HERE'S a story to give you a nice, warm, snuggly feeling: a quilt-making group donated £640 to two local charities.

The Ridgeway Quilters, who have been sewing together since 1986, raised the money at their 30th anniversary show in October at Chieveley Village Hall in Berkshire.

They split the total down the middle and, at their next meeting at the Old Mill Hall, Grove, on November 1, presented giant cheques for £320 to each of the charities.

The first was the October Club of Wantage, which provides activities and social opportunities for people with dementia.

The second was disability support group HFT Milton Heights.

After the presentations were over, the group got back on with their usual work: sewing quilts.

The group's 24 members from Wantage, Grove and Newbury spent nearly two years arranging the 30th anniversary show and exhibited 60 quilts and other recent works.

Among the creations were a collection of Linus quilts, named after the blanket-carrier character from the Peanuts cartoon strip and made to provide a sense of security and comfort to sick and traumatised children.

Visitors were asked to make donations to the two Oxfordshire charities.

Organiser Penney Thompson said: "We had many compliments from visitors regarding the quality and variety of the quilts, bags and wall hangings on display, some of which were made by the group in themed workshops."