A regional press photographer who went to become a prolific fund-raiser for the Journalists’ Charity has died aged 96.

Gerry Armes was responsible for raising more than £350,000 in his role as chairman of the charity’s Midlands branch in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

Gerry originally joined the Birmingham Gazette and Evening Despatch as a photographer in 1949 and rose to became chief sports photographer of the Birmingham Mail.

Ex-colleagues have paid tribute to his “relentness” concern for the welfare of his fellow journalists both throughout his working life and well into retirement.

Former ITV executive and Journalists’ Charity trustee Laurie Upshon said: “To say Gerry was a driving force is an understatement. He was relentless in cajoling his contacts, fellow committee members and even sponsors to support the Charity, to which he was devoted, over many years.

“He had a direct no-nonsense approach and his boundless enthusiasm endeared him to those who worked alongside him.”

Among he events he organised was a greyhound racing fund-raising evening which ran without interruption for 32 years from 1979.

He was also responsible for launching a series of celebrity lunches at the old Birmingham Press Club building.

Gerry is pictured below at the first lunch at which the guest speaker was Eve Pollard, then editor of the Sunday Express, and which raised £1,000.

Gerry (right) with Alan Deeley and Eve Pollard at first Midland Celebrity lunch 1993

The following year the celebrity lunch moved to a larger venue, the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham, with ITN Newsreader Trevor MacDonald.

Gerry and his Midlands committee subsequently persuaded a large number of top journalists and celebrities to give up their time free of charge to speak at these lunches including Kate Adie, Des Lynham, Kelvin Mackenzie, Sir Michael Parkinson and Jeremy Paxman.

Gerry also represented the Midlands region on the National Union of Journalists’ national executive in the 1970s, before leaving the union.

He then joined the Institute of Journalists, becoming its president in 1987 – the first photographer to hold the post.

Gerry was taken into Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham, for observation at the weekend and died early yesterday morning.

He is survived by his wife Jane, two daughters from a previous marriage and four grandchildren.