It has been another successful year for the local Mid-Somerset Bowls Charity, who have been able to present a cheque for £1,750 to the Chairman of the Bath Cancer Unit Support Group, John Carter, who will pass on the money to the RUH's appeal for a new cancer scanner.

For the last eight years of running floodlit bowls tournaments, the charity have also organised dances, draws, auctions and parties – raising over £20,000!

Over the years, the charity has supported many local deserving causes. This year it was to help raise £1.2 million to fund the purchase of a Positron Scanner which will transform the treatment of cancer at Bath's Royal United Hospital. Most of these PET-CT scanners are located in teaching hospitals, so the RUH will be one of the first district hospitals to offer these scans to patients.

The location of the PET-CT scanner at the RUH will greatly enhance the treatment of certain cancers and will prevent patients from having to undertake the journey to Cheltenham for such scans, particularly at a time when lengthy journeys are the last thing they wish to contemplate.

Local bowls clubs – Norwest, Paulton, Prattens, Purnell, Frome Selwood and Frome Park play friendly (competitive) floodlight bowls at the end of each season to raise money for charity. All of the players pay a rink fee for each game and buy draw tickets to raise the money. Malcolm Moon, from Prattens, donates flowers each year which are auctioned off on bowls nights.

This year, the fund was helped by a party celebrating Bryn and Teresa Hawkins' Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary. The couple would like to thank everyone who made donations and to the Mendip Male Voice Choir, with soloist, Hannah Lockwood, and saxophone player, George Beachener, who provided the entertainment on the night. Bryn and Teresa think the money raised is going to a very worthy cause, having been confronted by cancer within their family themselves.

The committee is pleased to announce there will be a Sixties Dance next year, after giving it a rest this year. It is due to be held at the Conygre Hall, Timsbury, on Saturday, 27th September 2014, to help raise extra money for another good local cause, yet to be announced.