The Claire Coiley Trust has already handed £50,000 over to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle, for research into osteosarcoma, and aims to raise £150,000 in total.

Osteosarcoma – the most common form of bone cancer – claimed the life of 20-year-old Claire, of South Shields, in May 2003 – eight years after she had beaten it as a child.

It was her dying wish for her family and friends to raise as much money as possible for research into the disease – and about £80,000 has been raised so far.

Pal Jill Anderson, 27, from Sunderland, said: "I would like to say a big thank you to everybody who's enabled us to get to this point. We have had a lot of generous donations, mainly from people in South Tyneside, and a lot of companies have helped us by donating prizes for events that we have had.

"A lot of hard work has gone into organising events, from the Great North Run and Coast to Coast cycle, to summer fairs, garden fairs and charity nights."

A Halloween party at The Rose and Crown in East Holborn, South Shields, from 7pm on Saturday, will boost the coffers even further.

The fancy dress theme is Halloween/famous dead people, and there will be entertainment, singers, games, raffles and prizes to be won.

Businesses supporting the event include Water Lily by the Pond in Cleadon, Westoe Practice in South Shields and Peter Johnson Funerals in South Shields.

Jill added: "It is something that was really important to Claire and it was really her wish, when she was very ill, for some good to come out of her illness.

"Osteosarcoma is one of those things that probably isn't that well researched because it is not as well-known as breast cancer, for example.

"It is a really worthy cause and we want to raise £150,000. We have already handed over a third of that, which is great."