THE mum of Ella McCreadie has admitted her pride at discovering the walk in her memory last year was the biggest for the charity it was supporting.

Brian Tumour Research’s Walk of Hope, took place in September last year and around 700 people joined Ella’s family with mum Sophie Penrose to raise thousands of pounds.

Sophie said that so many people who turned out that day were her friends who brought family to remember her daughter, who died in her sleep in December 2022, and revealed she plans for an annual event.

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She said: “We’re so proud that we’ve been acknowledged for our walk last year where 700 people came – it just means so much.

“I was lost for words to see it.

“I think so many people turned up because Ella had so many friends – there was 20 of them in her best friend group – she just had so many of them and from the hors community as well as she loved riding.

“She had friends that even I didn’t know she had – she was so popular.

“Something like this doesn’t happen and when it does and it’s a child, it does resonate with parents that this is real.

“We want to do another one – we haven’t got a date set but we want to do another one and I would like it to become a yearly event.

“It’s a way of preserving her memory – keeping her name alive is keeping us going.”

Sophie also revealed plans to ‘turn Ellesmere pink’ for March as part of Brain Tumour Research’s awareness month.

Sophie added: “Brain Tumour Research’s campaign is, in March, to light up everywhere pink and have had major landmarks in the UK take part in the past.

“I thought ‘let’s take part and get Ellesmere on the map’ and wondered what we can do to take part.

“St Mary’s Church is probably the most striking building we have and that is where we had Ella’s service, so we asked them.

“We’re lighting it up from 5pm on Sunday, March 24 and it’s a big thanks to ASG Audio Visual, who are doing the lights for free of charge.

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“I’ve had businesses reach out to me – I put it out there and people who wanted to take part contacted me and so many businesses in Ellesmere have the lights to turning themselves pink.

“It’s just incredible how much support we have.”

For more, head to Ella’s Army on Facebook.