Their 50th birthday celebration provided a great opportunity for the ladies of the Slough Indian Women’s Association (IWA) to support a favourite charity.

The ladies commemorated their association's half century with a charity dinner at Upton Lea Community Centre - presenting a cheque for £1,200 during the evening to Ann Geer, who is a volunteer at Windsor's Thames Hospice.

The hospice in Hatch Lane is due to move into a new building near Bray Lake soon.

Margaret Thomas, hospice relationship manager, said “We are thrilled and honoured to receive such a generous amount of money from this amazing organisation. The hospice relies on donations from the local community and we thank the Indian Women’s Association for their support."

Over 100 people attended the dinner on Saturday, among them the Mayor of Slough, Councillor Avtar Kaur Cheema who congratulated the Indian Women’s Association, telling members: "You provide an important service for local women and are an inspiration.”

Also there was Sarita Sabarwal, a well known presenter on DilSe Radio who provided music and entertainment.

The Slough Indian Women’s Association meets on the first Saturday of every month from 4.30 to 6.30 pm at the Upton Lea Community Centre, enabling women to come together to socialise over food and music. It provides information and advice, organises trips and social activities as well as organising weekly exercise classes.

Pushpa Kharbanda,one of the organiser’s of Saturday’s event said: “We are a grassroots community organisation in Slough and have been working for 50 years to support local Indian Women."