A PATIENT support group in Purton raised hundreds of pounds for the Radiotherapy Appeal with a cheese and wine evening.

Purton Surgery developed a Patient Participation Group in order to promote communication between patients and the surgery.

This group works with the practice to offer the patients' perspective on the services that are provided.

The PPG have been following the progress of the Radiotherapy Appeal and raised £804.19 with their most recent event.

Sheila Fowler, the group's treasurer and secretary, said: "We usually raise funds for equipment at the surgery which can't be bought on the NHS, like self-check-in screens, waiting room chairs for people with mobility issues.

"Our current goal is to pay for a dermatoscope which helps to detect skin problems, including skin cancer.

"A lot of people in Purton know someone who has needed to go all the way to Oxford and back for radiotherapy treatment daily for seven to eight weeks.

"That is a very long journey to do every day, especially when you're ill.

"Since so many of us know someone who's been affected by this and the radiotherapy appeal is so close to its goal, we decided to raise money for them and briefly put our usual fundraising on hold.

"Our group has a handful of members but more than 80 people came to the cheese and wine evening.

"It really grabbed people's attention because it's a very popular good cause which a lot of people want to support."

The PPG invited Brighter Futures' fundraising manager Catherine Newman to their evening at the Purton Village Hall in October as a guest speaker.

They then totted up the total raised and presented a cheque to the Brighter Futures team last week.

Sheila added: "We didn't have a fundraising target, we just wanted to raise as much as we could.

"I was very pleased with the result, people were so generous and we had several great raffle prizes on the night which were donated by local businesses.

"Even people who couldn't come to the event donated money. Catherine was very pleased."