A CANCER centre charity appeal has passed a key milestone following the success of its latest fundraising event which raised £53,000.

Has Hampshire Got Views For You! saw a high-profile panel answer questions from a 200-strong audience in a Question Time and Have I Got News For You?-style event.

It raised more than £53,000 for the Ark Cancer Centre Charity appeal through ticket sales, a raffle and donations, taking the £5million fundraising campaign through the £500,000 mark.

The panel included Conservative South East England MEP Daniel Hannan, London Labour MEP Lucy Anderson, businesswoman Nicola Horlick and author and award-winning classical record producer Alexander Waugh.

Paul Hardy, a barrister and legal adviser on European law to the House of Lords, chaired the event held at The Squire Theatre in the Ark Conference Centre, in the grounds of Basingstoke hospital.

During the lively and entertaining evening, the panellists answered a wide range of questions, including whether Islamic State or Russian president Vladimir Putin pose the biggest threat to Europe and which European leader they would like to be stuck in a lift with.

The fundraiser was the idea of Peter Davies, who organised it in memory of his life-long friend Peter Waugh, who lost his battle with cancer last October, aged 76.

Peter said of the evening: “It was brilliant. I had a steering group – Tania Brookes, Woolley Cameron, Jessica Fincham and Katie Spraggs – and they came up with most of the ideas and have done most of the work. I would like to thank them for their tremendous efforts and enthusiasm.”

Merv Rees, a trustee of the cancer centre charity, gave the audience an update on the progress of the £18.5million project.

The preferred location for the centre is next to a proposed £150million critical treatment hospital on land close to junction 7 of the M3 near Basingstoke.

While most of the funds for the centre will come from Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the charity’s £5m appeal will crucially ensure that patients and their families can receive enhanced supportive care in a state-of-the-art environment.

Mr Rees said: “I would like to thank everyone involved in organising, taking part in, and supporting this splendid fundraising event. The sum that was raised is amazing.”