A young woman is encouraging more people to get involved with the Race for Life as she prepares to pop on her running shoes in memory of her mum, who died at just 49.

Gabrielle Kay will join 15 of her friends and family for the annual fundraiser for Cancer Research UK, and wants even more to join their team.

She lost her mum Paula back in January 2015 after a three-year battle with cancer.

The race, which takes part in Herne Bay in June, is close to Gabrielle’s heart as it was something she had done with her mum twice before she died but this time, she will be running in her mum’s memory.

Paula was well known in Faversham, attending Davington and Lady Capel schools and eventually moving to Hernhill in 1994 with her husband Kevin.

It was there where they brought up Gabrielle, now 22, a former Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School pupil and brother Joe.

She also has two other children James and Siobhan.

Paula spent five years working as a teacher at Hernhill Primary School and helped out Kevin on their fruit farm in the village, Bessborough Farm in The Fostall.

Gabrielle and her charitable squad will be running as Race for Paula when they take to the tarmac along Herne Bay seafront on Sunday, June 26.

There are options for a 5k or a 10k, with entry for just £14.99 for over-16s.

Gabrielle, who works as an event organiser at her former university in Greenwich, said: “I want to get together as many people as possible for the race.

“We want to do something really big.

“It’s something me and mum had done before. I wanted to do it last year but everything was still quite raw.

“I’m ready to do it this year and it would be great to get as many as 30 people in our group.

“We would like to raise as much money as possible for Cancer Research.”

To donate to Race for Paula or join their team, CLICK HERE

To join the team you will need the group ID which is II7173.

To find out more about the Race for Life and how you can get involved, CLICK HERE.