Telford woman who lost two family members to cancer hoping to raise £100k
A Telford woman who lost two close family members to cancer is hoping to reach the £100,000 mark by the end of the year.
Louise Jenks started her fundraising efforts in 2000 after losing her auntie to breast cancer and has continued to raise money for 20 years.
Her charity work has turned her to bikini car washes, fashion shows and even up Mount Everest to meet Sir Edmund Hillary's son, Peter.
The 45-year-old from Brookside, Telford, was close to calling it a day in 2017 before her father, Michael Jenks, died unexpectedly from lung cancer at the age of 68.
"My plan was to give up in 2017 having raised about £79,000," she said.
"But my dad helped me at just about every single charity event I ever did, whatever the weather.
"From fashion shows to charity pub crawls, he's helped out in every one.
"We didn't know he had lung cancer and once he died I just wanted to keep going."
Louise, who works as a cleanliness technician at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital, has currently raised about £90,000 and is holding her next event on August 25 at the Station Hotel in Wellington from 12pm until late.
Having put on more than 400 events, she is down to her final four before she finishes for good on December 31, 2019.
"I've told the charities this will be my final year now," she added.
"I've met all kinds of incredible people from amazing places but I think I've just about raised enough.
"It's getting harder as time goes on and I was considering stopping at £90,000 but my friends have spurred me on to get to £100,000."
Her next community day at the Station Hotel will include a barbecue, raffle, auction, refreshments, inflatables, family activities and entertainment throughout the day.
"I started raising money for the Midlands Air Ambulance and then Cancer Research after my auntie died," she said.
"I've also abseiled for the Royal National Institute of Blind People and done bits for breast cancer charities and Macmillan."
