WHAT a Scantastic year it has been.

SuperScan fund-raisers are toasting a successful year for the £1 million appeal which has topped the £267,000 mark on its first anniversary.

Almost a year to the day since the bid to buy a life-saving MRI scanner East Lancashire was launched the appeal bank account shows a balance of £267,088.78. That is a superb £5,136 every single week or £731.75 every day!

And it is you generosity that has made the appeal such as resounding success.

An amazing array of fund-raising events has kept the money rolling in.

One of the highlights of the year was the SuperScan walk in May when hundreds of people took to the highways of East Lancashire on a mammoth 21 mile trek raising over £40,000.

The summer golf tournament organised through the East Lancashire Golf Association was also a huge success raising more than £7,000. And there have been thousands of smaller fund-raisers, ranging from a pie-eating contest, sponsored head shaves and leg waxes to a giant barbecue in Bashall Eaves which raised a whopping £4,400.

Appeal chairman Mike Trickett has been bowled over by SuperScan's success.

He said: "We are all absolutely delighted with the way it is going now.From very humble beginnings in the early months it is now really taking off and the goal is now in sight.

"My great thanks go out to everybody who has put such a tremendous amount of effort into helping the appeal. Every week we get 1,001 surprises from people who have organised events for us - it is just wonderful.

"Now we are looking forward to a bright future for SuperScan."

The appeal funds received another big boost this week when Ribble Valley councillor Harry Backhouse handed over a cheque for £4,400 which was raised at a huge barbecue organised with Bashall Eaves Parish Council.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.