A VINTAGE afternoon tea party celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Friends of North Cambs Hospital, Wisbech.

Tea, cakes and bunting were organised to thank the Friends for six decades of fund raising since 1953.

Guests were also treated to singing from all female choir Cantus.

Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, organised the event to celebrate the great achievements of the fund raising support group which was set up five years after the NHS was founded in 1948.

The team has been led by current chair Eileen Plater MBE for the last thirty years and in the last five years alone they have raised more than £250,000 on improving facilities at the hospital.

As well as many minor projects, they’ve just financed the refurbishment of the main thoroughfares of the hospital and have committed more than £72,000 to the redevelopment of the main patient reception area.

Tracey Cooper, Unit Manager, Ely and the Fens, Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust, said: “We’re privileged to be supported by the Friends of North Cambs hospital who have such a dedicated team of volunteers working tirelessly throughout the year.

“Thanks to their efforts we’ve recently made a number of improvements to the site and will soon start working on refurbishing the main entrance. The least we could do to thank them is to organise this party which marks an amazing 60 years they have been supporting the local NHS.”

Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust provides a wide range of services from the hospital including outpatient clinics, phlebotomy, palliative day care, palliative inpatient care, endoscopy, ante and post natal care, musculoskeletal physiotherapy, radiology, day rehabilitation and falls, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and a walk-in minor injuries service.