A respite charity hosted a community event yesterday evening in a bid to enlist more support.

Staff at the Revitalise Jubilee Lodge, hosted the reception at the centre in Grange Farm Lane, Chigwell, in hopes of kick starting its drive to get more community support from the local area.

Among the VIP guests were Olive, Richard, Stephen and Martin Higgins of the local construction company, Higgins, alongside long-time supporters and members of the Friends of Jubilee Lodge fundraising group Anne McConnell MBE and Ros Dover.

Elizabeth MacKeown, daughter of the late Joan Brander MBE, the Founding Trustee of Revitalise, was also present at the lodge, which provides respite holidays for disabled people and carers.

The invited guests were joined by Revitalise Chairman Mindy Sawhney, CEO Chris Simmonds, Jubilee Lodge Manager Jennifer Hamilton-Smith and Vice President Denis Green, alongside volunteers and staff from Jubilee Lodge and disabled people and carers at the centre.

Mindy Sawhney said: "We are delighted to have been able to welcome so many people from the community to share an evening at Jubilee Lodge.

Some old friends of the centre, alongside others new to Jubilee Lodge who are important in the role they play in the community came along.

“But the evening was all been about the future of Jubilee Lodge and our need to put the centre once again at the heart of the community from which it was created over 50 years ago.

“With the support of the Friends of Jubilee Lodge we hope the evening event will help us enlist the support of many more people from across the region."