AN OLYMPIC gold medallist, a children's author and a lifesize bear replaced Geri Halliwell as guests at the RUH's launch of its Forever Friends Appeal.

The start to a day of fun activities was marked by gold medallist Stephanie Cook, Dick King Smith, author of The Sheep Pig, filmed as Babe, and Bath MP Don Foster, bringing teddy power to Bath.

Mr Foster found a moment to talk about his bear Betty, following the entrance of the RUH's living bear in a yellow and red car, rather like Noddy's.

"I am absolutely delighted, I wouldn't miss this for anything," he said.

"This is Betty Bear, speaker of the Bear Parliament, she is a good friend of Betty Boothroyd. She discusses important things like food labels on honey."

A former patient of the hospital, Dick King Smith was glad to support the event, sharing his Keynsham background with Bryan Organ chairman of BANES.

Mr Organ said: "I was here years ago with a heart attack but because they didn't do bypasses then, I ended up being transferred to Bristol's Royal Infirmary."

"Dick and I are both past patients and both from Keynsham the hospital doesn't seem to do badly for people from Keynsham."

The aim of this year's appeal is to raise money for up-to-date hospital equipment to fill the re-developed hospital buildings created since 1999.

Tim Hobbs, head of fundraising, pointed to the need for further work, saying: "We have a state-of-the-art building, now we want state-of-the-art equipment to fill it. We are still working to get kit for the new breast unit.

"With 75,000 people involved nationally in this work, Teddy's Big Day Out will be as recognisable as the Wrong Trousers Campaign."

Since the £10m appeal began a Private Finance Initiative has funded a millennial hospital, including a purpose-built breast care unit and a new main entrance.

Mr Organ is impressed with the improvements so far. "It's amazing what they have done in 10 years. The new entrance is magnificent," he said.

Mr Hobbs hopes the new equipment will enable the RUH to tackle the incidence of cancer in Bath:

"We will tackle the issue of cancer and it's possible that some of the money we need will come from Government initiatives," he said.

The purpose-built one-stop breast care unit has funded two digital mammogram machines, which have increased accuracy in detection and employ low radiation levels. All good news for patients, according to the unit's director Dorothy Goddard.

"The staff are very pleased we are part of the appeal. We are detecting cancers earlier and the process of being referred is hastened. We aim to see people with anything suspicious in weeks not months."