Bradford sisters Dee and Liane Llewellyn are planning to swim the length of Lake Windermere twice to raise money for those affected by the flooding in South Yorkshire.

The sisters will be taking part in the relay on Saturday alongside Amanda Taylor, 60, and her husband Paul, 61, as well as Garry Vilman, 27, and Beverley Thomas, 50.

The group decided to take up the challenge as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the British Long Distance Swimming Association (BLDSA).

Dee, 29, of Odsal, who works as a teacher in Huddersfield, said: "We are raising money for Sheffield, Rotherham and Doncaster, where people have been flooded.

"We wanted to raise the money for them because it is devastating, being out of your house, having to make do living in temporary accommodation.

"So we thought it would be nice to raise money to put away to help them.

"And the fact that we are raising it through swimming, it's making something good come out of water."

Mrs Taylor, of Blubberhouses, said: "The swim involves 11 teams, including two from Ireland, swimming the length of Lake Windermere twice, which altogether makes 21 miles.

"Even though me and my husband are both in our 60s, we are quite experienced swimmers and so I am sure we will be able to complete it together with the other team members."

The team expects the relay to last between 11 and 13 hours.

Miss Llewellyn, a former president of the BLDSA, said: "We will be taking it in turns to do it in sections. Each person will do about an hour, swimming three miles at a time.

"After each turn we will have to keep warm but, unlike normal, there will be no big boat to take us to the next part - instead we have to get transport to take us to where we will be getting into the water next."

She said the fundraiser would mark the end of the association's golden jubilee events.

"A lot of the people coming to take part have been members for long time, and other are fairly new - so no doubt we will be having a bit of a get together in the pub afterwards."

Anyone who wants to sponsor the swimming team can visit www.justgiving.com/ southyorkshirefloodrelief, or write to South Yorkshire Community Foundation, Clay Street, Attercliffe, Sheffield, S9 2PF.