THEY'VE shaved beards, hosted concerts, altered clothes, and even made jam in their bid to raise money for the local church.

Now they've got just fifteen miles to go to their target.

Parishioners at St Andrew's, in Ashton-on-Ribble, have organised dozens of events since 1992, to help fund the £70,000 renovation of the church's historic Willis organ.

But they're hoping that a sponsored fifteen-mile walk this Saturday will help them hit the target.

One of the organisers, Meg Davies, said: "Parishioners have high hopes of raising the final amount to achieve their target with the sponsored walk. They will walk from Glasson Dock, along part of the Lancashire Coastal Way to Lancaster, returning to Glasson Dock via the canal. "They will be sent off on their way by the Bishop of Lancaster, the Right Reverend Stephen Pedley, who will join them for part of the walk.

"Chorister William Sands, son of the organist, will celebrate his tenth birthday by taking part."

Past and present parishioners have already donated cash to the appeal, and a sponsored beard-shave, craft fairs, and auctions all added to the total.

And individual fund-raisers, such as a local who raised more than £3,000 by making jam and another who collected cash by offering a clothes altering service, helped boost the appeal.

But the core of the fund-raising was through regular concerts by talented local musicians.

The organ, which was installed in 1902, is now completely renovated and will be the centrepiece of a celebratory concert, to which all the fund-raisers are VIP guests.

The Glasson Dock walk will set off from the public car park at 10am.