The Friends of Huddersfield Royal Infirmary (HRI) have donated almost £3,000 to charity.

The campaign had planned to raise cash for a legal campaign against the closures of emergency departments at HRI and Dewsbury District Hospital.

As the challenge never materialised the £2,700 raised has been split between Kirkwood Hospice and Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

The funds were collected from events including a climb of Snowdon, a coffee morning, fashion show and rugby events including Giants against Leeds Rhinos and Wakefield Trinity Wildcats.

Friends of Huddersfield Royal Infirmary founder Jackie Brook said: “We’ve had fantastic support from so many people, from those who attended the various events and those rugby supporters who went out of their way to drop money into the buckets.

“Since we started the group a lot has changed and what started as a local issue has become a problem across England with many other hospitals facing similar closures.

“The decision on charities was made because Kirkwood Hospice is a charity very dear to many residents of the Huddersfield area and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance will need more funding if the STP plans to remove many emergency departments goes ahead and demand for fast movement of ill or injured patients becomes ever more important”