A major fundraising appeal is hoping a one-off cycling event, with teams from county businesses battling it out on the track, will help it reach its £2.4 million target.

Cheltenham and Gloucester Hospitals Charity's appeal is seeking to raise funds to buy at least three new CT scanners which will all but eradicate waiting lists saving the lives of young and old.

Only running since November last year, it has teamed up with Cheltenham-based Brewin Dolphin to stage a town-centre velodrome challenge which it hopes will see its quest close having raised the requisite cash.

Karen Organ, senior fundraiser at Cheltenham and Gloucester Hospital Charity, said: "There has been a 20 per cent rise in accident and emergency usage across the two county hospitals. We do not have enough mobile digital x-ray machines.

"If a baby is born prematurely, they have to be scanned, that can take up to one hour and we can lose that baby while we are waiting for a machine.

"But if we are successful these three new machines will literally save the lives of not just premature babies, but those who have had strokes, cancer patients and many more. They will save the lives of our friends and families."

She added: "All of the money so far has come from within Gloucestershire, from businesses and private individuals. We are hoping this velodrome will help us get over the line, if we can encourage enough teams to get involved."

There are spaces for 16 teams of four who can then battle it out for the honour of champion. A quarter of those are already taken. Other riders will also be taking part, with one company, Cook Residential, booking a half hour slot of pupils at a local primary school to enjoy the temporary track.

Paul Nurden, divisional director and head of Office at Brewin Dolphin, said: "It is also great to be putting something back into the local community and helping a cause that we all may have to use at some point.

"Karen has done a brilliant job of pulling this together and I hope other local businesses will get behind this unique event and enter teams to compete. It should be a fantastic spectacle and great day of friendly competition."

The event will be launched with a business breakfast at the nearby John Lewis store, where there are also still opportunities available.

Mel Nicholls, from the Great Britain Cycling Team, is due to speak at the launch.

To find out more about the event - due to take place on Friday, July 12 - or to express an interest in taking part email karen.organ@nhs.net .