Two of the original volunteers present were Caris Roarty, who celebrated her 90th birthday last week, and Mary Young of Nullica Lodge, who will be 100 next year.

Caris is the foundation treasurer of the Op Shop committee, a position which she still maintains.

The committee, which was initially established to raise money to help build the Imlay District Nursing Home, (Imlay House) has now raised a total of $880,000 for the nursing home.

General manager Helen Ellwood said that the Pambula Op Shop had made a wonderful contribution to the nursing home with the funds being used for the refurbishment and replacement of furniture and equipment.

Without its money coming in each month, “we would not be as well off as we are,” she said. Ms Ellword said she had not struck such a fund raising effort elsewhere.

Recent projects had included refurbishment of the front foyer, repainting of the corridors and new dining room furniture.

Alison Jenkins, chair of the Pambula Op Shop Committee, said that the money raised was used to beautify the home, including its gardens, and to provide the little extras for residents.

She said that there were now some 120 volunteers on the roster with half that number attending the morning tea on Monday.

The Pambula Op Shop is staffed in two shifts from 10am to 1pm and 1pm to 4pm daily and from 10am to 12 noon on Saturday.

The committee was also celebrating the very recent installation of their first telephone at the shop. Previously volunteers had relied on the public phone booth outside the shop.