Grieving mums try to turn pain into hope

Penny is part of a fundraising group called Angel Mums who raise money and awareness of brain cancer

A group of mums who raised thousands of pounds in memory of their children have been recognised for their fundraising in aid of youngsters with brain cancer.

In 2015, Penny Church from Alvechurch, Worcestershire, lost her 11-year-old son Finlay to glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer.

She joined a group raising money and awareness of the disease in young people, Angel Mums, which has been named team fundraiser of the year at the 2024 JustGiving Awards.

"We're all absolutely thrilled to win but it is so much more than the award, it's an opportunity to have our children honoured and recognised while raising much needed awareness," Ms Church said.

Angel Mums made the shortlist for last week's awards having received 18,000 nominations after raising more than £70,000 for completing a skydive fundraiser for the Tessa Jowell Foundation last year.

Ms Church said the group's focus was to "raise awareness about how desperately underfunded brain tumours are."

Penny lost her son Finlay (left) when he was 11 years old in 2015 to an aggressive brain cancer

"We want to turn our pain into hope for other children and families," she added.

Ms Church and the other 26 mums will walk across hot coal to raise money for the Tessa Jowell Foundation, which helps fund specialist brain cancer services.

Ms Church added: "We need government-level funding to really make a change, but we can't stop and wait for that so we have to keep doing something ourselves."

Beyond fundraising, Ms Church said the group provided a vital support network for women who have lost a child to brain cancer.

"Sadly the number of mums has grown significantly from eight to 26 but we know that we're just the tip of the iceberg and there are many other parents who've lost a child to the devastating disease.

"We show each other there is a way to survive it somehow even when it doesn't feel like it... something positive can be done with the grief," she said.