A Teddington woman is walking this year’s Pink Ribbonwalk in memory of her mother, who she lost to breast cancer when she was 15.

Jakki Meads, of Waldegrave Road, has taken part in many fundraising events in memory of her mother and took part in last year’s walk in Marble Hill Park, raising £3,000 with her team, the Abercorn Belles (named after one of the team’s local pubs).

She said: “It was great - everyone was really supportive of each other and enjoying the camaraderie of a common endeavour. Energy levels varied from overexcited at the beginning, dogged determination around the 15-mile mark through to absolute celebration crossing the finishing line.

“Personally, the most touching element was writing my mum’s name on the ribbon, wearing it all the way around and then adding it to the hundreds of others at the end.”

The supplier manager for RBS Group said this year the group she was walking with wanted to raise £4,500 and to beat a group of men they know from the pub who raised a huge sum for Movember.

The 51-year-old was not told for four years the cause of her mum’s death in a bid to protect her, but she said when she found out she was quite bitter.

She said: “Now I understand that everyone was just trying to protect me. I think awareness is so much greater now, helped in no small part by events like Pink Ribbonwalk so it’s not such a taboo subject.

“I was taught how to self-check many years ago and do it every couple of months – it’s so simple to do I don’t understand why everyone doesn’t.

“I attended my first regular mammogram last year - quite scary, but the nurses were lovely and thankfully it was all OK.”

The Pink Ribbonwalk will be held in Marble Hill Park on Saturday, June 15.

To sign up, visit pinkribbonwalk.org.uk.