After months of fundraising, training and cake baking, Journal Editor, Becky Brooks, along with fourteen other local trekkers, has left for the Great Wall of China to raise money for the RUH's Cancer Centre.

The group have been tirelessly raising money for the RUH's pioneering new Cancer Centre, to be built at the hospital, in Bath, by gaining sponsorship to trek the Great Wall, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Trip highlights will include walking up to eight hours a day over six days, a 200-step, near-vertical ascent up 'Heavens Ladder' to the top of a mountain and staying with a host family, really giving them a glimpse of the culture.

Between them, the trekkers have so far amassed £40,000 for the Cancer Centre, with more donations still coming in.

To see her off, Becky, along with fellow trekker, Karen Burge, hosted her final charity night at a packed Welton Rovers, organised by Terry and Annette Andrews, from Party Plus, in Midsomer Norton, who offered to help the local China trekkers add to their fundraising totals. which featured musical entertainment and a raffle, with a Mulberry Handbag and much more up for grabs. One very brave, local lady also topped up the fundraising total by having her head shaved on the night by Joanne Rowe, from Oliver Joseph Hairdressing, in Midsomer Norton. Once the rest of the money from this event has been collected, it is estimated that the evening raised around £2,400.

Becky and Karen have been fundraising for most of the year, and combined, have raised over £10,000. The evening was a huge success ­– even Big Ted joined everyone on the dance floor and came to wish the pair well on their challenge.

Becky said: "Karen and I would like to say a huge thank you to Terry and Annette for all of their hard work – they have spent hours and hours planning this event and putting together a huge raffle which had over fifty prizes donated by local businesses and people who wanted to contribute. Thank you to everyone else who was involved in the evening and helped to make it run so smoothly, it couldn't have gone better and everyone had a wonderful time. Welton Rovers was transformed with all of the pink decorations!

"A big thank you to all of the businesses who gave prizes, to the members of the All Stars, a group of local musicians from well known local bands who came together for one night and performed brilliantly, to Cliff Clarke for warming up the crowd and to Dangerous Brian for the disco – everyone gave their time for free, with so much enthusiasm. To everyone who came along – Welton Rovers was packed and so many people wished Karen and I well – it is something we will take with us when trekking the Wall gets tough.

"Everyone has their own story about how cancer has affected them and their lives, sadly, it touches us all. The money we are raising is so important – this new Cancer Centre at the hospital will transform the way in which cancer is treated locally and Karen and I are very proud to have been involved in helping to raise money towards it. However, as the year has gone on, this has not just been about our own individual fundraising – the whole community has backed us all the way and we are so grateful. Thank you."

One very generous star prize winner has given their prize back to the organisers to raise even more money. So, the hot air balloon ride is still up for grabs! Details of how this can be won will be announced when Becky and Karen return.

Good luck to Becky and all the trekkers on their journey across the Wall and look out for more information on how the group got on in the coming weeks in The Journal.