NICOLA Johnson will take on the Midnight Memories Walk for the second time this summer — in memory of her mum.

Pat Liptrott died of lung cancer in February last year, aged 70, after receiving nearly two months of care from Bolton Hospice.

Now the 41-year-old, of Smithills Dean Road, Smithills, is aiming to raise up to £500 from this year’s eighth annual walk.

She will do the eight-mile walk along with her sister Sarah Gaskell and husband Carl.

Mrs Johnson, a carer, said: “I can’t tell you how good Bolton Hospice were. They made the most devastating time of our lives much easier — they were amazing.

“Before my mum went to the hospice, I was a bit unsure of whether I wanted her to go in, because I’d built up a picture of a dark, depressing place, but it was the exact opposite.”

Mrs Liptrott was admitted to Bolton Hospice in December 2012, having been diagnosed only two months before, and died on February 9, 2013. She left behind two daughters and four grandchildren.

Mrs Johnson said: “It was a massive shock how quickly it all happened. My mother wasn’t like a lot of women her age — she was a very active and sociable lady, she looked after the grandchildren full time. She meant the world to me.

“As a family, we are very close anyway, but in the final months of my mother’s life, we became even closer.

“We spent a lot of quality time together and said everything we needed to say.”

Mrs Johnson added: “It’s so vital to continue raising awa-reness of Bolton Hospice, because if we don’t raise funds, that service isn’t going to be there for the people who need it.”

The Midnight Mem-ories Walk takes place on Saturday, June 21, and registration is £10 if booked before March 31, or £15 after that date.

Participants will start at midnight and walk eight miles starting at Victoria Square, stopping halfway for a refreshments break at the Meadowhill Nursery, before returning to Victoria Square.

For information, call 01204 663055.