ANDOVER retirees were the top contributors as a retirement development raised more than £14,000 through a nationwide coffee morning initiative.

Last month Churchill Retirement Living hosted a number of ‘Warming Morning’ events at locations up and down the country.

The meet-ups helped generated £14,355.69, which will benefit a range of local charities chosen by its apartment owners.

And it was Andover's Chantry Lodge, in Chantry Street, that achieved the biggest fundraising total with £930 raised for the Countess of Brecknock Hospice, a specialist palliative care unit within Andover War Memorial Hospital.

Churchill’s own charitable arm, the Churchill Foundation, will match-fund this amount, meaning the hospice will receive a total of £1,860.

The initiative took place throughout the month of February. Members of local communities were invited to step out of the cold and into the warmth of its owners’ lounges to enjoy hot drinks and indulgent snacks in return for a small donation to a local charity.

Events were held at 54 Churchill developments up and down the country from Cornwall to Formby, with all monies raised going towards a range of local charities chosen by the owners of each site.

Spencer McCarthy, chairman and CEO of Churchill Retirement Living, said: “We’re delighted to have raised such an impressive total through this year’s Warming Mornings events.

“100 per cent of the money raised will go towards local causes chosen by our owners, supporting their vital work and helping us given something back to our lodges’ local communities.

“The Churchill Foundation will match the amounts raised by our four top fundraising Lodges, and a special well done to Chantry Lodge for achieving the highest total.

“I’d also like to say a big thank you to all our owners, colleagues, lodge managers and members of the public who took part in these events and helped make them such a success.”