A fundraising group celebrated its 25th anniversary and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee with a summer lunch at Rickinghall Village Hall.

The Rickinghall Area Hospice Fundraisers (RAHOF) group was founded in 1987 and has since raised more than �200,000 for St Nicholas Hospice Care. This year it has already raised more than �8,000.

In addition to home-made lunch, the sold-out lunch featured speaker Matt Pritchett MBE, pocket cartoonist of the Daily Telegraph, toasts to the Queen and RAHOF and a celebratory 25th anniversary cake. The event raised �1,400.

June Shepherd, who started the fundraising group, said: 'RAHOF is an inspiring group that I am terribly proud to belong to. I was chairwoman at the start and had to phone around encouraging people to get involved. I simply couldn't have done it alone.'

RAHOF's next event is on July 26 , when June will host the group's annual cream tea at her home in Redgrave.

Hospice chief executive Barbara Gale thanked June for her hard work and described her as an 'incredibly passionate fundraiser for the Hospice.'

'I want to congratulate RAHOF on their 25th anniversary. It is a brilliant achievement.'

For more information about the RAHOF cream tea or getting involved with group, call June Shepherd on 01379 898450 or Jenny Labdon on 01379 783598.