NORTH Tyne villagers raised their glasses to another successful charity lunch, breaking fund-raising records in the process.

Last Wednesday,Wark held its annual charity lunch, which has become a much-anticipated feature on the village’s calendar.

Now in its 27th year, villagers raised a whopping £4,652, the most money that has ever been raised in the history of the event.

The money will go to the Great North Air Ambulance.

Ann Bell, one of the lunch organisers, said: “We choose to raise money for a different charity every year.

“We try and keep it as local as we possibly can to help people in the community.”

This year’s turnout was as good as ever, with 180 people in attendance at the town hall.

Not an event to be missed, current and former residents of the village book well in advance for what has become one of the highlights of the year in the North Tyne.

The lunch began through a group at St Michael’s Church, who wanted to do something for charity, and it has snowballed ever since.

“We didn’t think the lunch would turn out to be an annual thing,” Ann said.

“It has just grown and a lot of the same people have been coming every year.”

The event was run by around 30 helpers, who take on everything from cooking to the washing up.

The food is provided by volunteers or donated by businesses, and then it is down to the men to do the washing up in the kitchen.

Ann said: “We were all exhausted by the end of the day, but it’s worth it. It’s something that the village looks forward to every year. It’s always a very good, friendly atmosphere and we hope everybody enjoyed it.

“I hope that the lunch will continue for many years to come.”