MONEY is pouring in for Prospect Hospice Savernake Appeal, bringing it ever closer to its £75,000 target.

The appeal has raised more than £40,000 and the Friends of Savernake Hospital have presented the hospice with a cheque for £10,000, which is half of the match funding sum they pledged in October. The rest will follow towards the end of the appeal.

The hospice’s head of community engagement Warren Finney said: “The support of the Friends of Savernake Hospital has been vital to this appeal from the start, and it is with huge appreciation to them that we accept this generous donation.

“This takes us closer to our aim of opening the new Outpatient Centre at Savernake Hospital, and this has to be good news for the patients and families we meet from Marlborough and the surrounding villages.”

St John’s International Baccalaureate students smashed their £1,000 fundraising target for their panto Alice in Wonderland.

The sixth formers made £2,100 to be split equally between Prospect Hospice Savernake Appeal, Mind and Wiltshire Young Carers.

IB administrator Kate Hunter said: “When the students heard that they had made £2,100 there were huge celebrations.

“This is a phenomenal success for a small student-run production. The group managed to borrow or make the costumes, set and props at minimal cost, and the income was boosted by smashing the ticket sales target, as well as by the generosity of the audience who donated over £250 to the bucket collections as they left the show.

“We would like to thank everyone who came and supported the panto.”

The hospice has also been presented with a cheque for £1,000 raised by the Devizes Young Farmers at their fireworks display in Eastern Royal.

The event took place at the De Pass family home on November 8 and was attended by 800 people.

James De Pass said: “We always choose a charity in Wiltshire and it has been great to support Prospect Hospice through this year’s fundraising, especially for a new service benefiting people in our local community.”

A coffee morning and coffee fair in the Bouverie Hall in Pewsey made £757.44.

Organiser Carol Parsons said: “The event was a great success and I am looking to make the event bigger and better for next year.”