May donates £9,000 to cancer services during nine years dedicated fundraising

Through selling homemade occasion cards and hosting events, the 68-year-old has become somewhat of a fundraising powerhouse.

Her latest endeavour - a Macmillan Coffee Morning at her Colchester home - collected £1,200 for the national charity.

This has been added to the grand total which has to-date supported Essex County Hospital’s breast cancer unit and the radiotherapy department at Colchester General Hospital, plus charities Look Good, Feel Better, Macmillan and Cancer Research.

Mrs Cook's quest began after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 - and beat it two years ago.

But it has since been strengthened when husband Peter, 71, was given the "horrific" news last year that he had throat cancer.

She said: "It was devastating for both of us, and he had trouble coping with it at first.

"It took Macmillan and a hypnotherapist to see him before he would even start his treatment because of the depression and anxiety the diagnosis brought.

"After being given the all-clear in February, he told me he wanted a holiday so we went to Tenerife and Corfu, and soon we'll be going to Thailand to see one of our three daughters and grandson.

"Raising money is a way of saying thank you for mine and my husband’s lives and I just hope in my grandchildren's time cancer will be eradicated."

Each year Mrs Cook has held a coffee morning, which typically turn into lively coffee days.

About 40 invited guests arrived this time, some of which were booked in for a two-course lunch, and enjoyed manicures from Mrs Cook's daughter, Wendy Dines.

Businesses donated raffle and auction prizes like Peter Worraker, of Powerjet, whose patio clean fetched £200.

However, the event was postponed from September as the date sadly clashed with the funeral of Mrs Cook's friend of 51 years, Carol Holden, who died of bowel cancer, aged 70.

She said: "We worked with each other as teenagers at a foreign exchange bank in London, and were friends ever since.

"Although we knew she had cancer, it was quite a shock as she was doing well and within 24-hours of her operation, things took a bad turn.

"Carol was a fun person and our husbands were friends which helped keep us close."

Inundated with Christmas and birthday card orders, Mrs Cook plans to save another £1,000 from the proceeds to donate to yet another charity.

She added: "God willing, I’ll still be able to do another event next September.

"I can't describe how it feels to receive such kind words from others on what I do, it's just very humbling.

"My husband and I are both still here and it just puts life into perspective."