Special tributes have been paid to the fundraising efforts of a Staffordshire woman who recently donated £180,000 to Cannock Hospital.

A ceremony of thanks was held to commemorate the contribution of Ethel Powell and the Cannock Hospital League of Friends.

Ethel donated £180,000 to the hospital in a final act of generosity before she retired. She has spent much of her life fundraising on behalf of the hospital and over the years has raised around £1.4m.

Electric beds, pressure relieving mattresses, infusion chairs, bedside lockers, a bladder scanner, echocardiogram machines and £42,000 worth of video equipment for the operating theatres were just some of the items purchased with the latest £180,000 donation.

The therapies department also received £30,000 which went towards the cost of repairs to the hydrotherapy pool.

Sir Stephen Moss, chairman of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, presented Ethel with flowers and a certificate of appreciation in front of her family and friends.

He said: “We can’t thank or praise Ethel enough for all she’s done for the hospital over the years. We are extremely grateful.

“She is a shining light in the community, and has dedicated her life to helping others. This is a considerable sum of money which will benefit patients and staff for years to come.”

Ethel said: “It was never work to me, I enjoyed every minute of it.”