A WOMAN who has spent the last two decades raising money for research into breast cancer was praised for her work by HRH the Prince of Wales.

Christine Sturgess, 72, who lives in Cumnor, started raising money for the charity Breast Cancer Now in 2001, following the death of two close friends from the disease - and her own sister-in-law's diagnosis.

Just five years later she became chair of the charity's show committee, raising over £5.6 million through various fundraising events.

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Last week, Ms Sturgess met Prince Charles when he visited the charity’s research centre at the Institute of Cancer, in London.

She said: “Meeting His Royal Highness at Breast Cancer Now’s Research Centre was a real honor, and wonderful to be able to share this with all the other fundraisers here today.

“I’ve chaired the Breast Cancer Now Show committee since 2006, and feel so proud to have raised £5.6million during that time.

“It’s so wonderful to see the amazing work that the charity’s funded researchers are doing today, and this has inspired me to keep going and raise even more in the future.”

Every year around 590 people in Oxfordshire are diagnosed with breast cancer.

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Breast Cancer Now estimates that almost 11,000 people could have been living with undiagnosed breast cancer in the UK at the end of 2020 due to the pandemic, meaning the charities research is more important than ever.

Claire Pulford, associate director of community and events at Breast Cancer Now, said: “We were so proud to invite Christine to meet our Royal Patron HRH The Prince of Wales during his visit to our Research Centre, to say thank you for her amazing fundraising efforts.

“In 1999, the money raised by our £1,000 Challengers enabled us to open the Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Centre as the UK’s first dedicated breast cancer research centre, and the £1,000 challenge has continued every year since.

"Without the support of amazing fundraisers like Christine, the world-class research breakthroughs we’ve achieved in the past 21 years would not be possible."

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Each year 55,000 women and 370 men in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Now looks into long-term investment research.

You can find out more about the charity by visiting www.breastcancernow.org