A DIAMOND duo have toasted their milestone wedding anniversary by helping to collect funds for a good cause at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Keith and Josie Jones recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary and, in lieu of gifts, they asked friends and family to donate to a local charity of their choice.

A total of £650 was collected at a special party and Keith, who is a Cheshire Freemason and member of Bridgegate Lodge, asked if they could also support the charitable collection.

The Lodge members added £250 to the pot, enabling the happily married couple to present the two cheques totalling £900 to the Countess of Chester Hospital Dialysis Unit.

Receiving the cheques, sister and unit manager Libby Critchley thanked Keith and Josie for their generosity.

She explained the unit now has 17 machines and is saving hard for a £30,000 scanner to assist with treatment development and the donation will help to swell their funds.

The renal unit at the Countess was opened in January 2006 and is a modern, comfortable building designed with a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere in mind.

It is part of a renal outpatient department that includes home therapies, outpatient clinics and an intravenous iron programme. The unit enables up to 76 patients a week to receive their dialysis locally with twilight sessions available.