A FORMER Come Dine With Me contestant is preparing to serve up a fundraising feast to help more people survive cancer.

Rachel Speight-McGregor, 50, who took part in the dinner party TV show, is using her cooking experience to call on people across Ryedale to join her with a special Sunday brunch for Stand Up To Cancer.

A local fundraising manager for Cancer Research UK , Rachel, who lives in Ampleforth, has helped raise about £500,000 each year.

She is now urging foodies and fundraisers like her to create a restaurant-style experience at home by hosting a brunch for their household – with family or housemates donating the bill to life-saving research.

Stand Up To Cancer is a joint fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4, which aims to get new cancer tests and treatments to people who need them the most.

Rachel said that several of her relatives have died from cancer, including her aunt, uncle, grandmother and granddad, but most recently her husband Duncan lost his mum Sue to brain cancer in 2015.

She said: “Too many times in our family we’ve been told the news by a loved one ‘I’ve got cancer’ and we’ve missed out on many special moments over the years. But thanks to research and treatment options many of our loved ones are still here.

“With charities having been hit so hard by the coronavirus outbreak and myself just returning to work from furlough, it feels more important than ever for everyone to do what they can. I’m raring to go and putting a Sunday brunch for Stand Up To Cancer firmly on the menu.”

Supported by Channel 4 show Sunday Brunch, an array of celebrity chefs, including co-host Simon Rimmer, have donated recipes for the campaign.

For a free fundraising kit, go to su2c.org.uk/brunch