TWO childhood friends from Ilkley have turned their passion for shooting into a charity event, raising more than £1,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support along the way.

Mike Holmes and Ben Hughes organised the inaugural Take a Shot at Cancer clay pigeon shoot at Yorkgate Gun Club, Otley, on Saturday.

More than 30 participants donned traditional shooting attire and enjoyed a Champagne breakfast before taking to the range for the day. A proportion of the ticket price was donated to charity, while additional donations of £1 were made for every shot missed.

The day brought together shooting, fun and games and a night out in the centre of Leeds when it was all over – all in the name of a very worthy cause. Spot prizes were awarded throughout the day including best Continued on page two Continued from page one and worst shot, and best and worst dressed participants.

Mr Holmes said: “A lot of people we know have been touched by cancer in some form, and we wanted to do something positive to raise valuable funds to help fight the disease.

“We’ve always loved shooting, so saw the opportunity to turn this into an exciting fundraising opportunity. The day was a lot of fun, and feedback has been so good that we’re now planning on making it an annual event, running in winter and summer.”

For details of future Take a Shot at Cancer events, contact Mr Holmes on info@takeashotatcancer.co.uk.