Megan’s charity set for first celebration
The first fundraiser is set to be held for a charity launched in the name of a teenager who lost her life at the T in the Park music festival.
Megan Bell’s family and friends are setting up a fund which will offer counselling to loved ones who lose a child, with a second team to financially support those faced with finding the cash to pay for a funeral of a youngster.
Megan’s Rainbow Support Group is being headed up by her grandmother Jenny Bell, who was pushed to take action when Megan’s parents Chris, 44, and Lisa, 42, and her siblings Jenny, eight, and Maddy, 10, and brother Josh, 12, faced travelling to Hartlepool for support after the 17-yearold died last July while attending the popular festival, held at Strathallan Castle, in Perthshire, Scotland.
Seven months on, the family say they are still waiting for an appointment with a counsellor.
Tomorrow will see the first event held to kick off the appeal. It takes place at Dawdon Social Welfare Club, in Mount Stewart Street, Dawdon, from 7pm.
Laura Ward, who is working on the fundraisers with fellow family friend Gillian Graham, said: “I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who is supporting it, it has been phenomenal.
“There was no support for Chris and Lisa available when it first happened and there still isn’t now, but this support group is going to help people just like them.”
The night will feature singer Trudy Oswald and JJ’s disco and karaoke, with a raffle and auction filled with donations lined up.
Prizes included a £250 tattoo voucher, botox vouchers, tickets to the Sunderland AFC v Swansea match at the Stadium of Light, takeaway vouchers for Holy Smokes in Sunderland and tickets to Sunderland Dog track.
Entry on the door is £5 for adults, £3 for children.
A live music event will be held on the Terrace Green in Megan’s home town of Seaham on Saturday, June 10, to help boost the charity’s funds.
A review into Megan’s inquest will be heard by the County Durham coroner in Crook on Monday.
A hearing earlier this year was told a report by Police Scotland was due, while the opening session heard traces of the drug known as ecstasy was found in her system.
Her family has said the former St Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy student was not a drug user.
“This support group is going to help people just like them” LAURA WARD