Latest news with #TheMoonWalkScotland
Daily Record
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Theatre group youngsters from Stirling get ready to Moonwalk for cancer charity
Rubber Chicken director Pamela Mackie will be joined by some of her own children and some young performers from the Dunblane drama company for Walk The Walk as she continues her recovery from Long Covid. Young performers from a local theatre company are joining its director for an iconic walk for breast cancer charity Walk the Walk. Pamela Mackie from Cambusbarron is taking on the Full Moon walking challenge at The MoonWalk Scotland this year as she emerges from the shadow of Long Covid. Pamela, 45, has taken part in The MoonWalk Scotland since it started – but this year is walking with a team of youngsters (including some of her own children) and adults from the Rubber Chicken Theatre company, which she runs in Dunblane. The Moonwalk sees women and men wearing brightly decorated bras as they walk marathons through the streets of Edinburgh overnight. This year's MoonWalk is on Saturday September 6. After 19 years, it will be the last MoonWalk taking place in the capital, before the event goes on tour to a new city. Pamela said: 'I've been taking part in The MoonWalk Scotland since it first started 19 years ago, I've raised more than £15,000 for organisers Walk the Walk during that time and absolutely love everything this unique event stands for. 'I'm really excited to have signed up this year with a group of adults and youngsters from the Rubber Chicken Theatre, a social enterprise which I run in Dunblane. It's wonderful to be introducing a whole new generation of walkers to such an incredible event! 'My very first MoonWalk was in 2006. I'd read about it in the local press – it sounded new, interesting and fun. 'Breast cancer hadn't affected me directly, although a number of people in my wider circle had been diagnosed, so that was another reason for getting involved. I remember it being tough completing a walking marathon overnight that first time, but my friends and I still had an amazing time. The atmosphere was incredible and we felt like we were doing something really worthwhile – I was hooked on The MoonWalk from the get-go. 'Over the years, I've taken part in many more MoonWalks and several other walking events to raise money for Walk the Walk. The charity's events are something else – there's a totally different atmosphere to all the others I've done, a different energy, a different vibe and I absolutely love it. 'Even if you've not taken part for a while, when you see people you've met at previous MoonWalks, it's like meeting up members of your family. I always love the camaraderie, the feeling that everyone is uniting together and that amazing feeling when you finish your challenge and cross the finish line. Taking part in The MoonWalk has always given me an amazing goal to aim for too – it's a big driver for me and actually gets me out walking.' This time round, however, is particularly significant for Pamela. 'Unfortunately, my health after the pandemic wasn't so good, as I developed Long Covid, but now that I'm feeling much better and have also lost quite a lot of weight, I decided it was time to lace up my MoonWalking trainers once again. 'I'm so excited to be taking part in The MoonWalk this year with a team of mainly youngsters, and some adults, from the Rubber Chicken Theatre. 'We're all walking the Full Moon (26.2 miles), even though some of the young people are only 14 years old – three of my own teenage children are also part of the team. 'I work with up to around 300 children a week at The Rubber Chicken Theatre and so many of their relatives have been affected by breast cancer in some way – it will be a really poignant night for us all. 'When I realised that this year's MoonWalk theme was 'Musicals' – and with us being a theatre company – it felt like a sign that we should definitely sign up as a team. 'We're planning to decorate our bras inspired by a whole host of different musicals. As you can imagine, it's right up our street! As a group, we're looking forward to doing at least some of our big training walks together, which will be lots of fun. 'It's sad that this year will be the last MoonWalk in Edinburgh, but I know that it's going to be a great celebration and I would encourage anyone (especially those who haven't experienced a MoonWalk in Edinburgh yet) to sign up. Whether you're walking to support someone going through breast cancer, or in memory of someone, whether you want to get fitter, make friends or just have a crazy, fun night, I would definitely recommend The MoonWalk Scotland.' To sign up for The MoonWalk Scotland 2025, go to
Daily Record
30-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Routine scan led to early breast cancer diagnosis for West Lothian woman who's going out walking after midnight
Angela Mairs is taking on the marathon-distance charity challenge to give something back A West Lothian woman who received a breast cancer diagnosis out of the blue is taking on a marathon-length moonlit challenge. Angela Mairs was hit with the shocking news following a routine mammogram in March last year and is now urging people to take the opportunity of screening. The 58-year-old mum from Uphall Staion, Livingston, will take part in this year's The MoonWalk Scotland, when women and men wearing brightly decorated bras walk 26.2 miles through the streets of Edinburgh. Organised by breast cancer charity Walk the Walk, this year's event will be the last to take place in the capital for the time being as it goes on tour to a new city. 'I was diagnosed with breast cancer out of the blue,' said Angela. 'It was the third mammogram I'd had since turning 50. 'I'd had absolutely no symptoms beforehand – no lumps, rash or puckering of the skin, classic symptoms of possible breast cancer. 'Then I received a letter saying the scan had been 'inconclusive' and asking me to attend for a follow up. 'I am a bit busty and thought there was simply some sort of technical issue with getting the right type of images. I didn't take my husband along to that second appointment, I wasn't concerned at all. 'Everything snowballed from there. There was an area in my left breast which needed to be investigated further. I had an ultrasound scan and two biopsies and returned to see the consultant a couple of weeks later for my results. He told me I had Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS), an early-stage form of breast cancer, which was a huge shock. 'Some cells in the lining of the ducts of the breast tissue had started to turn into cancer cells, but hadn't yet spread elsewhere. 'If they hadn't been discovered when they were – by the mammogram – this would have been a real possibility. 'DCIS cells look like grains of rice on scans – they're quite small, which is why I wasn't able to feel anything untoward myself.' The Business Support admin worker had surgery to remove the cancer in June last year. The procedure is known as a bilateral mammoplasty. Affected tissue was removed from her left breast with her right breast then adjusted to the same size. Although surgery went well, a wound became infected. Angela also had five sessions of radiotherapy. Prior to surgery she received hormone therapy, Letrozole, to slow the growth of the cells, which she continues to take, although an unfortunate side-effect is symptoms of menopause. Angela is grateful for the support of those around her, in particular her husband Derek, 22-year-old son Derek, and his partner Neve. 'My friends and family have been absolutely amazing,' she said. 'My husband is self-employed and my friends were incredibly supportive while I was recovering from surgery, so that he could keep on working. 'I felt like I had my own private 'meals on wheels' service and they gave me with lifts everywhere too. 'After having been off work for a large part of last year, I now feel as though I'm back to business as usual and enjoying my normal life. 'I do need to build up my stamina. Taking part in The MoonWalk Scotland in September and all the training I'll need to do beforehand will give me a fantastic focus, as I try to regain my fitness.' This won't be the first time Angela has taken part in the Full Moon event, she completed it back in 2019. 'I really enjoyed the night and loved the wonderful atmosphere – there were people out on the route supporting us at 2 o'clock in the morning,' she recalled. Walk the Walk has already contributed millions of pounds in grants to the Breast Unit at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh. Angela added: 'I've well and truly used all the services at the Western General which Walk the Walk has helped to fund – the mammography unit, operating theatre and breast cancer ward. 'I'm also incredibly thankful for the mammogram which discovered my cancer when it did. This wasn't detectable without a mammogram, there were no symptoms. If breast cancer is caught early enough, a lot can be done to prevent the disease spreading. "I'd urge everyone who is invited to take up the offer of getting a mammogram. It could save your life'. The event has been going for the last 19 years and the date for this year's is Saturday, September 6. To sign up for The MoonWalk Scotland 2025, visit:
