WOMEN from Rubery have lent a helping hand to female residents across the district by raising cash for a vital service which is tackling breast cancer.

Rubery Ladies' Club collected £1,200 for the Hereford and Worcester Breast Screening Unit, based at the Princess of Wales Community Hospital, in Bromsgrove.

The money will be used to improve the Stourbridge Road facility which helps to detect the killer cancer disease among town women.

Ladies' club chairman Wendy Webster, of Leasowe Road, paid tribute to her 105 fellow members for their hard work and generosity.

The mammoth donation is thanks to quiz evenings, bring and buy sales and raffles during the past year.

Pat told the Advertiser/Messenger: "We have worked very hard but it's been enjoyable.

"We are so pleased to be contributing to such a worthwhile cause.

"The donation will hopefully benefit our members and the wider community."

Bromsgrove and Redditch Primary Care Trust (PCT) professional executive committee chairman Dr Bill Borastero said: "We are extremely grateful to the club for raising such a large amount of money.

"It will be used to improve a counselling room within the unit."

Rubery Ladies' Club was established 35 years ago and meets on alternate Mondays at Rubery Youth and Community Centre, in New Road.

In addition to fundraising events, members enjoy regular outings and invite speakers to their meetings.

On Monday, the club visited the House of Commons, in London, where members enjoyed lunch and a guided tour of the corridors of power by Bromsgrove's Tory MP Julie Kirkbride and her husband, Andrew Mackay, who is the shadow Northern Ireland secretary.

New members are always welcome and interested folk are invited to call Wendy Webster on 0121 453 3643.