A WOMAN who has been given the all clear after being diagnosed with breast cancer is half way to raising £37,000.

Julie Nicholas was 37 when she was diagnosed with grade three breast cancer last September and decided to raise £1,000 for each year of her life.

Being a keen sportswoman, she also decided to start a campaign called #itsnotalwaysalump to provide each local sports centre and club house with shower stickers for both men and women changing facilities encouraging teams to check themselves regularly.

Julie, who now lives in Ledbury, has raised £19,201 in just six months and she held a charity women's football match at Hereford Football Club in Edgar Street on May 2, which raised £1,300.

She said: "We've had head shaves, a pudding and prosecco night in Kingsland, a bingo, Easter egg hunt, the very first charity women's football match to be held at Edgar Street and we've got a swimathon, sponsored walk, fire engine pull and quiz night coming up.

"I've had the all clear and now- I'm taking tamoxifen for 10 years. I live in fear of secondary cancer all the time but am determined to live life to the full now."

Julie donates the money raised to causes like Royal Marsden, Coppafeel, The Leukaemia & Intensive Chemotherapy Fund, Macmillan and the NHS.

She has played women's football locally for 20 years and also captained, coached and managed.

She said: "Macmillan is running a brand new cancer aftercare group session in May which I'm looking forward to attending and supporting.

"Once treatment is over it feels quite a lonely place. You attend so many appointments during your diagnosis and suddenly the medical team are gone and your left to work things out and get on.

"I'm looking forward to the Macmillan group sessions and hope I can share experiences and learn from others too."

To donate go to www.gofundme.com/itsnotalwaysalump