It was a night of tears and laughter as charity skydivers from a Cambridgeshire village celebrated raising more than £12,000 for Magpas Air Ambulance.

Ely Standard: It was a night of tears and laughter as charity skydivers from a Cambridgeshire village celebrated raising more than £12,000 for Magpas. Picture: NORMAN HIGHNAMIt was a night of tears and laughter as charity skydivers from a Cambridgeshire village celebrated raising more than £12,000 for Magpas. Picture: NORMAN HIGHNAM (Image: Archant)

The Little Downham Plough Jumpers were joined by 150 of their friends and relatives at the village hall on July 27.

It comes after they donned orange shirts and capes and took to the skies above the Sibson Airfield in Peterborough to jump out a plane at 10,000ft earlier in the month.

Entertainment, food and drink flowed as the crew were thanked by charity representatives from Magpas Air Ambulance and medals were handed out.

Another £1,000 was raised on the night by party goers including £500 from an unnamed family.

Ely Standard: It was a night of tears and laughter as charity skydivers from a Cambridgeshire village celebrated raising more than £12,000 for Magpas. Picture: NORMAN HIGHNAMIt was a night of tears and laughter as charity skydivers from a Cambridgeshire village celebrated raising more than £12,000 for Magpas. Picture: NORMAN HIGHNAM (Image: Archant)

Ely Town Crier Avril Hayter-Smith made a guest performance to call the jumpers and ground crew to come to the stage.

Flower posies were handed out to eight people who helped the team on their journey including the community of Little Downham and Pymoor.

Music came from local band SO80's and £240 was raised by getting avid Arsenal fan Gentleman Jumper Jason Cridford to wear a Spurs shirts and dance to a Spurs song.

Norman Highnam, who was part of the groundcrew for the jump, said: "We raised way past the £10,000 that we had got to.

Ely Standard: It was a night of tears and laughter as charity skydivers from a Cambridgeshire village celebrated raising more than £12,000 for Magpas. Picture: NORMAN HIGHNAMIt was a night of tears and laughter as charity skydivers from a Cambridgeshire village celebrated raising more than £12,000 for Magpas. Picture: NORMAN HIGHNAM (Image: Archant)

"There is a line in Evita that I kept singing on the night that goes 'the money kept rolling in and they don't know how'.

"There was a very happy village by the time we shut the doors to them all and declared the grand finale finished.

"It costs on average £2,500 each time the air ambulance goes up so to put it in perspective the great effort by the whole team and community will help save or make better five people's lives."

The crew are expected to meet today (August 12) to handover the amount to Magpas at RAF Wyton.

Ely Standard: It was a night of tears and laughter as charity skydivers from a Cambridgeshire village celebrated raising more than £12,000 for Magpas. Picture: NORMAN HIGHNAMIt was a night of tears and laughter as charity skydivers from a Cambridgeshire village celebrated raising more than £12,000 for Magpas. Picture: NORMAN HIGHNAM (Image: Archant)

A documentary about the journey of the jumpers is also set to be shown by Jamie Brown later this week.

The Plough Jumpers initially decided they wanted to take on a challenge in aid of charity while sipping on a pint in The Plough pub in January.

Ely Standard: It was a night of tears and laughter as charity skydivers from a Cambridgeshire village celebrated raising more than £12,000 for Magpas. Picture: NORMAN HIGHNAMIt was a night of tears and laughter as charity skydivers from a Cambridgeshire village celebrated raising more than £12,000 for Magpas. Picture: NORMAN HIGHNAM (Image: Archant)

Ely Standard: It was a night of tears and laughter as charity skydivers from a Cambridgeshire village celebrated raising more than £12,000 for Magpas. Picture: NORMAN HIGHNAMIt was a night of tears and laughter as charity skydivers from a Cambridgeshire village celebrated raising more than £12,000 for Magpas. Picture: NORMAN HIGHNAM (Image: Archant)

Ely Standard: It was a night of tears and laughter as charity skydivers from a Cambridgeshire village celebrated raising more than £12,000 for Magpas. Picture: NORMAN HIGHNAMIt was a night of tears and laughter as charity skydivers from a Cambridgeshire village celebrated raising more than £12,000 for Magpas. Picture: NORMAN HIGHNAM (Image: Archant)

Ely Standard: It was a night of tears and laughter as charity skydivers from a Cambridgeshire village celebrated raising more than £12,000 for Magpas. Picture: NORMAN HIGHNAMIt was a night of tears and laughter as charity skydivers from a Cambridgeshire village celebrated raising more than £12,000 for Magpas. Picture: NORMAN HIGHNAM (Image: Archant)

Ely Standard: It was a night of tears and laughter as charity skydivers from a Cambridgeshire village celebrated raising more than £12,000 for Magpas. Picture: NORMAN HIGHNAMIt was a night of tears and laughter as charity skydivers from a Cambridgeshire village celebrated raising more than £12,000 for Magpas. Picture: NORMAN HIGHNAM (Image: Archant)