A PROSTATE cancer survivor and his singer friends raised hundreds towards the cost of a roadshow van for a hospital support group.

Geoff Spooner, 70, was diagnosed with cancer last year. The Old Town man had surgery to remove the tumour last year and is now a regular member at the Great Western Hospital’s prostate cancer support group.

Together with fellow members of men’s choir The Magnificent AK47, Geoff raised £210.

He said: “It’s very frightening when you first encounter the disease. They were a group of people – blokes really – talking about prostate cancer in a quite matter-of-fact manner. It eases that initial fear and tension when you first get the diagnosis.”

The cash was raised during the choir’s annual Bloke Fest, a weekend festival of singing and beer-swilling.

It will go towards the purchase of a “man van” for the prostate cancer support group. Samantha Richards, a specialist cancer nurse at GWH who runs the group, said: “The man van is going to allow us to drive to community events in Swindon and offer important information about the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer.”

The group has already been given a £1,200 donation by John Lewis towards the man van fund. Samantha and the group members need to raise at least another £6,000.

The Magnificent AK47 will next perform tonight, Saturday, July 14, with the Wessex Male Choir at the Steam Museum. Tickets: £12.50. Doors: 7.30pm.