Stockport celebrates the life of Sarah Harding with special fundraising event

A special event in memory of Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding will take place on Sunday October 6th, in Stockport town centre.

The event, as part of The Stockport Music Story Walking Tours, will raise funds for The Christie Charity and the Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal, dedicated to identifying young women at increased risk of breast cancer.

Sarah - who grew up in Stockport - attended Hazel Grove High School, followed by Stockport College where she studied hair and beauty. Sarah also studied dance and drama at The North Cheshire Theatre School in Heaton Moor. She then went to work for two nightclubs at the Grand Central leisure complex, Stockport before she auditioned for Pop Stars: The Rivals in 2002. It was here she met her future Girls Aloud bandmates, who became one of the UK’s most successful pop groups.

Following her diagnosis of breast cancer in 2020, Sarah was treated at The Christie hospital in Manchester. Her final wish, before she died at just 39 years old in September 2021, was to find new ways of detecting breast cancer early when it is more treatable. The BCAN-RAY (Breast Cancer Risk Assessment in Younger Women) study is her legacy and is supported by Sarah’s family, friends and Girls Aloud bandmates Cheryl Tweedy, Kimberley Walsh, Nadine Coyle and Nicola Roberts, as well as Dr Sacha Howell who was Sarah’s consultant at The Christie.

In honour of Sarah’s life and music legacy, a special plaque will be unveiled on High Street close to the Little Underbank in Stockport. The unveiling will be part of the Stockport Music Map Tour, created and hosted by John Barratt, renowned for his work promoting Stockport’s rich musical heritage.

The tour will start at midday outside Thread Bar, 22 Market Street, with an introduction by John, who will walk everyone to the site of the plaque, which will be located next to the Sarah Harding mural - on the side of the former Royal Oak at 11 High Street - which was created earlier this year by street artist Degsy and is one of a series of new artwork commissions in the area.

Following the plaque unveiling, John will then conduct a Stockport Music Map walking tour around the sites of other commemorative plaques and significant locations that have played a pivotal role in Stockport's vibrant music history. Guests will gain unique insights into the town’s cultural impact, while remembering Sarah Harding's formative years in Stockport, before she went on to achieve global success with Girls Aloud.

The tour will finish at Thread Bar around 1.30pm where a Girls Aloud themed party will take place and screenings of their performances will be shown.  Thread Bar are also kindly donating 20% of their takings to The Christie Charity and the Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal.

Speaking about the event, organiser John Barratt said: 

"Sarah was such a huge part of Stockport's story, and her journey from here to the global stage is truly inspiring. We're honoured to celebrate her legacy while supporting The Christie Charity, and the Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal. 

“The Christie is particularly close to my heart, as my wife, Rosemary was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. It was shocking and frightening but everyone at The Christie was amazing. We’ve experienced firsthand the fantastic work that they do. Luckily Rosemary was spotted early through a routine screening, and - after a lumpectomy and radiotherapy treatment - she has made a good recovery and now goes for annual check-ups.

“This event is all about fundraising for The Christie Charity, keeping Sarah Harding’s memory alive here in Stockport and continuing her mission to promote early detection of breast cancer in young women. Hopefully we can make it an annual event!”

Sarah’s consultant at The Christie, Dr Sacha Howell, who is leading the BCAN-RAY study, said:

"Sarah often spoke to me about breast cancer research and was passionate about understanding why young women are being diagnosed without any family history of the disease.

“I’m sure she’d be thrilled about the fundraising event for The Christie Charity in Stockport and the plaque in her name being unveiled.”

The Sarah Harding plaque is part of a larger street art initiative, forming part of the Rediscovering the Underbanks project. Funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, this initiative aims to breathe new life into Stockport’s historic areas while highlighting the town’s cultural heritage.

Tickets for this event include a Christie wristband and pin badge, the plaque unveiling, guided music tour and entry to Thread for the party:

Tickets: Sarah Harding Plaque Unveiling and Walking Tour | Thread Stockport Sun 06 October 2024:

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Anyone wishing to donate to The Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal can do so at: 

www.christie.nhs.uk/the-christie-charity/donate/sarah-harding

The Christie Charity supports the work of The Christie NHS Foundation Trust providing enhanced services over and above what the NHS funds. This includes money for care and treatment, research, education, and extra patient services. Gifts from the public make a huge difference to the care and treatment that The Christie is able to provide to patients and their families.

Pictured - Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding.