A South East Cornwall charity will celebrate its 30th birthday this week.

Torpoint and Rame Community Nurses’ Friends are marking the anniversary with an informal celebration evening on Thursday, January 18 from 6pm to 8pm at The Torpoint Mosquito Sailing Club. District nurses, physiotherapists, midwives and other health workers and supporters present and retired have been invited to attend.

The Friends are a familiar sight at fund-raising events in their eye-catching red attire. They have been raising funds to help the care of local people since 1987, when the group was set up in response to the frustration felt by local nurses who did not have the necessary equipment to give to people they were caring for when needed.

A small number of volunteers, retired nurses and health professionals have been busy raising money to buy equipment and educational materials to help front line staff deliver more effective and efficient care to local adults, children and young people in their own homes and other care settings.

Examples of equipment bought from funds include:

Two specialised beds for local children with disabilities.

Auriscopes for examining ears.

Pressure-relieving mattresses to prevent pressure sores for people who are confined to bed.

TENS machines for the physiotherapists to help with pain relief.

A home traction unit for physiotherapists.

Enuresis alarms for young people who experience difficulties with bed wetting.

Health education material for midwives such as a baby doll and model pelvis.

Syringe drivers.

Nebuliser units.