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THE Katie Trust was launched in May 1999 by the friends and family of Katie Neal who died two months earlier, at the age of just six, after a brave battle against a brain tumour.

Patron: Tom Neal, Katie's brother (pictured above) is the patron of the Trust and is at Rye Hills School in Redcar.

Chairman: Martin Neal ~ Katie's dad and a sports journalist with the Evening Gazette in Middlesbrough.

Secretary: Phil Maidens ~ Katie's next-door neighbour and assistant head of Sacred Heart RC School in Redcar.

Treasurer: Debbie Neal ~ Katie's mum and a teacher at Sacred Heart RC School in Redcar.

Trustee: Dawn Moody ~ Long-time family friend and primary school teacher in Bradford, West Yorkshire.

Trustee: Jim Budd ~ Katie's uncle and a transportation consultant in Manchester.

Trustee: Sue Budd ~ Katie's auntie and a neo-natal midwife at St Mary's Hospital in Manchester.

Trustee: Sue Maidens ~ Katie's next-door neighbour and assistant head of High Tunstall School in Hartlepool.

THE Katie Trust is run entirely by unpaid volunteers and sponsorship deals and grants ensure that every penny donated to us will be used to further our charitable aims.

Funds are raised in a variety of ways. Past events we have organised include abseils from the Tyne Bridge; an auction of sporting and showbiz memorabilia; sportsman's dinner; movie premiere; comedy night; tenpin bowling challenge; coffee mornings; spring fair and much more.

We have also benefited from sponsored events organised by others to raise money for The Katie Trust. Among those was a sponsored walk up Roseberry Topping by West Redcar Community School teenagers Nicola Ward, Amy Harland, Laura Blythe and Jade Connolly in August 2003. The girls all dressed as fairies and are pictured (right).

THE Great North Run is always a big occasion and a big fund-raiser for The Katie Trust.

In 2003 we had a team of 30 taking part in the world's biggest half-marathon from Newcastle to South Shields including the gorgeous (!) Jim Budd (above left), Martin Neal (centre) and Chris Ackers (right).

Chairman Martin Neal and trustee Jim Budd took part dressed as fairies and we enjoyed a pre-race pasta party at La Villa in Queen Street, Redcar, the night before. We have collected more than £8,000 in sponsorship money and hope to raise even more this year.

IT'S a long way up... and a long way down too!

Janet Philo from Redcar is pictured climbing the rigging of the HM Bark Endeavour replica which came to Middlesbrough recently.

The Endeavour was in town as part of Middlesborough's Captain Cook birthday celebrations, and its crew invited adventurous fund-raisers to climb the rigging as a fund-raising venture.

Janet, from Redcar, and Sue Cammish, from Middlesbrough, took part to raise cash for The Katie Trust

A CHARITY rugby match between the Teesside Barbarians and host club Billingham RUFC raised more than £1,200 on Saturday, May 8th. The teams, officials, cheerleaders and KT chairman Martin neal are pictured above.

The match featured a Teesside Barbarians select team put together by rugby aficionado and BBC Radio commentator Bob Deans and skippered by Stockton's Alan 'The Sheriff' Brown, containing players from Teesside's top clubs.

A large and generous crowd were treated to an entertaining game and further funds were raised by a highly popular raffle and the auction of a pair of tickets to see Leicester Tigers v the Barbarians at Welford Road next year.

The Katie Trust would like to thank Bob Deans, Peter Griffiths, John Moore, Keith Blenkinsopp, Colin Wakenshaw, both sets of players, the officials, spectators and everyone at Billingham RUFC for their enthusiasm, hard work, generosity and support.

ALL sorts of wild and wacky events have been organised and staged to raise money for The Katie Trust.

    Amy Parker and Francis Jones - Katie's two best best friends - joined seven of their other pals for a sponsored walk along the coast from Redcar to Marske in summer 2004.

    And the word 'joined' really is appropriate here... because the group did the walk while tied together at the ankles!

    The Katie Trust is most grateful for their efforts.

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