WHEN people wish Pat Mulford a happy birthday, charities around the region cheer.

Pat, who turned 80 this month, held a birthday party which raised £770 for Hospice at Home West Cumbria.

But this North Street, Maryport, resident has used his past 12 birthdays to raise around £4,000 for various local charities.

He and wife Margaret's 40th wedding anniversary was also a fundraising opportunity.

The Mulfords moved to Maryport from Middlesex after retiring from careers in the air industry, working for BEA, which later became BOAC airlines.

Mr Mulford said: "I have been having birthday parties since I was 20. They were not all used as a chance to raise money for charity but many were."

He said he had a father who served in the RAF during the war and survived. He himself has enjoyed good health through his life and was comfortably off.

"I started using my birthdays to raise money for charity because I have been so fortunate in life and wanted to share that good fortune."

Forty people, including Mr Mulford, attended his 80th birthday celebrations.

He said he had hoped to raise about £400 but had almost doubled that amount.