Fundraisers are being urged to clean up in a money-busting spring challenge for the Bradford Millennium Scanner Appeal.

An amazing £400,000 has so far been raised for the appeal thanks to efforts of hundreds of people across the district who have backed the £1 million campaign launched in June.

Now appeal organisers are setting their sights on the half-way mark - and are hoping local people are overcome with spring fever in a new challenge.

Only a further £50,000 needs to be raised to reach the halfway mark, thanks to a double-your-money challenge by Bradford-based healthcare organisation Sovereign Health Care.

The pound-for-pound offer has so far netted £200,000 for the Telegraph & Argus-backed appeal and now people are being asked to dig deep to secure the remaining cash pledged by the organisation.

Linda Pollard, chairman of the Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust, said she was delighted the appeal had already reached the £400,000 mark and hoped spring fever would inspire people to get involved in fundraising efforts towards the £500,000 milestone.

"With Easter coming up, bringing many opportunities for fundraising, we appeal to the local community to do all that they can to help us raise the next £50,000 so that the appeal can pass the half a million mark as soon as possible," she said.

Sovereign chairman Gerry McGowan said: "We are delighted that our challenge has been so well-received and that the community has rallied round to support such a vital local appeal.

"The new MRI scanner really will benefit the entire community young and old, male and female and is one of the most important pieces of equipment available in healthcare today."

A range of events for the MRI appeal are planned, kicking off with a student Rag week in Bradford today and Bingley Amateur Operatics are donating the proceeds from its Jack and the Beanstalk show on Wednesday and more cash will be raised from a ball on Saturday organised by the Shah Jehan restaurant in Bradford.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.