Pride of Britain: Bethany Barnes wins Regional Fundraiser of the Year

Bethany Barnes, of Thornhill, near Egremont, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer when she was 22-years-old.

She had her leg amputated as part of her treatment and has raised more than £15,000 for bone cancer charities by walking 11km round Ennerdale Water on two occasions.

Bethany Barnes walked 11km round Ennerdale Water for the second time in July (Image: Submitted)

Bethany has been presented with the ITV Border Regional Fundraiser of the Year award for Pride of Britain. She will find out later this month if she has won the national award and will attend the Pride of Britain awards ceremony at Grosvenor House in London on October 21.

Bethany said: “It was unexpected but really good. It’s amazing to win the regional award. My family somehow got to Seascale and there was a film crew waiting. I was over the moon.”

After being diagnosed in December 2019, Bethany underwent a femur replacement and chemotherapy. She then went on to have a daughter, Rhea in September 2022 but began experiencing pain in her hip after giving birth.

Bethany Barnes with her daughter, Rhea (Image: Submitted)

Scans in August 2023 confirmed the cancer had returned to the soft tissue around the hip area and Bethany was told her leg would need to be amputated to remove the cancer.

She had recently discovered she was pregnant with her second child but had to make the heart-wrenching decision to terminate the pregnancy before having her leg amputated in October 2023.

Now pregnant again, Bethany is looking forward to welcoming another child in December after her latest scans were all clear.

“I just want to enjoy the next few months with nothing lingering over me,” she said.

Bethany thanked everyone who supported her on her second walk around Ennerdale Water, which she completed in July.

She added that she would like to do more fundraising in the next few years.