THE volunteers from Bath Cancer Unit Support Group, based in Trowbridge, were given a happy surprise after receiving more than £8,000 from a Corsham golf club.

John Carter, chairman of the group, was welcomed to Kingsdown Golf Club in Corsham to receive the cheque for £8,800 from the club captain Nigel Phillips and the ladies’ captain Pam Stratford. The money was raised by the club through a number of events in 2016.

Mr Carter, of Sydney Road in Bath, said: “It was an amazing surprise to receive such a wonderful amount of money from the people at Kingsdown. We are a volunteer charity, formed in 1985, that helps provide equipment to the Bath Cancer Unit. Over the time we have been fundraising we have raised £4.5 million, last June we raised £1.2 million to pay for a PET-CT scanner.

“The scanner is the only one of its kind in this part of the country and creates the best image for doctors to use. It takes a very clear scan which has resulted in some patients’ treatment being changed. The money that has been raised will now go towards extra equipment for the machine.”

Whenever a new captain is chosen for the golf club, they are asked to choose a charity to fundraise for the year. After speaking to a friend in Bath, ladies’ captain Mrs Stratford decided with the other captions to support the BCUSG.

Mrs Stratford, of Hilperton, said: “I was speaking to my friend who mentioned she had just raised money for the group and then I realised we had a few members who said they have had to go to Cheltenham or Oxford for such a service before. This was the decision of all three captains, club captain Nigel Phillips, seniors’ captain Tom Cashmore and ladies’ captain Pam Stratford. It was through whole club support, not just the ladies' section.

“We spent 2016 holding fundraisers such as our charity golf days and competitions. Ann Pierce organised a ladies’ lunch for the Queen’s 90th birthday which was about £2,000. Brenda Abbott, who sadly died at the end of last year, raised a lot of money with us.”

Following the success of the past year’s collection, there is talk at the club of next year’s chosen charity.

“We are currently considering supporting the BCUSG for the next fundraising year,” added Mrs Stratford.