Final fundraising event from Yorkshire Dales Classic Car Club
Friends of the Friarage have been the club's chosen charity for 2025
We would like to say an enormous thank you to Yorkshire Dales Classic Car Club for their invaluable partnership with us throughout 2025 in aid of our Eye Appeal. You may remember, back in June, at the club’s Dales Trail event they presented us with a very generous cheque for £3,000 raised from various events attended by their members.
That significant amount was enough to tip the total for us to reach our £200,000 target and allow the eye team to go ahead and purchase the necessary equipment for the Friarage. Fast-forward to October and on the 8th, the hospital treated its first patient as part of the new service in the Friarage Surgical Centre, who underwent a double procedure to correct a longstanding condition in his eye.
YDCCC had pledged to support the appeal for 12 months and so at their last event of the year, held in conjunction with Wensleydale Railway at the historic Leeming Bar station on 12th October, they presented us with a cheque for an additional £463.50.
The glorious day in the sunshine saw the car club members meet in Leyburn before enjoying a scenic drive over to Leeming where they were invited to take a look around the preserved Station Master’s house and postal room, before boarding the ‘Wensleydale Fryer’ for some delicious fish and chips provided by Lockey’s.
The day was further supported by Spaven Scalextrics who brought along their classic car set for visitors to have a go racing around the track (and give the members a break from the real driving!) which resulted in some generous donations to our charity also.
The cheque was presented to Friends of the Friarage trustee Nick Palmerley and Co-chair Susan Watson by club members Sandra Wilkinson, Richard Leatherly and Mike Cowan. Presenting the cheque, Sandra told the group,
“When we set out to support the eye appeal we were hopeful that we would be able to raise £1,500 for the charity. To be able to present a cheque in June for £3,000 just halfway through the year was fantastic and then the further amount of £463.50 today means that we have have been able to double our original target! Thank you to everyone for your support.”
We would like to thank everyone who donated on the day and to YDCCC for choosing us as their charity this year. We wish them all the very best in fundraising for their next worthy cause in 2026.