Tinsel draped round their necks, pulling a cracker, it is a typical Christmas scene.

Lowestoft Journal: Zoiyar Cole and Janet Ellis hold a Christmas fayre to raise funds for the Paul Cole Cancer fund.Santa, Helen Winsor,with everyone who has helped support the event.Zoiyar Cole and Janet Ellis hold a Christmas fayre to raise funds for the Paul Cole Cancer fund.Santa, Helen Winsor,with everyone who has helped support the event. (Image: Nick Butcher)

Except Zoiyar Cole and Janet Ellis trimmed their Christmas tree five months early, but all for a good cause.

The pair were holding a Christmas-themed coffee morning at Mrs Cole's Love Lane House in Pakefield which raised over £200.

It is the latest of countless charitable activities organised by the pair for the Paul Cole Cancer Fund, set up in memory of Mrs Cole's son who died from liver cancer in 1999 aged 35.

Over the past 16 years, they have donated money to cancer charities including the Palliative Care East appeal and the Sandra Chapman Ward at the James Paget University Hospital.

But the Christmas coffee morning is a relatively new fixture in the pair's calendar, after they were challenged to come up with something 'different' last year.

'We like to do something unusual,' said Mrs Ellis. 'Events that attract a bit of attention. We've still got our heart and soul in fundraising, it's not easy for charities to try and raise money.'

As part of the coffee morning there was a raffle with Christmas-themed prizes and a cake donated by Tea by the Sea, cake for sale and various stalls. Mrs Cole said: 'We did really well and I want to thank everybody who came, especially Helen who dressed up as Father christmas, Myra, Glynys who was on the raffle, Joyce and Gwen for all their help.'

The next event for the popular fundraisers will be a street sale on Grand Avenue, Pakefield, from 9.30am to 1pm on August 31.