died of an undiagnosed heart condition known as dilated cariomyopathy.

Unfortunately Amy won’t be able to take part in the trek, due to a medical condition, so Kirstie will be completing the expedition alone.

Kirstie will be spending six days trekking the Grand Canyon, walking about ten miles a day with Charity Challenge. She will be wild camping, and coping with temperatures that fluctuate from 30 degrees Celcius during the day, down to freezing at night.

Kirstie said: ‘Thank you to everyone who has supported and donated so much to us. We’ll be keeping the pages open until November for anyone wishing to donate.’

Amy said: ‘I haven’t been able to fundraise recently, because I’ve been unable to work. I’m being treated for a blood clot on the brain, but I will return to fundraising again when I’m fit and well.’

To donate money to Amy’s Devon Air Ambulance Trust campaign, visit www.justgiving.com/djfoale and to donate money to Kirstie’s British Heart Foundation campaign, visit www.justgiving.com/klett.