A WOMAN has raised over £2,000 for charity in memory of a close friend.

Sheena Frizell, from near Longtown, held an afternoon tea to raise money for Carlisle Breast Care Support Group.

Her friend, Jennifer Mitchell, passed away in February 2019 after a battle with breast cancer.

Sheena managed to raised £2,250 in total.

She held an afternoon tea for her 60th birthday to raise funds.

She said: "I lost a dear friend to breast cancer, she had just turned 60.

"I decided that I didn’t need any presents or anything, I just asked for donations in memory of Jennifer.

"We also held a fundraising night which Jennifer used to do when she was alive so we added all the money together.

"And then there was a JustGiving page which raised £150."

The afternoon tea was held at Nicholforest Village Hall on September 12.

Sheena called it was "the perfect way" to remember her friend.

She said: "I didn’t expect to raise that kind of money. It was really good of people just to give money.

"It was well worth it. I always said after she died that I would do something in her memory.

"I asked my local caterer from Longtown if she would do an afternoon tea which she did. It was a lovely afternoon because people hadn’t seen anybody for such a long time.

"Even though it was a sad occasion as well, people were very generous."

All the money was donated to Carlisle Breast Care Support Group.

Sheena handed over the cheque with Jennifer's daughter-in-law, Karen Dinwoodie.

Sheena said: "I wanted the money to stay local, I didn’t want it to go down to London or somewhere.

"I got in touch with a girl that I used to work with and she told us of the Breast Care Support Group in Carlisle. So that’s how it came about."

Talking about cancer, she added: "It’s an awful disease. [Jennifer] started out with breast cancer and it spread to the rest of her body."

Carlisle Breast Care Support Group meets at 7pm on the last Wednesday of every month at Morton Manor Community Centre, Wigton Road, Carlisle.

If you would like to contact them you can telephone Lesley Norman on 01228 560311.