THE campaign to raise funds to buy a vital new scanner for Malvern Community Hospital takes a further step forward this week as collecting tins appear in shops and other businesses across the town.

The Friends of Malvern Hospital set themselves the goal of raising £60,000 to buy a C-arm image intensifier for use in a pain clinic which has just started up at the hospital.

And last month, the Malvern Gazette launched its Ease the Pain campaign to help the Friends reach the target and get the scanner in place at the Worcester Road hospital.

This week the total stands at £25,700, showing that £1,700 has been donated by members of the public in the last seven days alone.Friends treasurer Alan Stevens said: “Money is coming in from people making cash donations to the bank and credit transfers, and as a result we don’t always know the names of the donors, or if we have a name, we don’t have an address. I want to thank all these people through the Gazette for their kindness and generosity."

Now collecting tins will be going into businesses across the town.

One business hosting a tin is Andrew Slater Hairdressing, in Worcester Road. Mr Slater said: “We’re delighted to support this appeal, because we like to feel that as a business we are very much part of the community.

“Our hospital is a real asset for the town of Malvern. We’re lucky to have it and it’s great that all the money raised will go to the cause.”

The scanner will be used to treat people suffering from conditions such as neck pain, back pain and sciatica. It allows painkilling injections to be placed very accurately, making them more effective.