FRIENDS of a charity champion who died when a sea diving expedition went tragically wrong are gearing up to raise money in her memory.

Members of Ribble Valley Rotaract hold their first event this weekend, and are hoping for many of Heather Schofield's friends to turn out.

Heather, 25, died after going on a diving trip off the coast of Ireland while touring the country over Easter with her mother, Myra, a former nurse who lives in Billington.

Heather, who lived in Hurst Green, taught geography at Moorland School in Clitheroe and was president of Ribble Valley Rotaract Club, was due to have celebrated her 26th birthday while in Ireland.

Hundreds of people attended Heather's funeral at Whalley Parish Church, including colleagues from the school she used to teach at, Gawthorpe High School, Padiham, and friends from Westholme School, Blackburn, where she was a pupil.

Friends of Ribble Valley Rotaract hope many of them will turn out to a coffee morning being held in the town hall in Clitheroe on Saturday morning.

Club member, John Garner, said: "Heather is missed a great deal and if we can do something to help improve the lives of the Children supported by Derian House will enable Heather's memory to live on.

"We. as a club, felt that we would like to do something in memory of Heather and raise money for the chosen charity."

Other event are in the pipeline.

Heather had only moved to Ribble Valley Rotaract last summer.

Before that, she had been a leading member of Blackburn Rotaract, where she played a role in helping save the town's annual bonfire.

In the year she ran the bonfire committee, 2002, thousands of pounds were raised for the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's Magic Eye Appeal, which paid for vital new hospital equipment at Queen's Park, where Heather's mum used to work.