A group of Redbridge women who posed for a calendar after having breast cancer have donated an exercise bike to Saint Francis Hospice.

Tina Smith from Woodford Green, Elaine Mitchell from Ilford, Pam Foreman from Newbury Park and friend Annette Solomons from Ongar, Essex, have raised more than �25,000 for the hospice in Havering-atte-Bower.

As part of the group Redbridge Best Friends, one of their most successful fundraising efforts was posing for a lingerie and swimwear calendar in 2008, raising more than �14,000.

Now, with the group drawing its activities to a close, one of their final grants is a seated exercise bike which can be used by day hospice, outpatient and inpatient units.

Ms Solomons said: “We wanted to distribute the remainder of the money we had collected and this seemed such a good use of it.”

They visited the hospice on Wednesday of last week to see how their money was being put to good use.

A hospice spokesman said: “[The calendar] showed the world that although they had all gone through traumatic and difficult treatments, they could still have fun, look good and come out of the whole experience smiling.”