Tragedy has thrown teacher Nessa Chacksfield and hospital pharmacist Debbie Pascoe together. Both have lost loved ones to leukaemia. But out of their sadness, they have forged an organisation that in 12 months has raised £6,000 for leukaemia research.

Nessa, 47, of Bradley, lost her twin brother Rory Simm to hairycell leukaemia in August 2001. He died on the day his second baby daughter Ciara was born to his wife, Niamh. Ciara had been laid in his arms before doctors switched off the computer engineer's life support machine. His first daughter Aoife was three at the time.

Said Nessa: "Ciara was only a few hours old and we put her with Rory. He was unconscious but we wanted her to be with her father. It was a very moving moment. I still find it difficult to believe he has gone.

"The tragedy is that the type of leukaemia he had is very treatable - 90 per cent pull through. But Rory caught an infection and he was unable to fight it off."

It was while Nessa was grieving that she found some solace talking to Debbie, also of Bradley, who had lost her sister, aged nine, in 1977. Debbie said: "I was just 12. It was difficult to take on board and I shut a lot of it out. My mother and father threw themselves into fund raising and formed the Mid Cornwall branch of Leukaemia Research Fund. And 25 years later they are still involved and have raised £100,000."

Together, Nessa and Debbie resolved to hold a fund raising dance - in Bradley village hall - for Leukaemia Research - which was such a success that it has kicked-off a number of other events over the last 12 months and the formation of the Skipton & District Branch of the Leukaemia Research Fund.

It has a core of about 12 members with Dr Ann Cuthbert, consultant haematologist at Airedale Hospital, as president. Their next event is a dance - including salza - on Saturday, March 8, at St Thomas's church hall, Sutton.

And they have launched a 100 Club at £1 a month for members. Anyone wanting more information should telephone Nessa on 01535 636718.