THERE was a £1,600-plus Christmas present for a Taunton-based cancer charity.

Donations continued to pour in to Somerset Unit for Radiotherapy Equipment (SURE) over the festive period, with a total of £1,656.35 handed over last week.

Among money given to County Gazette-backed SURE, which equips the Beacon Centre cancer unit at Musgrove Park Hospital, £150 from Mrs D. A. Dewis and £100 from Janice Dunn, Norma Thorn, Jane Annison, Val Hay and Val Flack, of Burnham-on-Sea as thanks for the hard work and dedication of Beacon Centre staff.

There was £50 from residents of Avongrove Court, Taunton from a Christmas raffle, £50 from Chard Ladies Evening Guild Handicraft Group from a Christmas Tree Festival at Chard Museum and £30 from friends at Holcombe Rogus.

The children at St Mary and St Peter Primary School, Ilton, and Shepton Beauchamp Primary School, who decorated a Christmas tree for the Ilminster Tree Festival.

Other donations included £250 from Ashill Charity Bingo Team, £50 from Ron Thompson (Carpets) Ltd of Wells, £125.50 from Puriton Bingo and £146.77 from Oake Carol Singers.

There was also £300 from Mollie Bickley, of Marsh, and £100 from the Tuesday Night Dance Group.

Collections of 5p coins totalled £3.30 from Connie Morley, £5 from Marion Coombes, £5 from Jenny Beale and her coffee mates, and £24.35 from Karen and Charlie Barker.

Left at the Beacon Centre was £60 from Jane Grinter and family of Taunton, £3.65 in 5ps from the children of King's Hall, £100 from Mr J. S. Grace of Taunton and from the Beacon Centre £92.71 mainly in 5ps.

The overall amount raised since SURE linked up with the Gazette now stands at £838,731.28.