A GENEROUS mystery donor has pushed the Malvern Gazette backed Ease The Pain appeal close to the finish line by handing over a staggering £15,000 to the cause.

The sum equates to a quarter of the total of £60,000 needed to pay for a vital new scanner for the hospital and brings the money collected so far to more than £56,000.

Now the Friends of Malvern Community Hospital group is calling on the community for a final push to hit the target.

The money will buy a C-arm image intensifier for the pain clinic held at the Worcester Road hospital.

The scanner will enable staff to administer very precise painkilling injections, which will benefit patients suffering from a range of chronic conditions.

Friends chairman Sheila Young said she wanted to thank the anonymous donor for their generosity.

“It has been a massive help for us and made a substantial difference,” she said.

“Thanks to them we are almost there. Just a small push and we can celebrate.”

Last week, Mrs Young also collected a cheque for £250 from the Malvern Motorcycle Club.

The club raised the money with a charity skittles match.

There was another donation of £1,310.59 from Malvern Floral Art Club, which held a flower festival at the priory earlier this summer.

“It is thanks to the help and generosity of people like these that we are almost there,” said Mrs Young.

Lin Ingles, matron at Malvern Community Hospital, said: “It’s great that the fund-raising appeal is now on the home straight thanks to this extremely generous anonymous donation and the wonderful events and challenges which people have organised.

“We look forward to the appeal getting over the line and having this really important piece of equipment available here at Malvern Community Hospital.”

The consultant who runs the pain clinic, Dr Mahesh Chaudhari, is taking part in a 100-mile cycle ride in the country around Stratford-on-Avon on Sunday, September 8, in a bid to raise more cash.

And the following Saturday, Dr Chaudhari will be the special guest at a cheese and wine party being hosted by the Friends at the United Reformed Church hall in Malvern Link.

* To make a donation to the campaign send a cheque, made payable to the Friends of Malvern Community Hospital (registered charity number 508876) to Alan Stevens, 55 geraldine Road, Malvern, WR14 3NU, or pay directly into the friends’ bank account at Lloyds TSB, account number 01084530, sort code 30-95-41.