WILLITON resident Jackie Cridland is celebrating a six-month battle to help one of her favourite charities boost its fundraising.

Jackie, a member of the village's Good Neighbours Club, heard in detail about the work of the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance when a representative of the charity came to speak at a meeting in March.

And she was so impressed with the vital role the air ambulance played in an area as rural and remote as West Somerset that she decided to help them fill their coffers.

Jackie set about getting one of the charity's textile recycling banks put in Williton's Killick Way car park.

But her plan took slightly longer than she expected: "At first West Somerset Council turned the idea down," she said.

"But when they did change their minds, it then seemed to take forever to get the recycling bank."

However, Jackie enlisted the help of local district and county councillor Hugh Davies and their joint efforts paid off when the bank was delivered a couple of weeks ago.

It is located on a grassy area, close to an existing recycling bank raising money for the British Heart Foundation, and takes clothes, shoes and household textiles.

It will be emptied regularly, with its contents sorted into 110 different categories which will then be sold across Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa.

"I'm very pleased that we've finally managed to get the recycling bank here," said Jackie.

"I started to wonder whether we'd ever achieve it but the air ambulance is such a good cause and so important in an area like this - now lot's of people will be able to support it."

Cllr Davies, pictured with Jackie, admitted that it had been a long drawn out business to get the bank in place: "But I am delighted that we now have one in Williton and Jackie should be congratulated for her determination and hard work.

"The air ambulance is a charity that I know many, many people will be keen to support."

Photo: Paul Scullion