A GROUP of long-standing Prospect Hospice supporters are celebrating 30 years of fundraising for the local charity and the achievement of raising just shy of £14,000 since the year 2000.

Founder member Theresa Collis, 92, and known to her friends as Resa, started the group in 1987 in the village of Hook. Beginning with coffee mornings in friends’ houses twice a year, the group now boasts 20 friends from the village and the surrounding areas, who meet at each other’s houses once a month for tea and cake.

“It started as a social get-together with friends,” said Resa.

“People started to bring raffle prizes and then we began collecting a nominal fee, and it just grew from there. We didn’t know all those years ago that we would still be getting together to raise money for our favourite local charity.”

Beth Carrigan, 80, joined the group 18 years ago with a friend, and took over the organisation and administration of the group eight years ago. “This is a great chance to catch up with friends and raise money for such a fantastic charity every month,” she says.

Community fundraiser Hollie Ricketts said: “The Hook Support Group are amazing! They should be incredibly proud of all that they have raised for us over thirty years, and we are hugely appreciative of their support for Prospect Hospice. They have made a real difference for local patients and families – thank you to them for their wonderful achievement.”