LORRAINE Cunliffe and Patrick Kearney thought they would never find happiness again when their respective partners died from cancer.

But fate's helping hand meant a chance meeting led to their wedding last April.

Now, Lorraine and Patrick Kearney are in a special "partnership" to raise funds for the BEN-backed Bolton Busting Breast Cancer appeal.

And, as part of this, the couple are preparing to hold an "in the pink party" at their home in Shoreswood, Sharples, on Saturday, October 27.

They are also involved in a church coffee morning on Saturday, October 20.

The pair caught the fund-raising bug when they prepared to get married -- and decided to ask for donations instead of wedding presents.

The idea came from Patrick, aged 58, whose wife Ann died from breast cancer 10 years ago. Lorraine's husband Norman died of pancreatic cancer in September,1998.

She said: "We had two of everything as it was, so we decided to ask for donations instead.

"Having gone through what we have gone through we thought it was the right thing to do."

Lorraine, a Bolton College switchboard operator, said guests were more than happy to donate cash -- and the £600 raised was split between Bolton Hospice and The Cancer Research Campaign.

Since then, they discovered Bolton Busting Breast Cancer appeal and the proceeds of the pink party and the coffee morning at Christ Church, Egerton, will be donated to this campaign.

Christ Church has in fact played an important role in their relationship. Lorraine and Patrick knew each other from there and it was the venue for their wedding a year after getting together.

The ceremony was followed by a reception at Egerton House, and a honeymoon in China.

Lorraine said: "I knew Patrick because we both attend the same church and used to bump into each other at church events -- but I mainly knew him as a painter and decorator.

"He came to decorate when my husband was still alive.

"And we would see each other at the Reebok Stadium -- we're both Wanderers fans -- and wave to each other."

But it was not until she and a friend attended a 21st birthday party in Darwen that the relationship blossomed -- as Patrick, unexpectedly, was there, too.

Lorraine's friend invited Patrick to her 50th birthday party the weekend after, and Lorraine asked him to her daughter's engagement celebrations. "It was a mad time," Lorraine remembered. "The weekend after that Patrick came to do some decorating -- and the rest is history.

"We just hit it off. We clicked.

"I think we knew it was what we both wanted so it took 12 months from when we met to getting married.

"When you get to our age there's no point in hanging around and having long engagements."

At the wedding, Lorraine's two sons played key roles -- with one son "giving away" Lorraine and the other making the speech, which included the wonderful line: "I never thought I would be giving a speech at my mother's wedding".

Patrick also has a daughter and two sons, and all the children were "really happy" for their parents to have found love again.

This does not mean that Norman and Ann are forgotten, of course.

Lorraine said: "Norman wasn't ill for very long, it was a shock, we didn't expect him to die.

"Ann was poorly for about two and a half years."

Now, Lorraine and Patrick are keen to spread the breast awareness message.

And Lorraine added they both feel that it is not just women who need to be vigilant -- but doctors, too.

"Somebody I know very well was sent away with a lump -- the doctor said it was due to her hormones.

"She went back with another lump and by that time it had spread and she needed a mastectomy.

"I know doctors must be bombarded by women with lumps but they need to be aware."

In the meantime, the couple is busy preparing the pink "menu" for the fund-raising party. So far, cranberry juice, pink biscuits, pink wine and prawns are all on the shopping list.

"It could be interesting," said Lorraine.

"We'll have to see what I'm like with this pink wig on -- I might decide it's the right colour!

"It's just a bit of fun but we get a lot of pleasure out of it."

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which -- as always -- has a pink theme. Pink ribbons and other items are for sale at The Cancer Research shop on Newport Street in Bolton. Anyone wishing to hold an In The Pink event this month is asked to contact Christine Blease on 0161 7725555.