FRIENDS who worked as cleaners at a former Huddersfield hospital have organised a party to give it a proper send-off.

Sue Kilner, from Milnsbridge, and Deborah Gilbert, from Crosland Moor, told the Examiner all former staff from St Luke’s Hospital in Crosland Moor are invited to the bash.

The hospital shut down in December and is now fenced off with security rails.

It is to be developed for other uses.

Deborah, 42, said: “It’s so sad that it closed because it was such a nice place to work.

“It’s sad when you see it all closed with the fences around it.”

Sue, a domestic supervisor, added: “There were a lot of people that worked there over the years.

“We still keep in touch with some of them but the party is for all staff – from the past and more recent.

“We didn’t just want St Luke’s to close and that be the end of it. We wanted to give it a proper send-off.”

The Crosland Moor hospital, which was founded in the Victorian era, closed on New Year’s Eve.

Services for medical and mentally ill patients have now been transferred to other hospital sites.

The Crosland Moor Surgery remains on part of the site.

A decision was made in 2006 to close St Luke’s, the oldest part of which opened in 1872.

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, which owns the site, and Henry Boot Developments Limited, have formed a partnership to manage the sprawling hospital site.

Directors of the Trust agreed to establish the joint venture as a limited liability partnership for at least 15 years.

Profits from the development of the site – which was not sold on the open market – will be ploughed back into NHS care.

The party is at the Irish Centre on Fitzwilliam Street on Saturday, March 26, from 7.30pm onwards.

Tickets are £10 and include a buffet and entertainment from a DJ.

Any proceeds from the event will go to Kirkwood Hospice.

Call Sue for tickets on 07969 351825.