Ref. 29448-20The Evening Advertiser's Swindon Cancer Appeal is now just £100,000 short of its target. ANTHONY OSBORNE looks back on less than two years of outstanding generosity

THE total for the Swindon Cancer Appeal has reached the staggering half-million pound mark.

It is now just £100,000 short of its March 2006 target.

Today we can reveal that the Evening Advertiser-backed appeal has received a massive £60,000 through a range of local events, taking the fundraising to well over £500,000.

Just 12 months ago, the bank balance was tipping over the £205,000 mark, which means a massive £300,000 has been raised this year alone.

Hundreds of volunteers, fundraisers and companies across the area have either dipped into their spare time, wallets or profits to make sure Swindon's cancer sufferers and their families get the best care.

Graziella Campisano, manager of the Swindon Cancer Appeal, said: "We are all really delighted. We cannot believe that all the money has been raised in such a short period.

"The appeal will be two years old in March and to be such a short distance away from our grand total is really spectacular.

"It's a nice Christmas present and thank you to the people of Swindon and Marlborough for all their continued support."

A large portion of the cash has come from Macmillan's World's Biggest Coffee Morning. Hot beverages were served at 120 coffee mornings held in the Swindon area, bringing in a massive £20,000.

Macmillan committees in Swindon, Marlborough and Malmesbury have also boosted fundraising efforts.

The Swindon committee has raised £31,000, the Marlborough committee has raised a further £10,000, while the Malmesbury committee has added an extra £4,500.

Gillian Thornton, chairwoman of the Swindon committee, said: "We are absolutely delighted. All of the committees have worked extremely hard, and the appeal has really captured the imagination because so many people have been affected by cancer and have experienced the services of the Macmillan nurses as part of their cancer treatment.

"People have been extremely generous in their donations.

"Recently several of us were doing some Christmas gift-wrapping at the Designer Outlet Village, and members of the public were talking to us about their experiences."

Over the past 18 months, fundraisers have found ingenious ways of raising cash, from running in the Swindon half-marathon, to plans to drive a car worth just £100 across Europe and the deserts of Africa.

Others have abseiled down office blocks, flown to thousands of feet in a glider and cycled the route of the Tour de France.

The aim of the appeal is to raise £600,000 by 2006 to pay for two Macmillan nurses for the Great Western Hospital and a consultant in palliative care to work at the hospital and the Prospect Hospice in Wroughton.

The money will pay for the positions for three years, after which they will be funded by the NHS. Both of the nurses and the consultant are already working in the town, providing care and support for the hundreds of cancer sufferers across the town.

The money will also go towards patient grants for people with financial difficulties as a result of their illness.

Anthony Osborne