Our inspiration as a charity is an incredible little girl called Joanne Gillespie

In 1989 a National Children of Courage Award was made to a young girl from the North East called Joanne Gillespie. Joanne, who was 11, had endured two major operations and fought back against a recurring brain tumour.

In order to help other children who would go through such experiences Joanne turned her diary of her recovery into a book. It was published in 1989 under the title ‘Brave Heart”

It immediately received public acclaim as an inspiration to other sick children and their families. It led not only to the National Children of Courage Award, but also to Joanne being presented, in the spring of 1989, with a Northern Personality Award.

I first met Joanne in May 1989 when she won the National Children of Courage Award for outstanding human achievement from the Variety Club of Great Britain. By then Joanne had survived 2 operations to remove brain tumours, appeared on Terry Wogan’s chat show and written “Brave Heart” her first book.

Braveheart the book predated Mel Gibson and had no connection with Scotland. It was her story in her own words. Her ‘Braveheart’ was in fact Braveheart Lion, a Care Bear. Another soft toy, ‘Good Luck’ Care Bear, was one of her favorite’s which she took into the operating theatre with her. When she came around after her second operation Good Luck Bear had a bandage on his head, just like hers and a drip connected to a lemonade bottle.

She was a remarkable young lady who made an impact on everyone who met her. Even at that age, she was inspirational, with her poems, her jokes, her writing, dancing, a love of life and care for everyone around her.

Terry Wogan wrote of her saying: “Amid all the glitter and glamour of the guests I met it was the ordinary people - the ones whose courage, bravery and grace under pressure that make them far from ordinary. The youngest of these, and the most remarkable, for her spirit and resilience and sheer will power was a young lady I met in 1988, Joanne Gillespie.”

This statement coincided with my year as Community Service Chairman in Hexham Round Table along with Martin Owen, Alan Booth and Brian Atkinson.

We decided we would try to hold a big event and raise money for children like Joanne. We believed we could raise enough money to send some brave children and their families to Disney World in Florida.

In October 1989 Hexham Round Table held a gala dinner called ‘Brave Hearts of the North East’ at the Mayfair Ballroom in Newcastle where Dire Straits headlined the event and Joanne was our guest of honour. We raised around £35,000 on the night. That would be approximately £107,000 in today’s money.

It became clear that the money raised, which was beyond our wildest dreams, could not be spent by Hexham Round Table and so we decided to set up and form a children’s charity inspired by Joanne and with her blessing.

Mark Knopfler agreed to be our patron when the charity was formed and he remains a great supporter and still our patron today.

So ‘Brave Hearts of the North East’ was born.

I saw the joy and motivation that Joanne had from receiving an award and we have seen how it has motivated and given joy and encouragement to so many deserving children and their families over the years.

I am proud to have worked with all of the many Trustees during the past 34 years who all have contributed to a vibrant and financially sound charity which helps ‘Brave Heart’ children throughout the North of England year on year.

Every penny raised has been spent on the children.

The charity has now helped and given awards to nearly 700 Children since 1989.

Finally, I am delighted and proud that today, all these years on we have such a talented Board of Trustees with different skills capable of taking ‘Brave Hearts of the North East’ forward in the years to come.

Robin Alexander, Trustee