A fundraising club which has raised a staggering £100,000 over the past 15 years is finally taking a break.

The A and L Fundraisers Club was formed by Heybridge residents Tony Turner and Linda Simmons, both 68.

The club’s country shows have raised more than £100,000 for Little Havens Hospice since 2003.

The duo held their first show at the Museum of Power in Langford in 2003.

From there, they moved to Althorne in 2004 and 2005.

The rest of the shows took place at Purleigh Halt where they had their most recent event this summer.

But Tony has now decided the best course of action is to take it slow due to health issues.

He said: “We haven’t done too bad for 15 years. All in all, we have had great fun doing it, but it is a lot of hard work.

“The expenses get more and more expensive. It now costs us about £10,000 to £12,000 to put a show on.

“It is getting so much work and it’s getting harder to find volunteers, although I admit we have had the most people at the country show this year than ever before.

“You have got to know when to take a break and I think we need a rest.”

While there are no plans to put on an event next year, the pair have not ruled out other events taking place on the land at Purleigh Halt.

A message to supporters on their website said: “We would like to say a big heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers and supporters who have helped us during the last 15 years of It’s Showtime, from the first show at the Museum of Power on to Althorne and then to our final home at Purleigh Halt.

“We have always had huge support from everyone as we got bigger each year.

“We have decided it’s time for a break to reflect on all we have achieved over this time.

“Thank you all for your support in what has been an amazing 15 years.”

Hospice fundraising manager Carmel Hudson said: “On behalf of everyone at Little Havens, I want to say a huge thank you to the A and L Fundraisers Club for supporting us over the past 15 years and raising such an amazing amount of money.

“Their kind support means that we can continue supporting families when they’ve been told there is no cure for their child’s illness.”