An outdoors specialist retailer is raising vital funds for a live-saving air ambulance charity by selling tote bags.

Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT) has been selected by Mountain Warehouse as one of 22 regional charity partners across the UK for 2020.

The company will be donating all profits from a selection of specially designed organic cotton tote bags to charity.

Money raised in the retailer’s shops in Essex and Hertfordshire will go to EHAAT.

EHAAT receives no regular government funding and relies entirely on supporter’s fundraising efforts.

The average cost of an EHAAT mission is £2,200; in 2018 the service responded to 2,132 missions.

Costs for all operations and initiatives total £9 million every year.

Natasha Robertson, fundraising nanager at EHAAT, said: “We are really grateful to everyone at Mountain Warehouse for this support.

“It costs in excess of £750,000 every month to keep the service operational and cover all charitable costs, and this would not be possible without the generosity and goodwill of people and businesses of Essex, Hertfordshire and beyond.”

Mark Neale, founder of Mountain Warehouse, added:: “We are passionate about supporting our customers and the communities surrounding our stores. Our Charity Bag Campaign, which has been running since 2018, is very popular with staff and customers across the UK. We are delighted that our stores across Essex and Hertfordshire are be supporting such a worthwhile cause.”