A curate turned part-time barman in his village pub to help a community reach its charity target.

Matthew Evans, a 28-year-old clergyman in the Fountains Group of Parishes, near Ripon, North Yorkshire, accepted an invitation from one of his church's neighbours - landlady Katherine Furmidge at the Crown Inn, Grewelthorpe - to do a stint behind the bar.

The £3,000 appeal to buy a corn grinder for a village in Central Africa was about £100 short of its target, but within a few hours of pulling pints, Mr Evans raised £90 in sponsorship and donations, to secure the cash.

Mr Evans, who admits his favourite tipple is a pint of Black Sheep ale brewed in Masham, in the county, said: "It was a generous offer from the licensee that I could not refuse, even though I'd never pulled a single pint before.

"There wasn't much time for training before I started work, but I got through without any disasters.

"When some of the regulars saw this chap in the dog collar pulling pints they thought it was part of a fancy dress night - and I got all sorts of quips from other customers," said Mr Evans.

The verdict from regulars was that Mr Matthews pulled a good pint, although he has now resumed pastoral duties for his scattered flock in the Grewelthorpe, Kirkby Malzeard, Mickley, Dallowgill, Winksley, Aldfield and Studley areas.

Although the North Yorkshire farming community is battling against the industry's current crisis it swiftly answered the SOS plea for help from Central Africa where improverished villagers still grind corn by hand in the parish of Lindi, at Masasi, in Tanzania. The appeal was only launched in September.

Churches throughout the rural North Yorkshire area arranged special collections and the appeal was also boosted by the Rector of Fountains Canon Tony Keddie who completed a sponsored walk around his parishes, taking in the sites of ancient corn mills.

Local churches have forged strong links with Lindi through its former parish priest, Canon David Kasembi, who originally asked for help to buy a second-hand machine.

At the moment women grind corn by using two heavy stones to produce flour.