A Bradford mum's battle against a brain tumour has inspired friends and colleagues to set up a charity in her memory.

Andrea's Gift has been created to fund local research into the condition following the death of Andrea Key in May last year.

She was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour in October 2001 and underwent surgery and radiotherapy at Leeds General Infirmary.

Andrea, of Eccleshill, died aged 42, leaving her daughter Jenny, son Jonathan and partner Graham.

Soon after Andrea was diagnosed, friend Carol Robertson - who also worked with her at Toller Lane-based publishing company Emerald - decided she wanted to help a charity linked to Andrea's disease.

"Andrea was a bright, forthright, lovely full-of-life person," she said.

But the disease meant her condition was deteriorating week by week.

Bosses at Emerald gave their backing to choose the cause as their charity for 2002.

But Carol, pictured, could not find a charity which funded local research.

"I contacted her surgeon and asked him if I could get some help. He said there was a research project they were undertaking and there wasn't a charity, but it was something he had wanted to get going for some time. It just started from there."

With his backing, as well as Andrea's blessing, Emerald staff set about raising money and collected £20,000 last year.

This year they started work to set up the charity and it was registered in February.

Now cricket legend Ian Botham has agreed to be the charity's patron.

He said he was delighted to be involved.

He said: "Sadly, I have learned that the investment into finding an effective treatment for brain tumours is way behind other cancers.

"As a direct result, the prognosis for patients today is about the same as it was 40 years ago."

Carol, who is chairman of the charity, said they were thrilled.

She said: "I am sure that with Ian's support the charity will go from strength to strength."

Raising awareness as well as funding Leeds-based research into brain tumours in adults and children are the aims.

And first they want to raise £100,000 over the next 12 months to fund a research team based at St James'sUniversity Hospital in Leeds. They are already part-funding a research project which is showing good results.

Other objectives include setting up a patient library and a support group.

Andrea's 21-year-old daughter Jenny said she was touched the charity had been set up in her mum's name.

"Particularly Carol has put a lot of hard work into the charity. It's fantastic they are actually making people aware of it.

"You don't actually realise what is out there until it happens to you," she said.

Dr Sue Picton, a consultant paediatric oncologist at St James's Hospital, is one of the charity's trustees.

"There's quite a lot of research into other cancers but there was no local charity at all funding brain tumour research.

"I am very pleased because I look after children with brain tumours and for the first time there's a charity trying to span all of the speciality," she said.

The next fundraising event is the second Andrea Key memorial six-a-side football tournament on Sunday, August 31, at Bradford University all weather pitch.