For many years South Shields best friends Linda Gordon and Julie Cunningham would holiday together with their husbands - but in 2015 tragedy struck: both of their husbands were diagnosed with cancer, and over the next few years both died.
Paul Gordon was just 51 and Tony Cunningham 55 when they died - but after supporting each other through the worst of times, both Linda and Julie have channelled their grief into supporting others in the same horrible situation. Linda is chair and Julie treasurer for the South Tyneside and Sunderland Macmillan Fundraising Group.
With their help, the group has now raised more than £35,000 for the charity - which supports cancer patients and their families during incredibly difficult times. They first became friends during the 1990s, when both couples spent time in the Lake pub.
