A pair of cancer survivors will be holding a Sidmouth cream tea event to give something back to a charity that helped them when they needed it most.

Mum-of-two Lynne Thorne, who has been in remission for three years, will be joining forces with Lynne Maxwell, who has been cancer-free for almost 20 years.

The pair will be holding an event at All Saints Church Hall tomorrow (Saturday, June 10), between 2.30pm and 4.30pm, in a bid to raise more than £1,000 for Elf (Exeter Leukaemia Fund).

Mrs Thorne said she was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2014 and spent six months at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (RD&E). Elf helped fund some of the nurses that took care of her, as well as new parts of the ward.

The cream tea event will include a raffle, cake stalls and a dance demonstration by East Devon Dance Academy.

All the money raised will help the charity to continue to pay for nurses, physiotherapists, counsellors and clinical nurse specialists, as well as patient transport to the RD&E and a flat near the hospital for families which have travelled far.

Mrs Thorne said when she was first diagnosed it was a real shock as she was such an active person and never normally got sick.

She added: “I started feeling unwell with stomach pains and sickness.

“I went to A&E three times, but no-one could figure out what was wrong with me. I went to the doctors after three weeks and was sent to see a specialist and it turned out I had leukaemia in my stomach.

“I was lucky it had not started to affect my bone marrow and that they caught it before it started to affect my blood.

“I have two young children - telling them was the hardest thing, but they were fantastic.”

While in hospital, Mrs Thorne experienced first-hand how much Elf did to help cancer patients when they needed it most. She now hopes the Sid Valley community will join her and Mrs Maxwell in supporting the amazing cause.

“It would mean the world if I could give something back,” she said.