A BEREAVED daughter is organising a charity open air dance event to raise vital funds for the hospice where her mother died.

Photographer Sarah Carmody set up The Judy Carmody Tribute Fund in April 2013 shortly after her mother Judy lost her battle with ovarian cancer, aged just 61.

The 41-year-old, from Eastbourne, has been raising been raising money with her two daughters, Amelie, nine and Alice, six, ever since and has so far raised around £8,500 for St Wilfrid's Hospice and £5,000 for Cancer Research UK.

Now she is staging The Big Dance Off - an open air dance off similar to an aerobic session led by a qualified instructor - in the Italian Gardens near Hollywell in Eastbourne on Monday, August 15.

Sarah said: "We will be raising money for St Wilfrid’s Hospice, who looked after my mum so well when she was in the later stages of her illness.

"When I started the fundraising it made me feel good, and I know that mum would have been very grateful too.

"I want to keep it going, raising as much money as I can while keeping her memory alive. It helps me and it also helps others.

"Mother’s Day, for example, can be very difficult because it is so commercial, and there is a big build-up to the day itself.

"I feel that through organising events we are bringing people together to remember our loved ones with a smile. Doing something positive and what they would want."

Sarah said that dance aerobics helped her deal with the bereavement.

She said: "My weekly sessions at 'BodyJam' (dance aerobics) got me through the difficult times I encountered over losing my mum and still continues to make me smile if I'm feeling down!

"I felt the need to share this happy feeling and thought how wonderful it would be to celebrate our loved ones by all coming together and doing something fun."

The Big Dance Off takes place between 5.30pm and 6.30pm on Monday and the cost per person is a minimum donation of £5. Minimum age to take part is six years old.

To book your tickets, email info@rememberwithasmile.com or for more information visit rememberwithasmile.com and sarahcarmody.uk