A GALA dinner at York’s Cedar Court Grand and Spa is set to complete a £100,000 fundraising drive to buy an ultrasound heart scanner for York Hospital.

The dinner next Friday will be the last fundraising event for the Heartbeat Appeal, as its founder Alec Bloom, of Leeds, is retiring after raising more than £3 million for heart projects across Yorkshire over the past 20 years.

A hotel spokesman said over the last 12 months, the appeal had been raising funds to provide York Hospital with an ultrasound heart scanner at a cost of about £100,000.

Now it was hoped the proceeds from the dinner at Yorkshire’s only five star hotel – supported by Sovereign Healthcare and featuring a “five-star menu” from head chef Martin Henley – would enable the campaign to be drawn to a successful conclusion.

He said Mr Bloom, who had himself undergone a heart bypass procedure, had founded the appeal in 1990 and it had become one of the leading independent heart charities in Yorkshire.

Mr Bloom’s work had been recognised by the award of an MBE in 2003 and the Badge Of The Order Of Mercy – awarded by the League Of Mercy and given to only 25 recipients annually – and by being bestowed with the Freedom of the City of Leeds.

Lord St Oswald, President of the Heartbeat Appeal, thanked Mr Bloom for his hard work and dedication to the charity over two decades.

“Although the Heartbeat Appeal will be winding down its major fundraising activities, I am delighted to announce that Heartbeat will fund an annual award to be made to talented young doctors working in the field of cardiology in the Yorkshire region who have excelled in terms of cardiac research and diagnostic investigation,” he said.

• Tickets for the dinner, costing £75, can be reserved by phoning 01904 380 038. Anyone wishing to make a donation to help the Appeal reach its target should visit justgiving.com/hhaf/donate