A local medical charity will see its donations double, if people take part in The Big Give, a national campaign of match-giving to charity.

Every donation given to Cobalt through The Big Give website up to £25,000 will be doubled, making a fantastic £50,000 up for grabs.

The Big Give is a non-profit, charitable website which enables donors to support charity projects.The double funding campaign launches on #GivingTuesday, 27th November from 12pm and will run for a week until Tuesday 4th December.

Julia Jenkins, head of fundraising, Cobalt said: "The money raised through The Big Give will be used to fund a 3D Mammography System for Thirlestaine Breast Centre. This is a state of the art screening and diagnostic breast imaging tool. The new system will enable doctors to identify breast cancer at an earlier stage, which can make treatment more effective. It will also reduce the number of unnecessary procedures."

Dr Sarah Vinnicombe, consultant radiologist at the Breast Centre in Cheltenham said: "The great advantage of this contrast enhanced mammography technique is we might be able to do it there and then for women who've got a breast cancer, if we're not sure how big the cancer is. That could be brilliant, because not only can we do it immediately in the clinic, it's much, much quicker. Women aren't going to have to wait two or three weeks and of course it's a fraction of the cost of an MRI scan as well. So we think it could be really exciting development for breast imaging."

Carole Law, a volunteer at Cobalt, said: "In 2007, following a routine mammogram, I received a re-call letter. Having to wait for my follow-up appointment was the worst part. A malignant lump was discovered in my left breast; it was very small - the consultant was optimistic and very reassuring. Following a lumpectomy, I had radiotherapy three times a week for a period of six weeks. I was fortunate enough not to have had ill effects from the treatment. Fortunately, the cancer had not spread to the lymph glands and chemotherapy was not necessary. Following my all-clear, I get checked every year and I am now invited to have a three-yearly mammogram. I would encourage all women to go for breast screening, there is nothing to fear and there really is no good reason not to go."

The Charity is holding a reception on Thursday 22nd November from 6pm for anyone who would like to know more about The Big Give and Cobalt's work. To book your place, please phone the fundraising team on 01242 535922 or email fundraising@cobalthealth.co.uk . You can also find out more here .