THE remarkable achievements of two of Waveney's hardest working fund-raisers are to be recognised with a special tribute at the area's new palliative care centre.

Pakefield pair Zoiyar Cole and Janet Ellis have together raised more than �280,000 for cancer charities over the past decade, including the Palliative Care East appeal (PCE) and the Sandra Chapman Ward at the James Paget University Hospital.

Now, in recognition of their efforts, two of the rooms at the Louise Hamilton Centre at the James Paget University Hospital are to be named in their honour. One will become the Paul Cole room in memory of Zoiyar's son, and the other will be known as the Jazos room after their former charity shop in south Lowestoft.

Since the Paul Cole Cancer Fund was set up in memory of Zoiyar's son, who died from liver cancer in 1999 aged just 35, the two friends have raised �282,025 for charity.

Over the years, they have organised countless events and also opened Jazos in London Road South which has now passed to East Anglia Children's Hospices (EACH).

Their fund-raising events included three Lowestoft toe-dips (2008, 2009 and 2010) that raised �4,981, �3,222 and �2,189; the annual Lowestoft Moonlite Walk in 2010 and 2011 which raised �1,804 and �3,647, and most recently the 2012 Solar Stroll in Pakefield that raised �4,692.50.

The money they collected has been donated to the Sandra Chapman Ward, PCE, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Macmillan Nurses, East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH) and Quidenham Hospice.

Mrs Cole said: 'We got excited when we got up to �100,000 – we just wanted to pay back Marie Curie and the Sandra Chapman ward.'

At the Solar Stroll, 65 people walked from Pakefield to Lowestoft along the seafront carrying solar lights to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, before returning to Pakefield for the lighting of the beacon.

'The walk was lovely and the atmosphere was fantastic,' Mrs Cole added.

The Louise Hamilton Centre is being built in the grounds of the James Paget with money raised by PCE. It will provide a much-needed base and source of information and advice for patients and their families in Great Yarmouth and Waveney.

Mrs Cole and Mrs Ellis, who are both former winners of The Journal's Pride in the Community awards, said they were honoured to be receiving recognition for their fund-raising.

'We're really proud. We've got two rooms at the Palliative Care East Centre (Louise Hamilton Centre) and only one other person has got that.

'We would like to thank everybody that has supported us over the years and donated monies to the Paul Cole Cancer Fund – and all the lady volunteers who helped us having Jazos. A big 'thank-you' to them.'