Sarah Harding’s mum Marie gave an emotional speech as she unveiled a plaque to commemorate the life of the Girls Aloud singer in her home town of Stockport on Sunday.
The tribute to Sarah, who tragically died aged 39 in 2021 after battling breast cancer, was revealed alongside a stunning pink mural of the late singer.
The plaque, which was unveiled after a fundraising walk, is to mark the legacy of Sarah’s life which is helping save young women’s lives.
Before her passing, the Girls Aloud star set up a charity to fund ways of detecting breast cancer early when it is more treatable.
In an emotional speech to the crowd that had gathered, Marie said: ‘Sarah faced her devastating diagnosis with fierce courage and determination.
Sarah Harding ‘s mum Marie gave an emotional speech as she unveiled a plaque to commemorate the life of the Girls Aloud singer in her home town Stockport on Sunday
Sarah tragically died aged 39 in 2021 after battling breast cancer; pictured with her mum in 2008
‘Throughout her illness she spent a great deal of time in the Christie hospital being treated and cared for by the dedicated doctors and nurses there and I’m eternally grateful to all of them for their selfless kindness and support.’
Marie added that Sarah would be ‘blown away’ by the plaque and mural as her friends and family gathered for the unveiling.
Emotionally, Marie continued: ‘I’m so very proud of my beautiful daughter and everything she achieved in her tragically short life.
‘She’d be thrilled to bits to see so many of you here today showing your love and support for her and for the Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal.’
The Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal has raised over £1million to date in its bid to help fund research into diagnosing breast cancer in younger women.
Girls Aloud reunited this year for their anniversary tour and honoured Sarah throughout each show.
Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts remembered Sarah, who was diagnosed with cancer in August 2020 and passed away a year later, by playing footage of her singing one of their biggest hits, The Promise, on her own while the girls watched on.
Speaking to MailOnline, Kimberley described paying tribute to Sarah as ‘cathartic’ after the group also performed with the late singer’s vocals during their track I’ll Stand By You.
The tribute to Sarah, which was unveiled after a fundraising walk, was revealed alongside a stunning pink mural of the late singer
The plaque is to mark the legacy of Sarah’s life which is helping save young women’s lives. Before her passing, Sarah set up a charity to fund ways of detecting breast cancer early when it is more treatable
Girls Aloud, who found fame in 2002 on Popstars: The Rivals, reunited this year for their anniversary tour and honoured Sarah throughout each show; pictured L-R Kimberley Walsh, Nadine Coyle, Cheryl, Sarah Harding and Nicola Roberts in 2005
Kimberley said: ‘Honouring Sarah was quite cathartic, it really was, as tough as the first part was, the planning – the rehearsals without her were painful.
‘But then seeing her honoured and her voice playing out in the arena again and people’s outpouring of love, seeing how happy it made her mum and all of that, it made us feel really amazing.’
Meanwhile Cheryl revealed that she misses her Girls Aloud bandmate Sarah’s ‘electric and wild side’ after her death from breast cancer.
Speaking in a special two-hour show for Radio 2, Cheryl said: ‘There are little moments that you would share with her individually on stage on tour.
‘Where there’s no more Sarah than in that moment and I can’t describe… like, nobody else would know her that way, other than us four.’
