SHINY pink ribbons bearing supporting messages for women who survived or succumbed to breast cancer were strung across the grounds of a Yorkshire stately home as hundreds of walkers took part in the county’s first Ribbon Walk.

A thousand people of all ages and fitness levels, laced up their boots and took to the grounds of Harewood House in aid of the Breast Cancer Care charity – to show their support for the 46,000 women who are diagnosed with the disease in the UK each year.

Yorkshire-born TV presenter Linda Barker kicked off the event. She wrote on her pink ribbon “You are not on your own”, and it was hung alongside hundreds of others to create a moving spectacle.

Participants chose between a 20-mile and ten-mile route with the joint aim of raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for Breast Cancer Care.

Both walks started and finished in the grounds of the stately home and finished with hikers enjoying a celebratory barbecue with friends and family after crossing the finish line.

Adrian Rowe, 40, a chef at the Durham Ox, in Crayke, took part in the ten-mile leg in honour of his wife, Lynne, who has been fighting breast cancer since March 2008.

Adrian and his two friends took part in the event to give something back for the “wonderful support” his wife has received since being diagnosed.

They raised almost £1,000.

“It was a fantastic day,” he said. “I was exhausted but elated when I crossed the finishing line. It was something we had been planning to do for ages. Lynne is running the Race For Life for charity but as we couldn’t do that we thought this walk would be the perfect opportunity to give something back.”

Tap dancing trio Brenda Martin, 62, Liz Fletcher, 58, and June Baker, 60, did the ten-mile walk as a way of supporting two friends from their dance group who have recently been treated for breast cancer. The threesome completed the walk in three-and-a-half hours. Liz said: “Everything was well planned, and the weather was nice so all-in-all it was a brilliant day.”

Louise Jolliffe, 36, from Shipton-by-Beningbrough, works as an anaesthetist at York Hospital and sees the impact of breast cancer every day at work. Louise did the walk with her cousin Julie Davies and together they raised £700.

* More pictures of this event, will be available on our photosales website.