THE link between food and health has taken on a new twist.

This follows the decision of the Ludlow Food Centre in Brimfield to support pick the Friends of Ludlow Hospital as the charity that it will support for the coming year.

After nearly 100 votes were placed by staff, The League of Friends of Ludlow Hospital was a clear winner, gaining more than 45 votes alone against three other local charities.

The League of Friends of Ludlow Hospital say they are delighted to have been chosen by the staff of Ludlow Food Centre as their Charity for 2017/18.

They exist primarily to provide comfort for our patients and users of Ludlow Community Hospital and to represent the views of our members on local healthcare matters.

This ranges from providing volunteers for the tea and coffee service to the in-patients and a trolley shop, which offers a range of confectionery, cosmetics and other items at the bedside.

Where appropriate, the League also funds equipment that enables a wide-range of outpatient clinics to operate locally so that many patients can avoid the long journeys to Shrewsbury and Telford.

Kidney dialysis is provided at Ludlow thanks to the work of the League of Friends, saving some patients a gruelling three visits a week to Shrewsbury.

For many years, the League enjoyed the active support of the late Lady Caroline Plymouth, who was herself a member of the League and the Food Centre says the appointment as this year's charity is particularly poignant in memory of her commitment to this very local cause.

"This news gives us great hope that the NHS authorities in Shropshire will confirm their promised commitment to a long-term future for Ludlow Hospital so that we can work together to provide healthcare closer to home," said Peter Corfield, chairman of the Hospital League of Friends.

“We’re grateful and honoured that Ludlow Food Centre will be supporting us over the next 12 months, and look forward to seeing how much we can raise across all areas of the business.”

Jon Edwards who is managing director of the food centre said that the decision of the staff was showed that they wanted to support a local charity.

“Supporting charity is something at the very heart of Ludlow Food Centre’s ethos – supporting local people, and giving back to the community,” he said.

“We’re thrilled that we’re able to get on board and raise much-needed cash that will help thousands of people.”

There will be a number of fundraising events at the food centre during the coming year.