Walkers step out for charity
A Sunderland mum organised a mass walk across the region to raise awareness for cervical cancer and Amber’s Law after her friend was diagnosed with the cancer.
Ashleigh Hackett, 44, who is a fitness instructor from Hylton Red House, organised the event last month as more than 100 people gathered to raise money for charity.
She launched the fundraiser after her friend Catherine Baker was diagnosed with cervical cancer in her early 30s.
It was also in memory of Catherine’s mum Trisha Dalton-Atkinson, who sadly lost her battle with cancer earlier this year.
Ashleigh, fitness business owner of Can You Hackett?, says the money raised will go towards Amber’s Law – a charity that is campaigning to change the current cervical smear test law from the current age of 25 down to 18 following the death of 25-year-old Amber Rose Cliff.
The Sunderland mum, whose daughter Quinn Lux Lownie, eight, is an ambassador for Amber’s Law, partakes in fundraising for her beauty pageants.
Ashleigh said: “Our first walk was in 2019 but we do lots of fundraising for Quinn’s pageants and I don’t think it’s very well known that pageants involve a lot of fundraising, but that’s how we started out.
"Amber’s Law is a fantastic charity so we wanted to raise awareness and funds for such an important cause.”
More than 100 people turned out for the walk from South Shields pier to Sunderland pier, as more than £5,000 was raised.
The mega-fundraising mum has raised just under £50,000 across the last three years for charity.
Ashleigh added: “My friend Catherine was diagnosed with cervical cancer in her early 30s so she was still really young, luckily she’s doing well but it’s scary to think that smear tests aren’t done until 25 so that’s why we want to raise the awareness.
“We dedicated this year’s walk to Catherine’s mum Trisha who lost her battle with cancer this year, so we wanted to honour a muchloved woman and that made this fundraiser more special.”
Ashleigh plans on continuing the charity walk annually.