Members of a dedicated Norfolk charity, which has raised more than £1m for a heart transplant centre, have officially presented vital cardiac monitoring equipment to hospital staff.

Members of the Norfolk Zipper Club presented eight cardiac monitors to Papworth Hospital chief executive Stephen Bridge and staff from the cardiology departments.

Bob Spinks, chairman of the heart charity, which was set up by former Papworth patients more than 30 years ago to raise money for the hospital, near Cambridge, said: 'We have been fundraising for Papworth for more than three decades now.'

'All of our members have had surgery at Papworth Hospital and so fundraising for the hospital all year round is really important to us as it gives our members the opportunity to give something back for the care they received there.'

Dan Woods, former President of the Diss Young Farmers Club, also attended the official presentation at Papworth Hospital after his group raised more than £2,500 for the Norfolk Zipper Club.

This money went towards the purchase of the cardiac equipment, which is now in use on wards at Papworth Hospital.

Mr Spinks added: 'We are very pleased that organisations like Diss Young Farmers Club make us their charity of the year and in turn support the lifesaving work that Papworth Hospital does every day.'

Kate Lancaster, corporate services director from Papworth Hospital, said: 'We are delighted that the Norfolk Zipper Club has purchased cardiac monitoring equipment for us to assist our clinical teams in caring for our patients across our wards.

'Equipment like this is invaluable and so we appreciate the efforts that both the Norfolk Zipper Club and Diss Young Farmers Club have gone to to raise the money for them.'

Papworth Hospital, which carried out the first successful heart transplant in 1979, treats over 23,700 inpatient and day cases and nearly 65,000 outpatient cases each year from across the UK. It is the largest heart and lung transplant centre, the national centre for pulmonary endarterectomy and a national centre for a range of other specialist services. The Cambridgeshire hospital carries out 2,500 heart operations a year.

For more information about the zipper club, visit www.norfolkzipperclub.org.uk

Have you got a health story? Email adam.gretton@archant.co.uk or call 01603 772419.