The Westbury team behind the Rodney Cook Memorial Rally have donated £40,000 towards a hospital’s new state-of-the-art scanner.
Founded in 2018 by Westbury man Gary Cook, the Rodney Cook Memorial Rally honours the memory of his father, Rodney Cook. Rodney sadly passed away at the RUH Bath in 2017 after his battle with cancer. Since being launched, the rally has raised over £475,000 for charity including £280,000 for the RUH.
The £4million new PET-CT scanner at the Royal United Hospitals Bath (RUH) will help with early diagnosis and faster, more accurate treatment for cancer and a wide range of other diseases.
The rally has now grown into the largest metal detecting event in Europe, drawing enthusiasts from around the globe. In 2025 the team of volunteers did it slightly differently, organising not one but three ‘no frills’ weekends in Wiltshire over autumn.
Laura Snell, Events & Community Manager at RUHX said, “Gary and the RCMR team are living proof that when ordinary hard-working people come together, they can achieve extraordinary things. Their dedication is inspiring and their determination to help others shines through in the fantastic events they put on. We are incredibly grateful to the RCMR team, their volunteer marshals and the landowners who make it all possible and the passionate community of detectorists, who travel far and wide and support so generously.
“Since the rally began, they have raised an incredible £280,000 for patients, families and staff at the RUH Bath. Their commitment to Cancer Services helped make the Dyson Cancer Centre a reality in 2024 and will now help bring a new state-of-the-art PET-CT Scanner to the hospital.”
Gary said, “The staff who cared for my father at the RUH were quite simply incredible, caring, and wonderful people. I felt compelled to try and do something to raise some money for RUHX to repay that kindness. So, from something awful, the RCM Rally was born.”
Laura Snell added, “The new PET-CT Scanner is more than just a machine. It represents hope, early diagnosis and giving thousands of patients the chance for faster, more accurate treatment when time matters most.”
To find out more about the campaign visit www.ruhx.org.uk/having-an-impact/our-campaigns-and-projects/pet-ct-scanner/.
