GENEROUS Cookley residents have raised more than £400 for the Midlands Air Ambulance.

Wendy Umpleby collected £335 from residents and staff at Westley Court apartments at her 65th birthday party by asking for donations instead of presents.

A further £107 was raised by residents at a bring and buy sale.

Miss Umpleby, who has lived at Westley Court apartments since 1997, said: “I didn’t want people to bring me lots of presents so I said if anybody wanted to donate to the air ambulance, they could.

“I chose it as they don’t have any funding from anybody else and we’ve got a resident who owes his life to the air ambulance.”

The retired secretary, originally from Essex, added: “It’s through the generosity of the residents. I was very surprised. I didn’t expect anything near that amount.”

Residents presented their £442 total to Midlands Air Ambulance fundraising manager Sofia Voutianitis.

Midlands Air Ambulance operate three air ambulances serving Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands.