The League of Friends of Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton has collected close to £1,000 from the final race of the season at Taunton Racecourse.

The course allocated one of the evening's seven races to the League, allowing volunteers to gather donations for the hospital throughout the evening.

Volunteers managed to collect an impressive total of £948.

Clinton Rogers, President of the League of Friends, praised the support of race attendees.

He said: "The generosity on the night was truly humbling.

"So many people coming forward to say what great work the hospital does and being happy to dig deep into their pockets.

"A special thank you to the on course bookmakers who as one were happy to contribute to the pot.”

The trophy for the race dedicated to the League was presented by Chairman Peter Renshaw.

After Mr Renshaw said: "I would like to say a special thank you to the race course who always support the work we do and were kind enough to dedicate a race to us this evening."

The League, run by volunteers and financed by public donations or legacies, has raised £2.5 million for the hospital over the past three years.

This year, £1.5 million has been invested in a state-of-the-art robotic surgery console for the hospital, marking a significant advancement in surgical procedures.

Information on how to donate or volunteer is available on the League's website.