A party was held in honour of dedicated Anne McConnell, who recieved an MBE for her years of fundraising for a local respite centre.

The event at Vitalise Jubilee Lodge Centre in Chigwell, was to thank Mrs McConnell for 50 years of dedicated work at the centre, which provides respite breaks for the disabled and their carers.

Disabled guests together with John Spence OBE, the chairman of Vitalise and the Centre’s staff shared lunch to live music together with the members of the Friends of Jubilee Lodge.

Mrs McConnell said: “I am delighted with the award and touched by the occasion of this party, which also celebrates the Friends support for Jubilee Lodge and the support of the community at large, in particular the contributions of Rotary Club members in the region."

Centre manager Steve Trump paid tribute to Mrs McConnell, saying: "We are very pleased for Anne McConnell’s MBE award. It is a richly deserved recognition of her contribution for the well being of our disabled guests and for raising awareness of the Centre’s work for disabled people and carers.

"In the last seven years alone, The Friends raised over £100,000.

"Such funds enable the Centre to acquire essential equipment such as room tracking hoists and special beds to make the disabled guests stay at Jubilee Lodge as easy and as pleasant as possible."

During the event, donations from Chigwell and Loughton & Buckhurst Hill rotary clubs were presented to both Jubilee Lodge Friends and The Chigwell Riding School.