FOUR members of Sion Baptist Church, Higher Cloughfold, will tackle the Great South Run in Portsmouth to raise money for two worthy causes.

They will split the proceeds between the Imperial Cancer Research fund and a local cause Deanna's Florida Dream, to send four-year-old Deanna Radcliffe, who has an inoperable tumour behind her eye, on holiday to the American sunshine state.

It will be the first time Carolynn Fletcher, Joanne Maudsley and Carmen Straccia have attempted ten miles, but they will be joined on October 14 by Sean Fletcher, a veteran of the Great North Run.

Imperial Cancer Research is close to the team's hearts because their good friend Jane Heys, a deacon at Sion, died in August, aged 52, after a battle against cancer.

Carmen said: "We did the Race For Life in June, which was three miles for Imperial Cancer Research, and also the five-mile Tesco Great North Run.

"We are training by doing seven miles, but it was Jane who inspired us to do the Great South Run. She motivated us to do the Race For Life and we have just carried on in her memory. We also wanted to help a local appeal so, when we heard about Deanna, we decided to raise money for her as well."

Deanna lives with her parents, Paul and Elizabeth, and sister Danielle, eight, at Regent Street, Bacup. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Pendlebury, and scheduled to begin an intensive, month-long course of radiotherapy at Christie's in November.

Her dream is to swim with the dolphins and see her favourite character Winnie the Pooh at Disneyworld in Florida.

Paul said: "I can't thank people enough for raising money for Deanna. We are hoping she will finish her treatment by Christmas but don't want to raise our hopes too much."

He said the long-term effects of Deanna's treatment would not be realised until she was much older, adding: "The treatment will affect her pituitary gland, which the body needs for growth but they can supplement it with growth hormones.

"She will have to put drops in her eyes for the rest of her life because the tear ducts are blocked. Also radiotherapy destroys the bone it targets and we don't know what effect that may have on the right side of her face."