Children spending time in Truro's Royal Cornwall Hospital will have their stay improved thanks to donations from Helston Rotary Club.

Debbie Charles and Mandy Sinden, from the children's ward at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, attended a dinner of the club last Thursday at which president Nigel Treloar handed over a cheque for £2,000.

This came from £1,895.43 collected during the club's annual evening of carols in December at the Central Methodist Church, and then rounded up with club funds.

Afterwards, club vice president Brian Curtis, from Harlequin Design in Helston, made a separate presentation to the ward, of 16 Soopa Bears.

These are soft toys that are given to children admitted to the ward for treatment, to help make their stay a little more comforting.

Brian has himself been a patient of the hospital since January, when he was diagnosed with cancer, and started combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy in March.

Helston Rotary members were quick to rally round with offers of lifts to appointments, so that his partner Anne could keep their business open and running, and refused to take any payment.

Instead, Brian decided to donate a bear for every lift he was given during his treatment.