A Hampstead estate agent diagnosed with breast cancer has raised more than £30,000 for charity, courtesy of a fundraising walk spearheaded by her best friend.

Sara Collins was joined by 150 friends and family on a five-kilometre walk as part of Cancer Research’s Race for Life fundraising event in Watford on Sunday.

The 40-year-old, who works at Property Divas in Rosslyn Hill, Hampstead, is awaiting a scan in August to find out whether a double mastectomy, as well as intensive courses of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, has destroyed her cancer, which was diagnosed last year.

She said: “It’s my friends that have kept me going. It’s been really tough. The only days I took off work were the days I had chemo and six weeks after the operation. I needed some normality in my life.

“Chemo was horrific and radiotherapy was a walk in the park. My mum died of cancer 16 years ago, but the treatment now is so much more advanced, so I was determined I wasn’t going to just sit back. I’m under the best medical team.”

Her friend Sara Nathan, 41, an estate agent at Estate Office Lettings in Maida Vale, came up with the fundraising idea, which has so far pulled in £33,000. She is confident that total will rise.

Mrs Nathan managed to rally together 150 friends and family members, from children to grandparents, to take part in Sunday’s walk and collect donations for the challenge.

The walk was also held in honour of Pipa Oliveri, a friend of both women who has been undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

Mrs Nathan said: “My aim was to get £10,000 – it’s just surpassed everything we wanted to do. We want to find a cure in their lifetime, that’s the bottom line.

“They’ve still got this hanging over their heads. To see your two friends go through what they’ve been through is horrific.

“This is all we can do. I’m 100 per cent confident that, with money to continue research, they can find a cure.”

Mrs Collins added: “At times like this, you find out who your friends are. They are always telling us what is going on. They are very upbeat and it makes us more upbeat.”

For more information about the women’s fundraising efforts, visit spkickass.co.uk. If you wish to donate, go to justgiving.com/sara-n-pipa-kick-ass.