An historic Bradford health care company is celebrating a series of new business wins.

Not-for-profit Sovereign Health Care, based in Manningham Lane, has won contracts to provide health benefits for top organisations including the Prison Officers' Association and Thomson Directories.

The wins follow successful trials of a new cancer support cash plan which is being tipped to become a UK market leader.

And Sovereign, one of the country's oldest surviving hospital funds, has also increased its service provision to existing customers including Bradford mail order giant Grattan.

Chief executive David Lewis said the new cancer care plan, which has been officially launched following a six-month trial, had helped secure new business.

"We have been respected in the development of health care plans throughout the UK health industry for many years, but our recently-expanded portfolio, which includes accident cover and the Positive Care cancer support cash plan, puts us in a very strong position indeed," he said.

"We are innovative and pro-active in the face of changing market conditions, but we have always stayed faithful to old-fashioned values of service and reliability, existing entirely for the benefit of our members, our business partners and the community we serve."

Peter Hancox, finance officer for the Prison Officers' Association said: "We chose Sovereign because of the great range of products that allow our members to 'buy in' at various levels to suit their individual needs and budgets."

News of the fresh deals has coincided with the appointment of a new chairman.

Dennis Child, formerly business manager for the NatWest bank in Bradford, has replaced outgoing chairman John Helliwell.

Mr Child said: "It's an exciting time to be joining the organisation. We are very proud of our 130-year heritage and the fact that we are now the preferred health care provider to 2,000 companies, leading trade unions and many NHS Trusts."

Last year, Sovereign donated more than £650,000 to local cancer charities through its support for the Telegraph & Argus Bradford Can... Cancer Research Appeal.