Five Fordingbridge mums walked 15.2 miles through the night for the iconic London Moonwalk, amassing £2,000 to support breast cancer causes.

United under the banner "Fordingbridge Fillies", Helen Pilling from Pilgrims Veterinary Practice, Michelle Calais from Fordingbridge Bookshop, Penny Sheppard from Nearly New Beginnings, Nicky Rudd from Padua Communications, and Karen Gorman from Fordingbridge Federation completed the walk on Saturday, May 18. 

Organised by charity Walk the Walk, the Moonwalk is a nocturnal journey designed to raise funds against cancer, aid those struggling with the disease’s emotional and physical tolls, facilitate early diagnosis, and promote better health outcomes.

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Salisbury Journal: Helen Pilling, Michelle Calais, Penny Sheppard, Nicky Rudd, and Karen Gorman

It seeks to underscore walking as a convenient route toward fitness and health.

Cities show solidarity by casting a pink glow on numerous structures and landmarks during the Moonwalk, demonstrating support for the participating walkers and volunteers.

Ms Calais said: "We saw that Nicky and Penny did the walk in 2023 and decided that we wanted to join for such an important cause. We are all working mums so some of our training sessions have been early in the morning before the school run."

Ms Pilling added: "The weather hasn’t been kind this year for the training but the atmosphere on the night was worth it – it was very emotional as we heard stories about people walking for friends and family who have been affected by breast and other cancers."

Ms Gorman said: "It was a very special night and great to do the walk as a team – we were all looking out for each other and already have other people asking if they can do it with us next year.

"We’re thrilled that we have managed to raise so much and the link is still open if you want to give."

You can find the fundraising page at: https://shorturl.at/pmIzD

For nearly a quarter of a century, Walk the Walk has accumulated more than £137 million. These funds have extensively been used to back various organisations across the UK.

Despite the promising prognosis for early-detected primary breast cancer, these positive outcomes are not replicated for secondary cancer patients.

Undaunted, Walk the Walk now concentrates its efforts on backing research to offer similar hope and options for these patients.