Two women who became friends when they were both diagnosed with cancer are using their experience to help others struggling against the illness.

Adele Smithurst, 36, and Rachel Moorhouse, 42, have set up Keighley and Airedale Cancer Support.

It will offer support and counselling from its base in Keighley Civic Centre, and the group’s founders say they are now on the hunt for volunteers.

Since they met, the women have attracted a third person to join the group – Tara Fox, 37, a counsellor from Idle. The initiative is being backed by Keighley Town Council, which has agreed a £1,000 grant.

Ms Smithurst, of Cross Hills, who had been working as a community carer, said both she and Ms Moorhouse, a qualified counsellor who lives in Carleton, near Skipton, had finished chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but were on medication. Both women were diagnosed with breast cancer last June. Ms Smithurst said: “We both got dropped in at the deep end and became good friends. I’d been waiting to go in for my first chemotherapy session and Rachel was there for her second appointment - we got talking in the waiting room. Some people sail through chemotherapy, but we were quite poorly with it.

“I’m only 36 but during chemo my mum had to help me because I couldn’t even walk to the shop by myself.

“There’s a support centre in Leeds and one at the BRI but nothing in the Airedale area. We had instances when other people with cancer approached and spoke to us when we were going for appointments, and we realised there’s no one for people to talk to.

“We want to offer a befriending system - maybe a bit of home-help. We’d like people willing to be volunteers to contact us.

“We’d like as many as possible, as the more volunteers we get the more people we’ll be able to help.”

She said this assistance could be something as simple as taking a person’s dog for a walk or helping transport people with cancer to Leeds for their radiotherapy sessions.

She added: “We’re looking for men and women of all ages to volunteer. We’re also looking for people who have cancer at the moment to get in touch to say what kind of support they need.”

People wanting to get involved can contact Ms Smithurst on 07861 299075 or Ms Moorhouse on 07940 291937.

They can also sign up by attending a volunteers open day for the new group, which will take place in Keighley Civic Centre, North Street, at 11am on Tuesday (May 1).