THE reigning Miss Hampshire hopes to raise thousands of pounds for the hospital that helped her boyfriend in his battle against cancer.

Larissa Hirst hopes the fete at her home in Marchwood will deliver some much-needed funds to Southampton Hospital Charity after praising the “brilliant” support Ian Palmer received.

The 27-year-old is now in remission after being diagnosed and undergoing surgery for testicular cancer and he will be manning a stall at the event on Sunday.

Larissa, an energy market journalist from New Milton, was crowned Miss Hampshire earlier this year, less than six months after Ian had been diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Ian has since had surgery and chemotherapy and is hoping for the all-clear next month.

Daily Echo:

After the affected testicle was removed and he was treated with chemotherapy doctors declared that he was in remission, and he is hoping they will say he is all-clear at a check-up next month.

Since his treatment at Southampton General Hospital, 25-year-old Larissa said she would dedicate herself to raising as much money as possible for the hospital's charity.

Larissa and Ian both took part in the Southampton Half-Marathon earlier this year and raised more than £2,000 for the charity and Beauty With A Purpose, the official Miss World charity helping disadvantaged youngsters across the globe.

After raising money by doing the ABP Southampton Half-Marathon, the pair want to raise even more with a fete at her family home in Philpott Drive.

Running from 11am to 3pm, it will feature games from hook a duck to catch the rat, sports competitions and face-painting. There will also be a cake stall, tombola and a half-sized steam wagon at the event with no entry fee.

Larissa told the Daily Echo: “We have already ran the Southampton Half-Marathon and raised just over £2,000 for the two charities.I am also visiting the hospital the day before the garden party, holding a arts and crafts day for the child patients of the hospital.

“They will be decorating the blue hand logo of the hospital charity which I will be incorporating into an outfit I will wear at the Miss England finals in August as part of our ecological and recycled outfit fashion show.

“I want to show the country what brilliant charitable people live in Hampshire and hopefully the Marchwood garden party hosted by myself and my family can demonstrate our commitment to charitable causes and promote the hard work our local hospital does too.”

To attend email larissa_19_90@hotmail.co.uk.