Bolton-le-Sands pensioner and her dog hit the road

3:26pm Tuesday 1st February 2011

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A PENSIONER and her dog are to hit the highway for a 97-mile walk to raise cash for research into a cancer which killed her mum and brother.

Retired school teacher Kate Hardcastle has set her sights on making £20,000 for Pancreatic Cancer UK since the double deaths from pancreatic cancer in her family.

Kate, 67, from Bolton-le-Sands, who is also at risk of developing the disease, has already raised more than £12,000 for the cause and hopes that the money will enable scientists to develop a testing kit for the cancer, which kills 97 per cent of people who develop it.

Kate, who is no stranger to long road trips having completed a 700-mile bus trip across the country in 2009 for the cause – will set off on February 20 with four-year-old border collie Goldie.

on the 11-day walk from Carnforth to Whitehaven Kate will leave a purple balloon, with the name of a victim of pancreatic cancer, at each mile interval she walks.

she said: “I wanted to do something to help and so I contacted Pancreatic Cancer UK and then I started fund-raising and last year I did a fundraising activity nearly everyday which included all sorts such as carboots and book sales. I am doing everything I can.”

she said Goldie ‘loves’ taking part and likes the strokes, tickles and attention she gets along the way.

Kate’s mother Marguerite died aged 90 in 1996 and her brother Terry aged 70 in 2008 and Kate told the Gazette: “When my brother was diagnosed it hit me like a rock. Mum had already died of Pancreatic cancer and so I felt guilty as looking back he had the same symptoms – including indigestion , being sick and back ache.

“ I would have thought I would have noticed the symptoms and was devasted I did not,” said Kate, who was a walk-on extra on Emmerdale.

she said that because the symptoms were like everyday complaints that GPs often failed to notice the cancer in it’s early days.

Kate is currently having her own home, which she is leaving to the charity when she dies, revamped to turn it into the Marguerite Terry House – a holiday home for pancreatic cancer victims.

Michelle Hughes, manager of Barclay’s Bank in Carnforth, who along with colleagues from the bank will join Kate on the walk, said that she had been touched by Kate’s determination.

“I was not aware that there was a high death rate and I don’t think people are as aware of it as other cancers.

“What Kate is doing is amazing. she is a one-man band has has done really well and we wanted to give her support from a big name in the community,” she added.

anyone wanting to sponsor Kate can log onto justgiving.com/katehardcastle2 or call her on 01524-823080.

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