AS chairman of the trustees of the Primrose Foundation and chairman of the Primrose Appeal Committee, we are delighted to announce that the Primrose Appeal has now reached its target of £500,000.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the many people who, over the past two and a half years, have both given so generously to the appeal and given so much of their time supporting the appeal, either by organising fund raising events or by helping in other ways.

When the appeal was launched in October 1997, the task of raising half a million pounds seemed daunting indeed, but we reckoned without the support, generosity and good will of the people of Devon and Cornwall. The appeal obviously went to their hearts and we are truly grateful.

We are also grateful for the support and co-operation of the Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, as a result of which we are delighted to announce that building work on the new dedicated breast care centre at Derriford Hospital is likely to start towards the end of May.

We hope that the new centre, to be known as the Primrose Centre, will be open before the end of this year.

Whilst the appeal target has now been reached, there is a continuing need for funds in order to procure the most modern equipment for the new centre, and also to fund research into breast diseases including cancer, as well as providing suitable amenities within it.

We therefore hope that people will continue to make donations to the foundation, and indeed to hold fundraising events in support of it.

We are pleased and proud to have been associated with the Primrose Appeal, and are delighted that the efforts of so many people are to be rewarded.

Dame Margaret Fry

The Hon Mrs G Lopes