AN unlikely friendship between senior 'girl guides' – all aged over 60 – and leather-clad bikers helped raise hundreds of pounds for the Pride of Cumbria air ambulance.
The Kent Lune Trefoil Guild, whose oldest member is aged 86, met their new biker pals at the annual rally of the Harley Davidson Riders Club Of Great Britain in Market Square, Kirkby Lonsdale.
Guild chairwoman, Lilian Barton, 70, first contacted t
he Boundary 500 Motorcycle Group in April when she realised both organisations had chosen to support the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS).
Since then they have joined forces for a coffee morning which raised £350. Another local biker group, the Harley Davidson Red Rose Chapter then joined the guild for a garden party which raised £353.
Members of both attended last weekend's event, which featured around 500 machines, and the Lake District branch of the Harley Davidson Riders Club presented a cheque for £500 to GNAAS.
Bikers helped the guild raise £135 in its collection tins and contributed £317 in their own buckets.
After the rally, Lilian, from Kirkby Lonsdale, rode pillion with Lincolnshire biker John Brown on an organised 'Ride Out' to the Lakes via Ingleton involving 51 bikes.
"It was absolutely amazing," she said. "Until a few weeks ago a bike to me was just something on two wheels that made a lot of noise.
"This has been incredible. It's about different sections of the community getting together to support a worthy cause."
