Charity walk in memory of Southwick mum

More than 20 friends and family, including staff from Lloyds Bank in Brighton, will be taking part in the St Barnabas House hospice charity event in Worthing on Saturday, June 21.

Sarah Blundell, of Oakapple Road, Southwick, said her mum, Julie Squires, was well known in the town, and her dad, Robert Squires, owns the Squires Fishing Tackle store in Southwick Square.

“She was well loved in the Southwick community, a local dog walker and wife of one of the Southwick Square shopkeepers,” she added.

“For the funeral procession, the shopkeepers stood outside and paid their respects – it was very memorable.”

Mrs Squires had metastatic melanoma and died late last year.

Mrs Blundell said: “It is a truly horrid disease. It was very sudden- she had had a mole removed three years previously and we thought all was well, but she suddenly developed secondary symptoms and within a week of the onset of a slight jaundice, she died from secondary liver cancer at only 61.

“She spent her last few days at St Barnabas and they provided excellent support at the time and since mum passed away. So, we have been keen to support them. We raised nearly £2,000 immediately after her death from donations in lieu of flowers.”

Her mum worked at the Brighton bank for 20 years and her colleagues there raised £700 for the hospice in January through a cake and unwanted gift sale held in her memory.

Money raised by Julie’s Gems at the midnight walk will be matched by Lloyds Bank. Visit Julie’s Gems to donate.