Eileen Haw, of The Headlands, has raised more than £185,000 for Cancer Research UK and has been named an Honorary Fellow at the charity’s annual Flame of Hope Awards ceremony.

The award was given to the grandmother of nine last month in celebration of her loyalty and dedication to the cause.

Mrs Haw picked up the accolade at a ceremony held in London hosted by David Newbigging, chief executive of Cancer Research UK.

The 76-year-old has been fundraising since 1984 after losing her husband Ray to the illness the year before. He was 55 at the time and her mother, father, grandad, grandmother and aunt all died from cancer.

She held her first coffee morning at her home, raised £184 and never looked back.

She said: “It was wonderful to receive the award and I know they haven’t found a cure yet but they must keep on trying. My dad died in 1960 and 23 years later when my husband died there was a difference in the way he was treated. Ray could dress himself everyday up until two days before he died. My dad couldn’t do that.”

Mrs Haw continues to be a part of the fundraising efforts in the town by helping out with administrative duties for the charity and any events held in the area.

Debbie Fitzgerald, Cancer Research UK spokeswoman for Leicestershire and Rutland, said: “These awards are our way of saying thanks to the people who are the lifeblood of our organisation – people who give of their time freely to raise money for research and promote greater awareness of the disease, and yet ask for nothing in return. We salute our supporters everywhere because together we will beat cancer.”