Joyce, 95, from Pontefract is knitting all 78 characters from the 12 Days of Christmas for Cancer Research UK

Joyce, who is 95, started the knitting project in July and has already raised over £200 for the charity.

Joyce said: “Several of my family have died recently of cancer and I thought, ‘what can I do to raise some money?’”

So far, nearly half of the characters – including French hens, maids-a-milking and swans-a-swimming – have been knitted, with all 78 characters hoped to be completed by January 6.

Joyce said she has been knitting all her life and it is something which she enjoys. She said the project “has been very good, [it] gives me something to look forward to doing.”

In line with the 12 Days of Christmas song lyrics, the finished project will include: 12 drummers, 11 pipers, 10 lords, nine ladies, eight maids, seven swans, six geese, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge (in a pear tree).

Joyce has asked sponsors to donate 10p per character, equalling £7.80 to go towards Cancer Research UK. Despite this, she said lots of people have donated more, and the total on Joyce’s Just Giving page currently exceeds £200. Her fundraising page can be found here.

Cancer Research UK (CRUK) was formed in 2002 and is a charity which leads research into, as well as provides information about, various forms of cancer. More information about the charity can be found on its website.