MUSGROVE Park Hospital in Taunton unwrapped its best Christmas present when the £1 million target for a third MRI scanner was reached last week.

Fundraising events brought in £420,000 over the last 18 months, other charities contributed £220,000 and the remainder came from large donations and other sources including gift aid.

The much needed MRI scanner is due to arrive at the hospital in the summer.

People in Somerset held a wide range of fundraising activities, including an Everest climb, coffee mornings, live music events, bike rides, walks, runs, masquerade balls, skydives, head shaves, a sponsored silence and plenty of street collections.

Colin Drummond, chairman of Musgrove Park Hospital, said: “This is terrific news for our patients throughout Somerset. On behalf of everyone at the hospital I would like to thank all our many supporters who have made this possible.

“What makes it so special is that the bulk of the funding came from individuals and from a great number of local fund raising efforts. The warmth of community support is humbling and an inspiration to all who work at Musgrove – it makes us all the more determined to continue to give the best possible care to all our patients.”