THE County Gazette campaign to help local cancer charity SURE has got off to a flying start.

The appeal was only launched last week but our total already stands at £1,662.50, making the running total £434,000.

SURE - the Somerset Unit for Radiotherapy Equipment is trying to raise the last £200,000 needed to provide cancer treatment for people in Taunton Deane and West Somerset.

By providing the equipment it will mean all those who currently have to make the long trip to Bristol for their treatment will no longer have to they will go to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton instead.

When the SURE campaign was originally launched in 2000, the group was aiming to raise £400,000 to provide a CT scanner/simulator for the cancer centre, which is due to be built next year, as well as training for staff and the running costs for the first three years.

However, as time has gone on technology has improved.

Although SURE has raised over £400,000, the group has upped its target figure to £600,000 so it can buy a state-of-the-art simulator/scanner, as well as a machine that makes lead masks, to protect unaffected organs from the radiotherapy during treatment.

That means SURE has £200,000 still to raise by next year, if the equipment is to go in when the centre opens.