A woman suffering from a life-threatening brain tumour has come up with a novel way to raise money for charity - by auctioning off dates with herself and her friends.

Lisa Connell, 29, of Barnet in north London, was diagnosed with the tumour last year. Unable to work since, she has dedicated her efforts to setting up a website called Rent a Date for Charity to raise funds and awareness for Brain Tumour UK.

Eligible bachelors and bachelorettes can place bids for the people they would like to take on a date. Whoever has bid the most money at the end of the week gets to wine and dine their partner of choice in a safe location agreed by Ms Connell.

Ms Connell came up with the idea a week ago and says she has been overwhelmed' by the response from the media and the public. She said: "I've been an emotional wreck for the past week. I've had lots of family and friends who have always supported me, but to find organisations like ITN wanting my story, and all these members of the public getting involved - it's really overwhelming. It's amazing."

However, Rent a Date for Charity is currently only a MySpace page and Ms Connell needs £3,000 of sponsorship to launch the idea as an official business with its own website. She hopes that support from celebrities like model Sophie Anderton and Big Brother 7 finalist Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace will help.

Ms Anderton said: "I am supporting Brain Tumour UK as, having met Lisa, I have been saddened by the lack of funding, research, education and support for these types of tumours. Her courage, strength and positive attitude has inspired me and my friends to get involved with her charity."

Although Ms Connell's tumour is a meningioma - a benign brain tumour - it is still extremely dangeous, growing at three per cent a year and affecting her balance and vision.

Owing to its location in her brain, there is no treatment that can help her, but Ms Connell is determined to help others who face the same diagnosis in the future.

She said: "I am doing this because there is not enough money to do sufficient research into these brain tumours. Nothing is going to be done for me, but I want to help others."

Last August, she was told she would never walk again, but she says she has overcome this 'through pure determination and perseverance'.

No doctor has been able to tell her how long she will live, which could be months or years.

Each year in the UK more than 13,000 people are diagnosed with brain tumours. They are the fastest-growing cause of cancer death among those over the age of 65 and the most common type of solid tumour in children. Unlike other common cancers, survival of patients with brain tumours has not improved over the past 15 years.

Visit www.myspace.com/braintumouruk and www.myspace.com rentadateforcharity for more information.