Beth Mead says it is not easy talking about what happened to her late mother June, who died from cancer in January 2023, but she is willing to share her experience in the hope that it can help others.

"I know my mum would have wanted me to do that. Perspective is a very interesting thing for me in life now. How can I help people? How I can be as a person?" she told BBC Sport.

"I'd like to think my mum would be very proud of the person I am."

The Arsenal and England winger is supporting a new public health campaign which aims to help eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.

"My mum passed away from ovarian cancer, which was her primary cancer, but she also had cervical cancer as well," Mead explained.

"I think it's a treatable cancer but obviously people don't get checked enough. Hopefully [with this campaign] we can make a real difference."

June Mead was diagnosed with cancer in 2021. Against the backdrop of her mother's illness, Beth won numerous team and individual honours - including best player and top scorer at Euro 2022. Shortly before June died, Beth was recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

The 29-year-old said: "I came home after my ACL surgery and spent a precious month with my mum but, ultimately, I had an injury that I could come back from. My mum didn't. It changed how I looked at life."

NHS England aims to eliminate cervical cancer in the next 15 years with the use of cervical screening and the HPV vaccine.

The campaign called 'defend your tomorrow' will be marked at Sunday's north London derby. The Women's Super League game is being shown live on the BBC, and will aim to raise awareness of the disease being potentially preventable.

More than 50,000 tickets have been sold for the visit of Tottenham to Emirates Stadium. Arsenal are third in the Women's Super League, 10 points behind leaders Chelsea with nine games remaining, while Spurs are sixth, a further 10 points adrift.

Mead said there was a growing rivalry between the two sides.

"The history isn't quite there, but the feistiness, the competitiveness is starting to build," Mead said.

"Obviously the men's games have had that history for a long time, and now we're trying to build our own history."

Although refusing to give up on winning the WSL title, Mead said the priority this season is getting into the Champions League places.

"Right now, that is our ultimate goal," she added.