TWO women from Basingstoke are going on a golden trip across England to raise awareness for their brain aneurysm awareness group Soul Sisters UK.

Michelle Williams, from Hook, and Lisa Slaymaker will embark on an England wide tour, visiting each of the celebratory golden post boxes decorated to honour the gold medallists of London 2012. 

From each post box, Michelle and Lisa will then post a letter to Prime Minister David Cameron, urging him to support and introduce a Brain Aneurysm Awareness Day.

The pair met after The Gazette published Michelle’s story on her experience of having a ruptured brain aneurysm, which led to the 47-year-old business owner requiring life-saving surgery.

Lisa’s mother passed away in 2012 after suffering with a similar condition and she contacted Michelle to praise her fighting spirit.

“Together, with the help of all other brain aneurysm victims, survivors and their families and friends, we wish to raise more awareness about the sudden onset symptoms of brain aneurysms so that more lives can be saved,” Michelle said.

“In January 2016, I was suddenly struck down and could have died – I was one of the lucky ones.”

Ruptured brain aneurysms are fatal in approximately 40 per cent of cases with almost 500,000 deaths worldwide cause by the condition. 

Symptoms of brain aneurysms include headaches or pains behind or above the eye, dilated pupils and blurred or double vision. 

Soul Sisters UK is looking to gather 100,000 signatures for its petition calling for a Brain Aneurysm Awareness Day.

Their challenge of visiting all 81 post boxes dotted around the country begins tomorrow when they will visit the first golden post box – which belongs to Penzance born rower Helen Glover. 

Then during the summer they will visit the rest, taking a campervan out in August to visit the remaining boxes. 

To support their campaign, you can sign the petition at petition.parliament.uk/petitions/122684. 

You can also learn more about their campaign and how it began at soulsistersuk.com.