A SUMMER of successful fundraising has pushed a charity's appeal to new heights.

A cheque for £1,000 from County Durham Freemasons is the latest in a steady steam of donations to the County Durham Macmillan appeal.

The gift, from the Sunderland-based Benevolent Committee of the Province of Durham, takes the appeal to a total of £660,000.

Masons' spokesman George Clark said: "Freemasons give to national cancer charities every year and we are delighted to do what we can locally."

The County Durham appeal was launched in October 2001 in a bid to improve services for terminal cancer patients and their families.

Initially, charity workers hoped to raise £600,000 by the end of this year.

Thanks to the success of the appeal - with the £600,000 reached earlier this year - Macmillan is now aiming to hit £700,000, or even £750,000, before the end of the year.

Durham appeal co-manager Caroline Peacock said the funding had already been used to appoint two palliative care consultants and set up fully-staffed information points around the county.

Gill Lumsden has recently taken charge of a team of trained volunteers running a new Cancer Information Point in the main entrance of Shotley Bridge Hospital, Consett.

The other two are in Durham and Chester-le-Street hospitals.

Some of the fundraising highlights this summer have included The Great Milk (Stout) Ride through Hamsterley forest, which raised £5,000.

In July, 60 people enjoyed a guided tour of Croxdale Hall gardens, led by Christopher Dingwall, raising £800.

The women of the Durham Inner Wheel, under their outgoing chairman Eileen Kenmire, presented the appeal with a cheque for £1,050.

Mrs Peacock is asking everyone to support Macmillan's biggest fundraising event, The World's Biggest Coffee Morning, which takes place on Friday, September 24.

Anyone who would like to hold a coffee morning for the appeal is asked to ring 0845 602 1246 and nominate the Durham appeal, code number ANO367.