My friend Cheryl Ridge was cruelly taken by cancer on 19th December 2019. As many of you reading this will know, it’s heartbreaking to see a wonderful friend go from super-active, mountain biking, sailing - generally healthy girl to being ravaged by cancer - and just 47 years old with a husband and 2 kids aged 18 and 16.

Cheryl was a beautiful girl - one of the loveliest people you could ever meet. Always saw the positive in people, always calm and always thoughtful. We went on a team building walk with work some years ago - I brought my lipgloss and mobile phone (you know, the essentials). Cheryl brought flasks of tea, Eccles cakes and plasters for everyone. She was an inspirational pleasure to work with and I’m truly honoured to have been able to call her a friend.

St Lukes were amazing and I know from speaking to Cheryl's husband, Angus, that they will be forever indebted to them for the care they received - from the first meeting Angus and Cheryl had with the Chaplain, to the wraparound care the whole family received during Cheryls time at St Lukes and after she died.

She fought this so hard, so bravely and with strength and positivity I've never seen before, but the fight was just too much in the end. There’s not many people Mr C and I would run a half marathon for, so this ones for you Cheryl.