A SOUTH Lakeland couple have shared a cuppa with the Queen at Buckingham Palace to mark 18 years of dedicated fundraising for a children’s charity

Jack and Barbara Winrow, from Burton-in-Kendal, have raised almost £50,000 for the NSPCC since 1999.

The first event the couple ever organised was an antiques roadshow along with a raffle but annually their main fundraising focus has been delivering envelopes to 600 homes in their village in May.

Last year the door-to-door collection raised a record £1,576.

Jack, 78, and Barbara, 77, have shown amazing dedication and passion for fundraising with only a year break in 2013 when he was diagnosed with cancer and had to undergo four gruelling operations.

“Getting back fundraising for the NSPCC was a great incentive for me to get better and we will continue to have our door-to-door collections, organise our Christmas event in the village hall as long as we are fit and well,” said Jack.

Jack and Barbara were invited to Buckingham Palace for a garden party hosted by Her Majesty the Queen.

The couple thoroughly enjoyed the day and Jack said: “We had such a wonderful time. It was lovely to walk through the main gates, through the Palace in our finery with the tourists snapping their photos wondering who we were.”

The couple would love to pass on the fundraising baton but are clear: “We thoroughly enjoy it, lots of satisfaction from hearing about all the good work of the NSPCC working with so many children who need our help and we are doing all we can to help.

"We feel so lucky with three children, six grandchildren and three great grandchildren and we feel so sorry for those who are not so fortunate.”

The NSPCC in Cumbria is celebrating 30 years since its service centre opened in September, with the staff there having helped thousands of children across the county in the last three decades.

Sandra Jones, the Community Fundraising Manager for Cumbria, said “Jack and Barbara are amazing. Their dedication and unstinting support deserves to be lauded. I hope their inspirational example will encourage others to come forward and help fund the work of the NSPCC in Cumbria for the next 30 years.”

If you would like to help support the work of the NSPCC there are fundraising groups in your local area.

For more information call The North Support Team on 0113 887 1120 or visit www.nspcc.org.uk/what-you-can-do/