Rotary fundraising efforts boosted by big bull (From This is The West Country)

Rotary fundraising efforts boosted by big bull

10:30am Sunday 4th January 2009

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A GIANT bull was the subject of a fundraising competition held by Burnham Rotary in aid of the charity SURE.

'Field Marshall', owned by Highbridge farmer Arthur Duckett, has been crowned Britain's biggest bullock and it was brought out for the Rotarians' charity drive.

Members organised a guess the weight competition at the Fatstock Market in North Petherton with Field Marshall the guest of honour.

The super-size bullock weighed in at 1,520kg after piling on 500lb in the past year and is still growing.

Burnham Rotary club said that despite hundreds of guesses nobody managed to get Field Marshall's hefty weight right.

Organiser Bernard Raines said: “The local farming community were very supportive and the competition was a great success.

“It has enabled the rotary club to make a donation of £1,100 to SURE. The rotary club are indebted to Arthur Duckett for bringing along Field Marshall and also for his very generous financial contribution.

“The club would also like to thank Greenslade Taylor Hunt for allowing us to put on the competition at the market.”

The SURE campaign, which is supported by the Weekly News' sister paper the Somerset County Gazette, was set up to support the new oncology unit under construction at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton.

The £12million scheme will provide radiotherapy and inpatient oncology facilities to the hospital for around 1,200 patients from across Somerset every year and is set to open in early 2009.

Meanwhile a Rotary collection box outside Asda in Highbridge where people were encouraged to leave gifts with a message attracted a huge number of donations.

Rotarian Jane Gibbs said: “We were absolutely delighted with the generosity of the public.

“When it came to wrapping the presents we had to have a working party as there were over 120 items to gift wrap.”

The presents were sent off to the Outreach women's refuge and the YMCA in time for Christmas Day.

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