TWO ladies from Looe have raised more than £800 for Cornwall Air Ambulance after completing a marathon 12-hour dance challenge.

Hilary Wright and Lorraine Cartwright laced up their dancing shoes at the West Looe Social Club on Friday, August 22, and kept the music playing from morning until night in aid of the lifesaving charity.

Supported by friends, family and generous members of the local community throughout the challenge, the pair danced to everything from golden oldies to modern floor-fillers provided by Dave Cooper, Peter Flukes and Daryl Hidson, with some even joining in for a few dances, helping to keep spirits high as Hilary and Lorraine pushed through tired legs and sore feet.

Hilary admitted the challenge was harder than expected, but said the cause kept them going.

“We were determined to see it through to the end,” she said. “There were definitely moments when we thought we might have to stop, but each time it was like the guys controlling the music knew how to lift us and give us the strength to carry on.”

Cornwall Air Ambulance, which relies almost entirely on donations to operate, provides rapid emergency response across the county and attends more than 1,000 missions every year. Each mission costs, on average, £5,000.

Hilary added: “The air ambulance has touched so many lives here in Cornwall. We wanted to do something that would not only raise money, but also bring people together to have fun and support the charity.

“We are so thankful to everyone who donated, not just in terms of funds, but also raffle prizes and other things on the day itself. We had a steady stream of people coming through the club throughout, so all in all it was a great success.”

The final total raised was £879.21, which the duo will present to the charity in due course.