A FUNDRAISING hospital shop which started life selling sweets from a makeshift table, will this year celebrate its 60th anniversary.

The original Friends of the Horton, which was set up in 1949, began by making a few shillings a day for the Horton General Hospital, in Banbury.

Now, 60 years on, the organisation pulls in over £20,000 a year for the centre, by selling everything from chocolate to CDs and DVDs in its on-site shop.

The organisation also raises funds from a trolley service, donations and fundraising activities, to buy important equipment which has been requested by the doctors and nursing staff.

Adrian Hearn has been involved with the organisation for over 35 years, starting as a volunteer in the shop before taking the position as chairman 14 years ago. He said: “It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to contribute so much. All the volunteers enjoy their work. It keeps the brain active.

“Some of the women can remember the days when you would take five shillings a day from selling a few sweets, but now we are in a position to be able to donate much more.”

Over the past year the organisation has raised enough money to donate several important items to the hospital, including an ultra-low bed, designed for older patients and worth £2,995, a patient monitor worth £4,285, an air conditioning unit worth £3,000, and it has also paid for a mural for the Children's Physiotherapy Room, worth £76.

The Friends of the Horton was awarded a certificate for its 60 years of dedicated service by Attend, formerly the National League of Friends, at a ceremony last month.

Mr Hearn, of Bloxham Road, said: “The certificate will now be put up in pride of place in the shop so everyone can see it.”

Mike Fleming, director of the Horton Hospital, said: “What a marvellous testament to the League of Friends to find themselves celebrating their 60th anniversary.

“Throughout all that time the individual and collective goodwill and tireless efforts of the League of Friends volunteers, staff, patients and hospital visitors have been the grateful recipients of all that the League of Friends stand for.

“The work and voluntary contributions of the League of Friends does much to enhance and further improve on that which is already provided by the NHS in terms of patient care and wellbeing, staff welfare and support for hospital visitors who are all universally grateful to them and I wish them a very happy 60th anniversary.”