CHARITY fundraisers in the south are celebrating after handing out a cash bonanza.

The Daily Echo-backed BBC Radio Solent Daisy Appeal presents its first cheque today for £50,000.

The appeal will be handing the cheque to the first of three Wessex Cancer Trust projects it is supporting.

BBC Radio Solent breakfast presenter Julian Clegg will hand the cheque to the newly refurbished chemotherapy unit at St Mary's Hospital on the Isle of Wight, which opens today.

Since its launch in April, the appeal has raised more than £100,000.

Julian said: "It's just a fantastic thing to be able to do, and I am so very proud of all the listeners who have got involved and raised such an amazing amount of money.

"We are delighted to be contributing to the upgrading of this unit, because previously patients had to travel to Southampton to get certain treatments which the unit could not provide. Now they won't need to."

The appeal still has seven months to run and will be supporting two other Wessex Cancer Trust projects - the building of a respite holiday chalet in Dorset and the supply of a cutting-edge gamma camera to Southampton General Hospital.

Ali Leslie, BBC Radio Solent presenter, said: "If anyone is holding an event for the appeal they can publicise it free on our website."