CHAMPION charity fundraisers Corbett League of Friends have finally thrown in the towel and called time on 45 years of money-making schemes.

The Friends has raised around £700,000 over those years but long-serving treasurer Ros Roden revealed: “It’s a shame, but we’re not needed anymore.

“We don’t get the money coming in that we used to. This year I didn’t even have to make a tax return.

“We’re down to eight committee members now and none of us are getting any younger and we have to start being realistic.

“We used to hold events such as fairs and car boot sales on the old Corbett Hospital grounds, but that’s not available to us anymore.

“We could try and stage events elsewhere, but people are attached to their local hospital and want to go to events being held there.”

Tribute was paid to the League of Friends when the Corbett staged an Outpatient Centre open day last Thursday, with a plague being unveiled in their honour.

At the ceremony, a final donation of £55,847 was handed over, which will be used to buy a range of specialist hoists and other equipment for use at the Outpatient Centre.

Ros Roden added: “We still have people who remember us in their wills and leave us money. Any money that we receive will now be passed onto the hospital’s charity fund.

“It’s sad, but there’s no real point in slogging away when we’re not really doing anything.”