BUBBLY and outgoing, Clydebank mum Tricia Sherry had a passion for looking after young people until her life was tragically cut short by cancer.

As the 25th anniversary of her death approaches, her children — three of whom had a double mastectomy to prevent getting the same disease — are preparing to take part in a 13-mile hike to raise funds for the Beatson.

They say the unit looked after Tricia when she needed it most.

Jacqueline Sherry, 36, sisters Caroline Sherry and Lorraine Laing, both 32, and brother Andrew, 31, will form a group of around 20 members of family and friends walking from the bandstand in Three Queens Square to Balloch on August 23.

It is an event which Jacqueline, of McCreery Street, believes will be extremely worthwhile. She told the Post: “We are looking forward to taking part, even though it is quite a long way.

“The more we can raise, the better, so we can do our bit to help those fighting cancer.” The fundraising walk is due to take place on what would have been the 56th birthday of Tricia, who lived in Whitecrook and Radnor Park.

With a passion for looking after young people, she used to run Brat Pack, a children’s cinema club in the town. Her death, at the age of 31, left a big void in the lives of those closest to her, as Jacqueline explained.

“Mum passed away after surgery and treatment,” she said. “Now that I’m around the age she was then, I understand just how young she was and how anyone can be affected by cancer, regardless of their age.” Jacqueline and her sisters have already taken steps to try and minimise the risk of developing the disease. In 2013, the Post reported how Jacqueline, Caroline and Lorraine all underwent a double mastectomy after discovering they had the faulty BRCA2 gene, which would have sharply increased their risk of developing cancer.

“It was definitely the sensible option after what happened to mum,” Jacqueline reflected. “We had an 80 per cent chance of getting breast cancer so it was the right choice.

“If she had been given the opportunity to get it done in time, I know she would have taken it.” Jacqueline, a final year economic and social history student at Glasgow University, is no stranger to fundraising and has previously abseiled off the Falkirk Wheel for charity while her sisters have taken part in the Kiltwalk. Now she is hoping people will get behind her family’s charity walk to help others fighting cancer.

She added: “We can receive donations online and we all have sponsor forms too. At the moment, we don’t have a specific target in mind but we just want to raise as much as we can. Hopefully, lots of people can help us.” Donations can be made by logging on to Jacqueline’s JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/Jacqueline-Sherry.