A BOWLS club presented a cheque for £500 to the Brighter Futures Appeal last week, raising money for a new radiotherapy centre at the Great Western Hospital.

Players gathered at the Wanborough Bowls Club, Hoopers Field to gift the donation to members of the Brighter Futures fundraising team.

This was raised through a stall at the Wanborough Show and an event dedicated to late club chairman Bill Suter.

Secretary Robert Bass said the club was delighted with the money raised.

“We didn’t have a figure in mind, we were pleased with the amount raised,” he said.

“It was quite gratifying especially when Chloe from Brighter Futures said she was quite impressed with what we raised. We tried to play it down but every bit helps.”

Brighter Futures was chosen as the charity of choice for 2016 at the bowls club’s annual general meeting last October.

Great Western Hospital hopes to raise £2.9 million in the two year-appeal to pay for a dedicated radiotherapy centre. Brighter Futures, the fundraising arm of the Great Western Hospitals NHS Trust officially launched the bid last May, which could see long journeys for radiotherapy become a thing of the past.

In January the radiotherapy unit at the Great Western Hospital was finally given the green light. The Specialist Satellite Radiotherapy Unit will be built at the hospital and is currently due to open its doors at the end of 2017.

The appeal recently hit £934,000 but £2m is still needed to equip the new suite, so fundraisers are urged to continue their efforts.

For more information about the Brighter Futures appeal visit www.gwh.nhs.uk/support-us/about-brighter-futures/