A PICKERING woman is to undertake a journey in one of the world’s least hospitable places in memory of her grandad.

Cherry Welford, 26, will trek through the Sahara desert from October 20 to 27. She hopes to raise £1,000 for Cancer Research UK.

It was cancer which eventually took her grandfather Chris Page’s life last year aged 73, but not before treatment had helped him beat the disease once.

Cherry said: “Over 30 years ago my grandad was diagnosed with bowel cancer and with his strong will and the incredible work of the hospital staff he survived. If research hadn’t been done all those years ago I would have grown up not knowing who would become such a huge figure in my life, and without his stories and words of wisdom I wouldn’t be the person I am today.”

But more than 30 years later her grandfather was diagnosed with cancer once again, and on February 21, 2017, he died.

Cherry said: “I was determined from that day forward I would test my inherited strong will and take it no place it has ever been before.”

She will undertake the expedition with a group of people she has never met, and chose to fundraise for Cancer Research UK as it was the work of researchers that gave her time growing up with her grandad.

“Without this charity’s research I wouldn’t have had 25 wonderful years growing up with my grandad,” she said. “I will be putting myself further out of my comfort zone than I have ever done, but no amount of fear will compare to that of what my grandad must have felt.

“Not a day goes by when I don’t long to speak with him and share stories but I know he will be with me every step of the way.”

Cancer Research UK fund scientists, doctors and nurses to help beat cancer sooner. To donate, go to justgiving.com/fundraising/cherrywelfordsaharadeserttrek