It was an emotional bedside promise made by one loyal friend to another.

And Kay Birmingham stuck to her word to continue raising money for the Yorkshire Cancer Centre, just as her pal Kate Granger had wanted.

Kate, from Wellhouse near Golcar, was the Yorkshire doctor who raised £250,000 for the charity after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in 2011. She died in July, aged just 34, days after hitting her fundraising goal.

Dr Kate Granger with her MBE at Buckingham Palace

Now Kay is paying tribute to her good friend by hosting the latest in a series of cake sales in aid of the YCC. Thus the cake ladies of the Bright Side Big Bake will set up their stall at St James’s University Hospital – Jimmy’s – in Leeds on Wednesday, November 30.

“The day before Kate died she made me promise at her bedside that I would continue with our stalls and make her proud. I promised I would,” said Kay. “Kate was one of my best friends and I miss her so much. I am determined to make her proud and make this next stall a success in her memory.”

Three years ago Kate and Kay decided to hold a cake stall for the Yorkshire Cancer Centre as they both loved baking. They raised £600, but they had no inkling how big the stalls would become.

Charity cake bake by close friends Kay Birmingham (middle) and Dr Kate Granger (left) with TV presenter Christine Talbot

The friends set up a Facebook page called the Bright Side Big Bake Cake Ladies, inspired by Kate’s second book in which she wrote about baking and looking on the bright side of life despite her diagnosis.

They soon picked up many followers and offers of support. In February they held their eighth stall selling cakes, raffle tickets and Kate’s books, which raised an impressive £2,400.

Kay said: “We were absolutely over the moon. Kate and I had talked about the possibility that it might be our last stall together, which was true as she sadly died in July.”

Kylie Minogue backs the Hello My Name Is... campaign with Dr Kate Granger and husband Chris Pointon.

Proceeds from the forthcoming sale will be split between the YCC and St Gemma’s Hospice, where Kate spent her final days.

Anybody who would like to help with baking can drop off cakes in the Bexley Wing at Jimmy’s either the night before or on the day. The cake stall will run from 10am to 3.30pm.

Kate hit the headlines by trying to improve the way doctors and nurses speak to patients by launching the “Hello, my name is...” campaign. She had previously described how the doctor who informed her that her cancer had spread did not introduce himself to her, and did not look her in the eye.

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The campaign went on to win the backing of more than 400,000 doctors, nurses, therapists and porters across 90 NHS organisations.