INVERCLYDE Royal's charity tea bar which raises vital funds for the hospital has smashed the £2 million mark.

The Helen Wyllie Tea Bar - which was almost closed down by health board bosses a decade ago - has celebrated reaching the milestone.

It is run by the Inverclyde League of Hospital Friends, which is now in its 47th year.

The organisation is set to fund a new resuscitation room in the main hospital building to help save more lives.

Around 80 volunteers give up their own time to volunteer for tea bar shifts throughout the week, serving up refreshments to patients, staff and visitors.

League chairman Peter Hempsey said: "We are delighted to reach this milestone and we couldn't do it without our volunteers.

"This is a tremendous achievement and all the more commendable as it has come about through the work of dedicated volunteers.

"In 2019, the work of the Inverclyde League of Hospital Friends continues to play a very significant and positive role for the people of Inverclyde."

Every penny raised from the tea bar is ploughed straight back into helping the hospital.

The next big project is funding a room in the hospital to improve cardiac rehab care, with the training centre moving into the main building.

Ten years ago the Tele launched a successful campaign to save the tea bar when NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board made a bizarre move to try and close it down and replace it with a Starbucks style coffee shop 'Aroma' franchise.

The people of Inverclyde reacted with fury as they backed the campaign.

Over 10,000 people signed our petition and NHS bosses were forced in to a u-turn.

Since then the tea bar has carried on raising up to £150,000 a year to help fund vital equipment to help the hospital.

One of the leading Save the Tea Bar campaigners was Helen Wyllie, who fought tirelessly to keep it open.

She passed away in 2015 and two years later the League of Hospital Friends renamed the tea bar in her honour following a £30,000 refurbishment.

The board meets every month to decide where to invest the money raised at the facility.