A CHARITY that has helped NHS hospitals in Winchester for 60 years has celebrated its diamond anniversary with a special lunch.

The Friends of Royal Hampshire County Hospital was founded in 1955 and has since raised more than £2 million for patient comfort and recovery.

Among the invited 60 guests were the Lord Lieutenant Nigel Atkinson, deputy mayor Angela Clear, chief executive of the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Mary Edwards and its chief nursing officer, Donna Green.

The event was held in the Gurkha Museum Gallery at Peninsula Barracks.

When the charity was founded there were three NHS hospitals in the city, the Royal Hampshire County, St Pauls and Victoria. Now the focus is on the RHCH.

The Friends Management Committee announced that the annual grant monies will total £60,000, in honour of their Diamond Jubilee.

The RHCH Friends will also be organising a major fundraising dinner, to be held at St John's House in the Broadway on Friday November 13.

Tickets will cost £60 which will include a one-year membership of the Friends and local businesses and members of the public are invited to reserve a table of ten places. Only fifteen tables will be available.

Hampshire Chronicle:

Friends chairman Geoff Cox said: “The good citizens of Winchester and surrounding areas have been most generous in their support for their community hospital over many years and we hope that many local businesses and members of the public will wish to continue to enhance the real benefits that the Friends provide on an annual basis.

“Most of us will need to visit or perhaps briefly reside at the RHCH during our lifetime and we need to keep generating grant funding for the many items of medical equipment and patient comfort which are so vitally important, beyond and above that provided by the NHS.”

Companies wishing to co-sponsor the Autumn fundraising dinner or members of the public who wish to attend should contact the Friends Secretary, Liz Colley, e-mail: winchesterlof@gmail.com