The Whipps Cross League of Friends group is thought to have raised millions of pounds for the hospital since it was founded nearly 60 years ago.
 

The club was established by supporters of the Leytonstone site in 1954, initially to raise money for comforts including televisions sets and a billiards table to make life for patients more bearable.
 

As the decades wore on, it became more popular and began raising cash for hospital equipment through music concerts and collections across Waltham Forest.
 

In 1984 the league held its first fund-raising car boot sale, which today remains its main source of revenue, along with donations and legacies.


Other fund-raising activities over the years have included coffee mornings, quiz nights and collections at supermarkets.


Brenda Fone, 73, is the current chairperson and joined the organisation in 1985.


She said: “At the moment we have 12 committee members but we are always on the look out for help and more volunteers.


“Some people do it to say thank you for the care the hospital has provided, while others are retired and just want to do something helpful with their time for the local community.
 

“Last year we raised around £15,000, which was very good, but the amounts vary from year to year. It must be millions of pounds that we have managed to raise since 1954.”


Mrs Fone said she was inspired to help in gratitude for the care the hospital provided to her two children during a period of illness in the 1960s.


One annual event the club organises is the donation of presents to elderly people at the hospital during Christmas time.
 

In December 2012 the group wrapped and delivered more than 160 parcels.
 

But its main fund-raising and activity remains its car boot sales, which are held on the first Saturday of every month at the hospital's car park between March and November.


Recent efforts by the league includes donations of more than £30,000 in 2011 for laser eye equipment and life-saving resuscitation kits for the hospital's children's emergency department.


Call Mrs Fone on 020855 63492 to find out more about helping the League of Friends.