AN afternoon tea was held at a retirement home as a warm welcome to its charity of the year.

Hawthorns retirement home in Tortoiseshell Way, Braintree, put on a spread for St Helena Hospice on Saturday.

Everything was made by the home’s chef and Paul Tripney, sen- ior manager at the home, said it was a very positive event.

He said: “It was a great success, we had 108 people at the event and a lady from St Helena Hospice attended. There was a lot of reminiscing going on and it seemed to go really well.”

Residents at the home are asked to put forward ideas for the charity of the year and one name is pulled out of a hat.

Staff and residents then spend the year holding fetes and tak- ing part in charity runs to raise funds.

The home is holding an open evening to show off their newly refurbished building on June 24.