GENEROUS members from DME Fitness exceeded all expectations when they raised over £8,500 for two local charities.

They staged quiz nights, bingo evenings, craft sales and an aerobathon to boost funds which culminated with a showpiece party in pink ball.

Members managed to raise £7,530 which was split between Russell's Hall Hospital's Georgina Unit and the White House

Cancer Support Group based in Dudley.

The total was increased by a further £1,000 through a charity match scheme from Barclays Bank.

Donna Ecclestone, aged 46, who is the driving force behind DME Fitness, said: "One of our members and close friends was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013. We originally set out to raise £5,000 but people were so generous that the total began to run away with us and we went way beyond what was expected.".

DME hold classes at Kingswinford Community Centre, Kingswinford School and Sedgley's Jubilee Hall.

They have well in excess of 200 regulars who take part in aerobics, rumba, palates and combat classes,

For the past 13 years, Donna, who now lives in Wombourne, ran the classes under the Rosemary Conley franchise until it went into administration. She has since run the classes on her own for the past 12 months.

She said: "I used to work for Barclays Bank but took voluntary redundancy in 2,000 and started running the classes instead. They are almost exclusively for women although we do have a couple of brave men who come along.

"There is hardly anyone who doesn't know someone who has been affected by cancer."

Donna and her members don't intend to rest on their laurels. They have started raising funds this year for the same two charities and have already passed the £1,500 barrier.