The women who shot to international fame by posing nude for a WI charity calendar are making final calculations in time to hand over a cheque to a cancer research organisation.

"We can't say exactly what the total is just yet, but we expect it to be something in the region of £300,000," said Tricia Stewart, who with ten other members of Rylstone & District WI, posed for the calendar to raise cash for Leukaemia Research.

"There's been a flurry of interest over the Christmas period following a television documentary which featured the campaign and quite a few more calendars have gone in recent weeks," she said.

The cheque is to be handed over by Angela Baker, 53, of Cracoe, whose husband John, died of leukaemia. He worked for the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the campaign was launched last April in his memory.

It will be received by a representative of London-based Leukaemia Research at the Devonshire Arms, Cracoe, near Skipton, on Friday January 12.

Tricia, 50 - Miss October on the calendar - said it would be a time to thank all the people who had helped in the campaign.

She paid special tribute to Maple Leaf Images, a photography shop in Sheep Street, Skipton, where £16,000 was raised and to Dalesway newsagents in Skipton which raised £11,000.

"But many others have worked so hard to make sure it was a success and they all deserve a big thank you," said Tricia.

In December, £50,000 from the fund was handed over to help finance improvements for patients and relatives attending the leukaemia ward at Leeds General Infirmary.

The WI calendar campaign will close following the cheque hand-over, but any money raised by the women next year will be donated to the LGI unit.

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