A group of military wives and girlfriends have raised an ‘incredible’ £10,000 to build a community centre in Lympstone.

The Royal Marine Ladies have helped net money for a centre opposite the Royal Marines barracks on Exeter Road by completing the Three Peaks Challenge - climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Snowdon in one weekend.

One of the 14 ladies to scale the 3408 meters, Samantha McMaster, 49, of Withycombe, Exmouth, said: “It is incredible because not only is it going to help military families. It’s going to be somewhere the whole community can use.

“I think the amount will go up even more because people are still paying in.

“The charity said that they now have an architect on board to start drawing up the plans.

“Some of the ladies are doing the rainbow run and also the twilight walk. We are looking for other challenges that we all can be involved in.”