THE legacy of a Worcester bellringer who died unexpectedly in July will be honoured with a new Girl Guide badge.

Mother of three Alison Regan, of St Dunstans Crescent, Battenhall, was unit helper at 25th Worcester Guides and South Worcester Senior Section when she passed away at Worcestershire Royal Hospital from undiagnosed cancer of the peritoneum.

Close friend and unit guider Caroline Hallam and her Guides will re-write the defunct bellringer badge as a tribute to Mrs Regan, to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

The badge will be named Bluebell’s Challenge after Mrs Regan was named ‘bluebell’ as unit helper for the Rainbows and will be available for units across the country to purchase.

Mrs Hallam said: “Ovarian and peritoneum cancers are known as the silent killer and that was what happened to Alison, it was wrongly diagnosed as IBS.

“Because we’re involved with Girl Guides we thought it was the best way to raise awareness to women and also it would be a lovely way to remember Alison, who was a fabulous bell ringer.”

This term, the Guides will be working the badge’s syllabus and Mrs Hallam will be overseeing its design.

The syllabus would include a trip up a church tower as one of Mrs Regan’s last trips with the girls was a visit to a bell tower where they saw bells being rung.

Mrs Hallam said it would not be as strict as the previous bellringer badge, removed in 1994, which involved girls having to spend months becoming a bell ringer.

Instead it could include making bell shaped biscuits, origami or older members in the Trefoil Guild visiting a pub with the word ‘bell’ in for lunch. Mrs Regan’s three children Catherine, 14, William, 12 and Nicola, 11, have been involved in the plans for the new badge.

Their father Mark Regan said: “Alison was a brilliant bellringer who was committed to supporting Girl Guides in Worcester.

“This badge in her memory will have a practical purpose by connecting bellringing and silent cancers in women which will create better awareness, understanding and, I hope, lead to early diagnosis.

“That’s a really good thing for Catherine, William and Nicola when they remember their mum.”