Cancer pair launch charity to help others

She said the new charity, Bright Futures UK, will help anyone with a physical or mental illness through both mentoring and personalised workshops.

"It's really important for people to have some sort of mental stimulation and motivation," she said.

"Research has shown that it aids recovery, so that's something we want to run with.

"If it had been around for me, it would have been great because it would have taken me out of the hospital and I could have looked to the future in a positive, not scary way."

The charity would have a personal touch, Ms Holt added "which is very important. We are hoping to help as many people as we can.

"You want someone who cares, because you're going to look up to them as a role model."

The former Spanish and linguistics student said "having cancer was a crap experience but I wouldn't take it back, because so many good things have come from it."

Ms Holt added that she and Mr Pelled, a north Londoner, believed keeping a positive attitude was paramount.

"You've got to continue being you, being happy and not let an illness define who you are."