AFTER 20 years in PR, Margot Raggett reassessed her life, sold her successful company, and was ready to follow her passion – African wildlife photography and conservation.
But, just as she was about to launch her first big project, she was hit with a bombshell – a cancer diagnosis.
“At 9am, I was closing the successful campaign to fund a conservation book about elephants. At 9pm, I was told I had breast cancer. It was a horrible shock and very frightening,” said Margot.
However, she decided to press on with her plans and, while in treatment, produced the first in her series of coffee table books called Remembering Wildlife.
Ten years on, Margot, is still clear of cancer, has 10 wildlife books under her belt, and has raised £1.3 million towards 80 conservation projects in 34 countries. In 2023, she was awarded an MBE.
Grateful for the life-saving treatment she had, Margot is now about to take on another challenge closer to home – Cancer Research UK’s Shine Night Walk, a 10k overnight walk around London’s iconic sights.
Margot, from Putney, south London, said: “I was diagnosed on 23 September 2015 and Shine is on 20 September 2025, three days before my 10th anniversary of my diagnosis – that date is burned in my head – so it seemed right that I do it.”
She has enlisted a group of girlfriends who helped get her through her diagnosis and treatment, to walk with her. And to make it an international event, friends in Australia and South Africa are also doing their own version of Shine in solidarity with her.
The first signs of Margot’s illness emerged when she was in Greece and felt a lump in her breast. She was confident it was a cyst but paid for an ultrasound to be sure. However, a doctor told her he could feel two lumps – a cancer hiding behind a cyst.
Now in her early 50s, she admits she knew little about cancer before she was diagnosed.
“I was slightly naïve. I thought people didn’t die of breast cancer any more. I didn’t know how big my lump was or how advanced it was. My head was spinning,” she said.
“I wobbled briefly but then I decided to press on with making the book. It would be a welcome distraction to focus on my passion for elephants and no matter what happened, however bad it was, I would have time to finish it.”
She underwent two lumpectomy operations and radiotherapy treatment.
“I was lucky. I didn’t feel poorly – I still felt normal. I got away lightly when I knew others were going through much more taxing times than me. And of course, some are no longer here, which is heart-breaking.”
Margot ran a very successful PR company for 20 years but after selling her shares in it, she reignited her love for wildlife photography and spent time working in the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. But an incident in which a young elephant was killed by poachers, prompted her to change course.
“I was enraged, apoplectic with anger at this pointless killing,” she said.
The incident spurred her into amalgamating her PR skillset and her passion for wildlife, and she set about driving change.
She started a Kickstarter fund to finance her first book about elephants, drawing together stunning photography from some of the world’s best wildlife photographers, presented in a glossy coffee table book, with all profits going to conservation projects.
Since then, nine more have followed, each about a different animal, taking her to from Malawi, Zambia, Ethiopia, Namibia and Mozambique, and most recently to Brazil.
She was originally inspired by David Attenborough – who sent her a note, encouraging her to start the Wildlife Remembered project – and along the way her books have won many other fans, including actors Ricky Gervais, Russell Crowe, Michelle Pfeiffer and Pierce Brosnan, Chris Martin of Coldplay and cricketer Kevin Pietersen.
Margot said: “I truly believe that if it hadn’t been for all the years of research, breast cancer survival rates would not have improved as they have, and I would not be here now.
“I never, ever take life for granted now. My annual mammogram is always a roller coaster. Taking part in the Shine Night Walk feels like paying it forward.”
The Shine Night Walk is an inspirational night-time fundraising event for Cancer Research UK.
Walkers, dressed in day-glow clothes, light sticks and fairy lights, will brighten London’s dark streets, symbolically bringing light to the dark days of cancer.
Margot knows the importance of raising money to fund more life-saving discoveries and breakthroughs, and is urging fellow Londoners to join her, helping to beat cancer one stride at a time.
“This event isn’t about finishing first. It doesn’t matter if people power walk or pace themselves – every step counts. It’s about raising money for research that could bring hope to thousands of people like me,” she said.
“I’ve got friends on the other side of the world that have signed up to do their own version of Shine and I’d love it if others would come and join the London one with me and my team.”
Margot added: “In London around 37,000 people are diagnosed with cancer every year.* Taking part in Shine Night Walk could help researchers unlock new and better ways to beat it. I hope my story will inspire others to step up and get involved.”
Starting at Battersea Park at 7.40pm, the Shine route takes in some of London’s most loved landmarks, from the Houses of Parliament, Shakespeare’s Globe and Tower Bridge to St Paul’s Cathedral, Buckingham Palace and historic museums like the Victoria and Albert, the Natural History and Science Museum.
It’s thanks to the fundraising efforts of supporters like Margot that Cancer Research UK was able to spend over £156 million in London alone last year, including:
• Understanding how lung cancer evolves to help personalise treatment.
• Using artificial intelligence to improve therapy for sarcoma.
• Trialling aspirin as a cancer treatment.
• Investigating how kidney cancers evolve.
• Finding the right treatment combination for prostate cancer.
Shine participants can choose to support work into the cancer type closest to their hearts, such as prostate, bowel, lung or breast cancer, or simply give to where the need is greatest.
Cancer Research UK spokesperson for London, Lynn Daly, said: “Our scientists have helped to double cancer survival in the UK in the last 50 years. We’ve led the development of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, paved the way for targeted treatments and improved the way we use surgery to tackle cancer.
But, with nearly 1 in 2 people set to be diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime,*** we can’t stop there. So, we’re grateful to Margot and her friends for helping to raise vital awareness.
“Our vision is a world where everybody lives longer, better lives free from the fear of cancer and money raised through events like Shine Night Walk is critical to making this a reality. Whether people walk for loved ones, for future generations or with friends, they’ll be helping to power more progress. September 20 is London’s moment to shine.”
People can also show their support by volunteering on the night. From helping to set up the course to guiding participants around the city, there are lots of opportunities to get involved, meet new people and learn new skills.
To enter or volunteer visit shinewalk.org
