LANCASHIRE Air Ambulance is relying on volunteers hitting the fund-raising trail for the £720,000 a year it needs to keep flying.

The service is a registered charity and needs to find £60,000 every month to meeting its running costs.

Now a group of cement workers are leading the way in East Lancashire, setting themselves a tough target to raise money for Lancashire Air Ambulance by walking 365 miles in relays next month..

One man who has taken particular interest in the group's efforts is Granada TV presenter and North West Air Ambulance Director of Communications Paul Crone.

Paul recently completed a marathon walk round the North West for the air ambulance and knows what the Lancashire walkers are about to put themselves through.

He said: "I take my hat off to these guys. I walked 20 miles a day for three weeks -- and it hurt.

"I can't begin to thank Pete Fielding and the rest of the team who are doing this to raise money for the air ambulance.

"I'll be there with plasters and blister pads. The ambulance relies on people like this to raise the money it needs and we need more people to help out, although they don't need to take on such an extreme challenge."

The North West Air Ambulance is a charity which receives no funding from the Government or grants from the lottery.

The helicopter flies seven days a week, 365 days a year, but it costs £60,000 a month to keep the service airborne.

Pete and his team hope to raise several thousands pounds for the charity.

If you wish to make a donation or sponsor the team, cheques should be made payable to "Walking in the Air," c/o Pete Fielding, Castle Cement, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 4QF.

Gareth Price, manager at Castle Cement's Ribblesdale works said: "This is typical of the community-spirited nature of so many of our staff. We are delighted to be able to support transport for them and hope they raise as much as possible for such a worthy cause."

The rock-hard employees from Castle Cement hope to raise £23,000.

The East Lancashire walkers -- Pete Fielding and Dave Hothersall from Blackburn, Chris Punchard from Clitheroe, Philip Graham from Chatburn, Andy Fairhurst from Great Harwood and Paul Hind -- will be helped in their mission by other employees from Castle Cement's sister companies in Kent and North Wales.

More information can be found at the website on www.geocities.com/walkingintheair2004/home.