A former secondary school assistant head will be stepping out onto a catwalk this March to help mark Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

Mildly terrified at the prospect, Ann Brown, 60, from Walmer understands the importance of pushing past her fears to take part in the high-profile fashion fundraiser in London, organised by leading ovarian cancer support charity Ovacome.

It's to raise awareness of the symptoms of the disease she has overcome which, had she not been preparing for knee replacement surgery, could have been dismissed.

Like many women Mrs Brown, a former Dover Grammar School for Girls pupil, was unaware of ovarian cancer.

Aged 52 at the time, she put her symptoms - extreme tiredness and abdominal pain - down to the menopause and her stressful job working as the assistant head at Greenshaw High School in the London Borough of Sutton.

But she wanted to be in tip top condition for her impending operation and so paid a visit to her GP, who fortunately picked up that she might have ovarian cancer.

It was lucky for Mrs Brown that he did, as she was later found to have in fact stage 3c of the disease.

Eight years later - having undergone surgery and chemotherapy - she has signed up to strut her stuff at the Touch of Teal Afternoon Tea at the Mayfair Hotel on March 23.

It is the tenth annual event to raise awareness about ovarian cancer and its symptoms.

Mrs Brown, who took early retirement and moved to Deal where she grew up, with her husband, in July 2016, said: “I want to do this in memory of seven women who I met in an ovarian cancer support group who were taken too soon as a result of this terrible disease.

“It’s a huge deal for me to get up on stage in heels.

"I normally live in jeans and trainers.

“But I realise that I’ve been one of the lucky ones and if this helps just one other woman to benefit from my experience it will have been worthwhile.”

She says the symptoms can be remembered in the charity’s B.E.A.T. acronym: B is for bloating that is persistent and does not come and go; E is for eating difficulties and feeling fuller quicker; A is for abdominal or pelvic pain you feel most days and T is for toilet changes, bladder or bowel.

Chances are that women presenting with the B.E.A.T. symptoms will have something less sinister than ovarian cancer, says Ovacome.

But if a woman has symptoms for two weeks or more - which are not her normal - it is worth getting checked out.

Mrs Brown, who has a grown-up son who now lives overseas, is being monitored every six months for a possible recurrence.

Help Ann Brown reach her target of raising £1,000 at ovacome.org.uk/fundraisers/help-ann-brown-to-make-a-real-difference

For ovarian cancer support call on 0800 008 7054.