RESIDENTS of retirement housing in Ross came together to raise more than £500 for charity at a well-attended coffee morning last week.

Staff and residents at Bernard Hackett Court near Tudorville invited their friends and family along to the coffee morning last Wednesday (October 13) to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support and Cancer Research UK.

Around 40 people attended the fundraiser, which featured homemade cakes and sweet treats and a raffle of prizes donated by local businesses.

Three residents baked fresh cakes for the event, including a Victoria sandwich, a lemon and coconut tray bake, an orange tray bake and a coffee and walnut cake which were supplemented by a range of shop-bought treats.

A daughter of one of the residents "kindly" took on the task of collecting the prizes from the local shops, which included Tudor Sweets, the Cook Shop, Mountain Warehouse, Boots, Thorntons, Spar, Gillman’s, Holland & Barrett, Morrisons and The Flower House.

First prize was a stainless-steel kettle donated by Gillman’s, and there were three token prizes and a "lovely" basket of house plants from The Flower House.

There were also sweets, chocolates, tins of biscuits, a lovely bone china mug and "many" bottles of wine.

In total there were 45 prizes, many of which were donated by residents of the court.

Bernard Hackett Court is a complex of 41 flats for retired people over the age of 55.

Manager Elaine Summers described the residents’ efforts to raise £550, £500 of which went to Macmillan Cancer Support and £50 to Cancer Research, as "quite a feat" considering the small number of residents.

She said: "I am proud to be the manager of Bernard Hackett Court, my residents are a fantastic bunch of people."

Residents sent a letter to the Gazette thanking everyone who attended and donated prizes to the raffle.

The letter said: "To the shopkeepers of Ross on Wye, we would like to thank you for the amazing prizes you gave towards the Raffle we were having during our Macmillan Coffee Morning at Bernard Hackett Court on 13th October.

"Also thank you to all residents, family and friends who came to the coffee morning."