ONE of the country's leading charities is facing a cash crisis in North Yorkshire - because it can't find enough volunteers.

Every year the British Red Cross holds a special week of intensive fundraising in the county which usually brings in as much as £40,000.

However, this year it has been calculated that they will only raise half that amount unless more people come forward who are willing to shake a collecting tin.

"The situation is pretty desperate," said the charity's senior fund-raiser in North Yorkshire, Andrew Brown.

"The problem is that, for one reason or another, we no longer have the people on the ground organising the various areas throughout the county.

"Old age, retirement and ill-health have taken their toll of our leading volunteers."

He added: "North Yorkshire is a pretty wealthy county and I am concerned that, through lack of volunteers, we shall not be able to maximise fund-raising possibilities."

In an effort to improve the situation for future years the branch is planning to set up a network of 'ambassadors' to recruit street collectors at local level and be a focus for the many domestic services run by the charity.

To that end they plan to approach parish councils across the county as a way of making local contacts.

However, in the meantime the branch is appealing to all its former volunteers to come to their aid. The anticipated reduced revenue this year will not have an immediate affect on the charity's work but it will put services in jeopardy in the medium-to-long term.

Community service co-ordinator Lisa Bass said: "It would mean we would not be able to develop our various services or even maintain them at the current level.

"Services like therapeutic care and emergency transport and escort, which are very much in demand, would suffer."

She added: "We estimate that it only takes a two-hour shift holding a tin to make all the difference."

The big fund-raising drive week runs from May 5 to 11. Anyone interested in volunteering their services should contact Andrew on (01609) 772186.