A young Beaminster woman and cancer survivor is urging people to light up the streets of London in a fundraising challenge.

Amy Hillier, 27, and sister, Lucy, 25, would not miss Cancer Research UK’s Shine Night Walk for the world, having taken part every year since the start to celebrate Amy surviving cancer at the age of 11.

Walkers will illuminate themselves with lights, glowsticks and sparkling outfits and stride through London overnight from September 27 to 28.

The parade of light symbolises the hope the charity’s research scientists bring to the dark days of cancer.

Amy had been preparing for exams at school when she walked into one of the tables in the examination hall.

The injury highlighted a painful lump on her groin.

She resisted telling anyone about it at first but was eventually taken into hospital where she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma – which required a course of chemotherapy and a total of eight operations, including one lasting six hours.

Amy said: “My mum told me I was going to be cured and I never doubted it. It has definitely affected the person I am – it has made me want to live life to the full.

“I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been touched by cancer, either directly or indirectly. My sister and I love Shine, it’s something everybody can take part in and the atmosphere is incredible.

“There’s no pressure to run and do it in a quick time but I still feel afterwards as though I have done something amazing.”

Amy moved to Beaminster this year to take up the post of operations support executive with Clipper Teas who, from small beginnings in a Dorset kitchen in the 1980s, are now the sixth biggest tea company in the UK.

She has since been promoted to international account executive and has arranged for the company to provide tea for the fundraiser.

People can walk the full marathon distance of 26.2 miles or a half marathon at 13.1 miles – choosing one of 12 different cancer types to fund research for.

Shine spokesman Gemma Davies said: “As Amy and Lucy know, we can guarantee shiners will see London in a completely different light.

To enter the walk visit shinewalk.org