TWO years of heartbreak have made a Northwich family determined to keep smiling and do something good.

Weaverham woman Julie Pugh and her family have arranged a fundraising gala dinner at Hartford Golf Club in memory of those they have lost.

Julie's mum Lilian Burrows died in 2013, aged 86, after living with Alzheimer's disease, then in July 2014 she lost her 57-year-old brother Mark who had early onset Alzheimer's.

As the family struggled to come to terms with their losses, Julie's sister Jill Gorman became ill and died suddenly of a brain tumour in September, aged 45.

Mark left two children Judith, 25, and Edward 19 while Jill left three children, Alex, 13, Grace, 11, and Joel, nine.

Julie and her sister-in-law Ruth Burrows have worked together to organise the charity night, which will raise money for the Alzheimer's Society and the Brain Tumour Charity.

Mum-of-two Julie said: "The event fell out of the fact that we as a family were getting together funeral after funeral so we decided as a family that we wanted to get together for something that wasn't a funeral.

"We thought about lots of things but then thought let's have a big party and see if we can raise some money."

She said her brother was given a lot of support by the Alzheimer's Society, in Navigation Road, and her sister found a lot of comfort from going to a local Brain Tumour Charity group run by Northwich couple Eileen and Steve Sharman.

"We decided they would be the right charities to support because they've given a lot to us," she said.

The fundraiser takes place on Saturday, February 14, at 7pm and includes a disco, charity auction and raffle.

For tickets, priced £22.50, ring Julie on 07741 036227.