HEREFORDSHIRE’s ‘cereal’ fundraisers, the Merry Millers report that they are “well on their way” to topping a massive £100,000 for charity.

Since their first event in 2012, the plucky group’s efforts managed to reach £95,000 after a fundraiser at Hereford racecourse earlier this year, and cash is still coming in to the coffers. Now there are plans for what could be the Merry Millers’ last dinner dance which is likely to achieve their long-held goal.

Over £26,000 has been paid towards an endoscopy ‘stack’ at Hereford County Hospital, state-of-the-art equipment enabling patients undergoing tests for a range of urological diseases – including cancer – to receive a diagnosis and a decision on treatment within hours rather than weeks.

In the Merry Millers latest newsletter, Ian Pugh and his daughter, Janey Cotton have announced the latest news. “We are well on our way to £100k,” they state. “Firstly, our Race Evening in March raised over £5k which puts us nicely past the £90k to date.

“Some of the £5k has already been donated to St Michael’s Hospice and also to Tenovus Cancer Care, Abergavenny, where one of our loyal Merry Miller’s supporters has very recently had such wonderful care and successful treatment.”

The new endoscopy stack is now in operation at Hereford, they said. “It was officially launched in August, and via urine samples can detect very early stages of prostate cancer and perhaps more importantly, diagnosis on the day.”

The newsletter continued: “Two of our supporters have already been with wonderful negative results.”

They concluded: “The mental anguish of waiting for the result has gone.”

Now the energetic fundraisers are planning what could be their final dinner dance on Friday May 3 at the Three Counties Hotel in Hereford, as well as a promise auction.

“This event will be different,” they promise. “We want to get way past £100k.”.

They continue: “Like us, please be proud of what we have achieved together. At the end of the day we are trying to save or extend lives.”