A mother-of-two who was widowed when her ex-journalist husband died of cancer aged 44 is hoping to win an award which was established in his memory.

Alan Burgess was newspaper sales director of the Lancashire Evening Post, Wigan Evening Post and Chorley Guardian when he died in November 2003.

An award was later established in his memory to be presented to the journalism student with the best portfolio at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston.

Now his widow Alma Stewart-Burgess, left, who is studying to become a journalist at the college after deciding to follow in her late husband’s footsteps, is hoping to win it.

“Although I worked at the LEP for four years, where we met, I was a junior advert feature writer with no real career progression,” says Alma.

“Last September, I decided to follow in Alan’s footsteps and train to be a journalist.

“I am studying for a postgraduate diploma in newspaper journalism and am determined to win Alan’s award for best student journalist at UCLan where the course is based.

“I’m not sure when the winner of Alan’s award will be revealed, but I am going to try my hardest for it to be me!”

Alma’s portfolio includes a regular beauty column for the LEP, a Chorley and Leyland Guardian obituaries supplement entitled Gone But Not Forgotten, and regular guest slots on BBC Radio Lancashire.

As well as her newspaper and radio outlets, Alma also keeps a news blog entitled Preston Front Page, posting as The Merry Widow. It can be found at www.almasb.blogspot.com

Alan, right, began his newspaper career in 1979 at the Hull Daily Mail as a reporter. He moved to Preston in 1983 to join the LEP, progressing from senior reporter to education correspondent to news editor and finally features ediitor before moving into newspaper sales.

His and Alma’s second child Lake, now four, was born posthumously in 2004, several months after his death.