THE appeal to bring state of the art MRI scanners to Darlington Memorial and Bishop Auckland Hospitals has received a donation of £2,000 from members of the Sikh community.

Jagsher Singh Garcha from Darlington instigated the fundraising when he heard about the appeal, as he was keen to support his local hospital where his wife has received excellent care.

He said: “We meet each Sunday at our Gurudawara and once I raised awareness of the appeal and asked for donations, they came in very quickly raising £2,000 in a few weeks. Several people each gave £100."

Professor Paul Keane, OBE, chairman of County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust and Pat Chambers, charity development manager, said: “I was overwhelmed with the warmth of the welcome, the hospitality and generosity of the Sikh Community in Darlington. Knowing that so many families have contributed towards raising this phenomenal amount is very humbling.”

For information about fundraising 01325-743786 or email: cddft.charity@nhs.net