WOMEN whose lives have been touched by the work of a local hospice took to the streets to give something back.

Around 800 women wearing orange t-shirts took part in the Starlight Walk on Saturday night in aid of Prospect Hospice.

The walk, which started and finished at New College, is the charity’s biggest fundraiser of the year Last year 650 walkers raised £65,000 towards the £4.5m needed to keep the hospice running.

This year walkers could choose between a 10 kilometre or 15 kilometre course.

Prospect Hospice’s events fundraiser Hayley Millin said the event had been bigger and better than before and everyone had got round, with the longest taking around three hours.

Miss Millin said: “It was an amazing experience, everyone was commenting on the sea of orange going through the streets.

“A few police officers got out of their cars, a couple even stopped traffic for us.

“There was amazing support from the community.”

She also thanked the 70 male marshalls who had come out to guide the women round the course.

Among the walkers was terminal cancer sufferer Jacky Pickett, 51, who was determined to do her bit to help the hospice.

Jacky, from West Swindon, spent time at the hospice as a day patient a year ago, but is now volunteering.

She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003, which was successfully treated, but the disease returned last year.

She was wallking with former colleagues from the Science and Technology Facilities Council.

“This is going to be a challenge for me, doing something at night when I’m quite tired,” she said.

“It will be more of an achievement to complete it especially as I’m doing 15 kilometres.

“The facility has helped me an awful lot. It’s a wonderful organisation.

“It’s reassuring to know they will be there at the end.”

Carole Pellatt, 67, of Arun Road, Greenmeadow, lost daughter Tracey Pellatt to cancer on November 16 last year – she was just 43.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 and chemotherapy and radiotherapy proved unsuccessful.

“She was in so much pain in the end it was a happy release,” said Carole.

“It’s just one of those things, you never think it will happen to you.”

Tracey had visits from various aspects of the Prospect service including the Prospect at Home team, which allowed Carole to bring her daughter home for her final days.

Carole walked with granddaughter Emma Read, 21, and her grandson’s partner Amber Taylor, 29.

Dee Jepson, 52, of Mazurek Way, Haydon End, was walking to thank the hospice for how it has helped husband Clive.

Clive, 52, was diagnosed with hypercellular myelodysplastic, a rare cancer, two years ago.

She said through his visits to the day hospice over the last four months and visits from an outreach nurse, Clive had started to accept his condition and get support.

Dee said: “I kept saying to him be positive, but when you are in constant agony it’s very hard.

“Prospect has done him the power of good, I can’t praise them enough.

“Without them I don’t know what I’d have done.”

Jayne Corcoran, 42, and daughter Aimee, 18, were walking the 10 kilometres for Jayne’s mother Carol Crumpton, nee Lyons, who died in 1995, aged 50.

They were also walking for Jayne’s grandfather Reg Hill, who died of prostate cancer, and his wife Vera, who died of breast cancer.

All three used the services of Prospect Hospice.

Jayne said: “It’s such a tranquil place, it’s just nice and peaceful.”

Brave Tami tackles walk to thank hospice
TERMINAL cancer sufferer Tami Brown was determined to complete the Starlight Walk and thank those who have helped her.

The 26-year-old, from Abbey Meads, was told by doctors that she has a year to live only a few months ago.

She was joined on the start line by friends and family including sister Heidi, 23, and mother Jan.

Together they raised over £1,000 for Prospect.

Tami said: “Prospect is so valuable. The service is so fantastic.”

Tami was first diagnosed with colon cancer aged 20.

After an operation she had two months of chemotherapy.

Clear for four and a half years, with five years considered all-clear, she received the news that the cancer had returned to her liver.

After another successful treatment, Tami returned from a six-week holiday in Thailand to find the cancer had returned again.

Tami said: “I was celebrating being alive.

“Two days after I got back they found it in my lungs.”

Another scan revealed the cancer had spread to both lungs and Tami was told a few months ago that there is nothing that can be done.

Tami, who has also volunteered at the hospice in the past, said it had done so much for her particularly when she was too ill to go to a doctor.

She said: “For me a lot of it is what they’re going to do when I’m gone and help my family come to terms with things, that’s very important to me.

“They don’t just deal with dying part, but the aftermath of that which is horrific for the family.

“It’s very scary and to know that they can talk and ask questions and have that support is just so good.”