Pendle sisters Laura Standring and Sarah Nutter are getting into the Christmas spirit a little earlier than usual this year so they can help Rosemere Cancer Foundation.

Together, the siblings are the force behind Pendle Pat a Cakes, the baking company run from Laura’s farmhouse home kitchen in Newchurch and this coming Sunday (21st October), they will be unveiling their 2018 Christmas cakes at a food fair being staged to raise funds for the cancer charity.

It is a cause close to their hearts as their older brother Andrew, who used to farm in Sabden Fold with their other brother Brian, died of cancer in 2009 aged just 40-years-old.

Ever since, Laura and Brian, with help from Sarah and family friend Phil Sanderson, have ensured Andrew’s legacy has been one of helping others with the disease through raising money for cancer charities by staging the Pendleside Charity Tractor Run every August.

This year’s run was their 10th and had an entry of more than 100 tractors and farm vehicles, all decorated to an “Old Macdonald had a Farm” theme. It brought the total money the run has raised for charity over the decade to £48,200.

Mum-of-three Laura said: “We bake our Christmas cakes in September having soaked the fruit we put in the mixture in brandy for several days beforehand. They are then cooked slowly in the Aga for hours. I hand ice them which I wouldn’t normally do just yet but we wanted to give food fair visitors something special in support of Rosemere Cancer Foundation so there are some cakes now finished, boxed and ready to go.”

The Rosemere Cancer Foundation food and drink fair takes place from 10 am to 4 pm at the Ribble Valley’s iconic Inn at Whitewell, which is said to be the Queen’s local when she stays over at her nearby Lancashire estate on visits to the county.

Entry is free though there will be an opportunity to make a donation to Rosemere Cancer Foundation and buy fundraising raffle tickets. The charity will also have a merchandise stall.

Gillian Bartlett, who is organising the fair with Inn at Whitewell chef Ian Crowther, said: “The fair is in a marquee next to the inn. We had space for 24 food and drink exhibitor stands and all that space is now sold-out so we have a great offering of really wonderful seasonal produce from the best local food and drink producers around. We’re also helping a great local charity.

Rosemere Cancer Foundation works to bring world class cancer treatments and services to cancer patients being treated at Rosemere Cancer Centre, the region’s specialist cancer treatment centre at the Royal Preston Hospital, and also at another eight local hospital cancer units, including the units at Burnley General and the Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospitals. It funds vital equipment, research, training and other cancer services that are beyond limited NHS resources.

For further information on Rosemere Cancer Foundation and its work, including how to make a donation, visit www.rosemere.org.uk