A MENTAL health charity that helps hundreds of people in Ryedale and on the Yorkshire Coast has been saved from closure at the 11th hour.

People donated £10,000 after being touched by the heart-breaking fight for survival of Scarborough Whitby and Ryedale Mind, which was on the verge of closure after a shortfall of £20,000 left it unable to continue operating into the next financial quarter.

In just six weeks, the charity –whose 17 staff and 60 volunteers run seven projects helping 1,000 people every year - received £25,786 in cash which is still coming in from people, businesses and organisations from across Yorkshire and beyond wanting to donate to its Save SWR Mind Crisis Appeal.

Staff, who had been placed on redundancy notice, have been reduced to tears of joy.

Best-selling author and screenwriter GP Taylor from Scarborough broke his silence about his own battle with severe depression that led him to almost take his own life to support the charity's fight for survival.

Sophie Hall, SWR Mind’s head of services, said its trustees have agreed the charity’s future is secured until September, allowing them time to put in funding bids and other plans in place, but the charity is still desperately in need of further funds to continue in the long term.

She said: “We’ve been simply overwhelmed and moved to tears by people’s generosity. All the funds will be used to continue helping change local people’s lives and we are incredibly grateful for every single penny which will all go to directly helping people living in our community."