PEOPLE who previously had to travel to Bristol for cancer treatment have half a million reasons to celebrate this week.

The Somerset Unit for Radiotherapy Equipment (SURE) charity, which helps equip the Beacon Centre cancer unit at Taunton’s Musgrove Park Hospital, has passed the £500,000 fundraising mark since it linking up with the County Gazette.

Since the centre opened in 2009, hundreds of patients have avoided the stress of having to travel to Bristol for treatment.

SURE chairman Paul Alway said: “The support of the County Gazette has been a big driver towards the over £2million now raised by SURE since becoming a registered charity in 2004.

“Having only taken over as chairman of SURE in 2014, I never cease to be impressed by the level of support and fundraising achieved by the local community in Somerset.

“I would like to put on record the thanks of the SURE committee to the County Gazette for its backing - regularly publishing details of donations received and of the projects undertaken by the charity in support of the Beacon Centre has given SURE a higher profile and a great boost to the level of awareness and support it now enjoys.

“It enables SURE to reach out beyond the main towns nearest to Taunton, increasing fundraising and driving more improvements in treatment.”

On the past year, SURE has committed £92,000 for additional equipment for the radiotherapy department at the Beacon Centre to further improve patient treatment and outcomes.

SURE recently launched its Big Appeal in the Gazette to raise £500,000 by 2017 to replace the Big Bore CT scanner/simulator in the radiotherapy department provided by SURE when it opened in 2009.

*Latest donations received by SURE include £348 from the Carols in the Cattleshed concert in Kingston St Mary; £55, including £48 in 5p coins from Kingston St Mary villagers; £32.86 from the collection pot at Londis, in Bridgwater; and £86 from P. Mansell and the Cake Monday Club of Taunton.

There was £10 from R. Stiling; £49.80 from Beech Grove Primary School, Wellington, from staff instead of sending Christmas cards to each other; £1,482 from the Barleymow's Farm Shop and Restaurant, Chard, through a raffle; and £46.75 in 5ps from the Taunton Moose Ladies.

The collection pot at Changes Hairdresser, Monkton Heathfield, contained £12.42, while one at the Monkton Heathfield Store had £31.66, and the one at the Esso Garage, Wellington Road, Taunton yielded £33.22.

Collections of 5p coins totalled £6.20 from Peggy Cartwright, of Creech St Michael, £11.80 from Madge and Jean, £8 from Hazel and Steph, £19.15 from Bill Hanlon and friends, £50 from Claire Jones and family, of Curry Rivel.

And £2,500 from Taunton Carnival Committee, £25 in 5ps from Mr and Mrs T. A. Coombe, of Puriton, and £102.55 in 5ps from the Beacon Centre.

The week’s total of £4,910.41 takes the amount raised since SURE linked up with the Gazette to £501,184.27.