THE Bolton Coronary Care Appeal now stands at £423,000 thanks to the mammoth efforts of Bolton fund-raisers.

This means the appeal is on target to reach its £1 million goal to build a 10-bed coronary care unit at the Royal Bolton Hospital by June 2003.

Local people have thrown themselves into a wide range of money-spinning projects. Health reporter Gayle Evans takes a look at what the public have been doing.

TALENTED Shaun Fields brought the house down with his copy-cat rendition of Evergreen sung by Pop Idol's Will Young.

The 11-year-old was one of many starstruck children competing in a fund raising talent contest at Greenfields private members club, Westhoughton.

The Bolton Saturday Club organised the event which raised £301.50 towards the new heart unit. The winner was Emma Hurst, aged 12, who took home £30 prize money.

Laura and Charlotte Higginson gave up their Easter holidays to raise money to save the lives of heart attack victims in Bolton.

Laura, aged 13, and Charlotte, aged nine, raised more than £500 by selling tickets for the Turton Rotary Duck Race in and around the grounds of the Royal Bolton Hospital. The race is being staged at Bradshaw Brook in the summer.

The children know only too well that the hospital needs a bigger and better cardiac support unit.

Their mum, Tracey Higginson, heads Bolton's Coronary Care.

She said: "They did this on their own initiative. They worked really hard."

The youngsters, including school pal, Danielle Thorpe, are now organising a sponsored walk around the Jumbles reservoir, Turton, on August 4.

Children are being urged to get on board the fund raising bandwagon by taking part in the sponsored event.

Adults will supervise around the course and children from eight to 16 are invited to go along. Contact the appeal's office on Bolton 390111 for further details.

Asda at Astley Bridge, Bolton, are turning their cafe into an olde English tea room to celebrate St George's Day tomorrow.

Why not join your friends for afternoon tea and raise money for a good cause?

You will be treated to waitress service and the cafe will be dressed up for the occasion -- a perfect excuse for putting on your gladrags and raising money for the appeal.

Parishioners from Egerton United Reformed Church raised £520 for the appeal from a coffee morning.

Sister Carol Fielding received a cheque on behalf of the hospital from the Rev Brenda Moores.

Heavyweight Gary Farnworth, who has already shed a stone in his quest to raise cash for the Coronary Care Appeal, handed in a cheque for £471. He and his dad staged a charity evening at the Railway Club, Green Lane, Bolton, on March 28.

So far, Gary, who has had two heart attacks, has also raised £500 for his sponsored slim -- but he still has four stones to go. Part of his success is down to the support of a local health club which has given him free membership and a personal trainer.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

YOU can send donations to the appeal at: The Appeal Office, Davenport House, Royal Bolton Hospital, Minerva Road, Farnworth, Bolton. Or you can come up with a great money generating idea and contact the appeals office on 01204 390111. The appeal's team will be only too pleased to go along to your place of work, club or organisation to explain about the appeal and give out sponsor forms. People can continue to hand in donations at the Royal Bolton Hospital's cashiers office at the main reception desk or at the following branches of the Royal Bank of Scotland: on Deansgate, Bolton; Lee Lane, Horwich, and Farnworth's branch on Market Street.

Cheques should be made payable to the Bolton Coronary Care appeal which is a registered charity with the number 1050488.