A WOMAN who helped raise thousands of pounds for a hospital over almost half a century has received a prestigious award in front of royalty.

Kathleen Hawkey, 92, received the Diamond Award after volunteering for the Wantage Community Hospital League of Friends since the organisation began in 1963.

The great-grandmother was invited to St James’s Palace in London earlier this month to a reception held by Prince Andrew, the Duke of York.

The prince is patron of Attend, the national charity supporting hospital leagues of friends, and held the reception for 200 volunteers to mark the 60th anniversary of the organisation.

Mrs Hawkey, a former teacher, of Manor Road, Wantage, said: “I’m very fond of our hospital and think it provides a tremendous service to the community. To be honest, the people are so generous when they donate that we don’t work as hard as we could to get the money.

“It’s a shame that we’ve had to campaign over the years to keep the hospital and that it has lost facilities such as the casualty department and X-ray centre, especially as Wantage is growing.

“Prince Andrew asked me where I was from and said he was proud of the volunteers.

“It was a lovely day, particularly as my grand-daughter, Rachel, took me as my carer.”

Mrs Hawkey became involved with the friends at the outset, when her friend and group founder, Lady Norrey, asked her to take part.

She was also spurred on by her late husband John, a former GP.

In 2004 Mrs Hawkey was among campaigners who successfully fought plans to close the hospital. She went to 10 Downing Street to hand in a petition. In 2007 she successfully led a project to raise £800,000 to build Wantage Nursing Home, in Garston Lane.

Throughout the years, Mrs Hawkey has also helped other local groups, including Save the Children and the Girl Guides.

The president of Wantage Attend, Colin Wilkins, 76, nominated Mrs Hawkey for the award.

He said: “I think she’s a fantastic lady, who thoroughly deserves the award for all her voluntary work.”

A ceremony was also held recently by Attend at Oxford’s Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre to present awards to 50 other volunteers.