Claire Warburton organised an event called 'Let us eat cake.... and raise money for charity' at the Thame Barn Centre with more than 170 people in attendance.

Using her experience in event management she organised a rota of 25 family and friends to help her run the event smoothly.

She said: "I was diagnosed with breast cancer last August and decided to raise money for two charities from whom I received a great deal of help - The Lavender Trust, which is part of Breast Cancer Care, and Maggie's Cancer Caring centre, based at the Churchill Hospital, Oxford."

There were drinks, a large array of cakes and snacks, craft stalls, a raffle, entertainment for children and a bring and buy stall.

She added: "The event raised an impressive £2,016.05 which will be divided between the worthy charities and I would like to thank everyone who attended and contributed in any way."

Soon after finding lumps in August last year Claire contacted the Thame Gazette to urge men and women to check themselves regularly for any signs of cancer.

The illness is rare among people under the age of 50 with about 80 per cent of people with cancer over that age.
She said: "You don't feel like it's happening to you, you feel like it's happening to someone else and then everything else seems completely insignificant.

"I'm a really positive person and I didn't want to think all doom and gloom so I started reading around the subject."

For more information on the charities, please visit www.breastcancercare.org.uk and www.maggiescentres.org