Last updated at 16:44, Monday, 19 November 2012

SPURRED on by the memory of her fallen cousin, Pamela Usher and her ‘angels’ have raised more than £1,200 for an armed forces charity.

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Ms Usher began her fundraising crusade last year, forming the Heroes’ Angels group, dedicated to raising money for injured servicemen charity, Help for Heroes.

The 41-year-old, of Lapstone Road, Millom, lost her cousin, Sergeant John Amer, during the Afghanistan conflict in 2009.

Saving a colleague’s life, Sgt Amer took the full brunt of an explosion.

Ms Usher said: “My cousin was serving in Afghanistan in 2009 when he was killed.

“He tried to push a colleague out of the way of an explosion and took the full blast.”

In her native North East, Ms Usher says her family has raised thousands for Help for Heroes, and are very proud of the Millom angels’ efforts.

She said: “The family has raised more than £50,000, in Sunderland, so I wanted to do my part.

“I got a team of girls and lads together and we’ve just built it up over the two years – doing several coffee mornings and other fundraisers.

“Everyone has worked really hard to raise the money.

“The family is so proud of the angels. And I’m just so grateful to them all.”

The Millom fundraisers presented servicemen Sergeant Dan Savage and private Jonny Brown, from Millom, with a cheque for £1,260 for the charity. Ms Usher said: “Everyone in Millom has just been absolutely fabulous and helped us raise the money.

“It was a proud moment presenting the soldiers with the cheque.

“We were all so chuffed and the sergeant was so grateful.”

As well as their fundraising efforts, the 14-strong fundraising group joined in the Remembrance Day parade on November 11, placing a wreath at Millom’s war memorial.

Ms Usher said: “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, placing the wreath on the cenotaph.

“I was getting flashbacks of my cousin, from when he used to visit.

“But Sheila (Watson, one of the ‘angels’) grabbed my hand and lifted me up.

“My angels are outstanding.”

First published at 16:10, Monday, 19 November 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk