Champion of charity dies from cancer.

Byline: By Paul James 

A charity campaigner who pioneered support for children in the North-East has died from cancer after a brave nine-month fight.

Joy Higginson, director of Children North East, died on Monday, aged 56, hours after returning from her final holiday with her husband Tony Follows.

Among the projects she launched were RAFT, the first support network for families in rural Northumberland, and Fathers Plus, which focuses on the importance of the region's dads.

Diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas in March, she refused to bow down to the disease, and continued with her public speaking and fundraising commitments to the very end.

Just seven hours after arriving back from New Zealand with Tony, a retired sales manager, she died peacefully in her sleep at home.

Colleagues last night spoke of their sadness that Joy, of Thornbrough, near Corbridge, was not able to finish her work and are hoping to create a permanent memorial to her.

She led a team at Children North East that supports around 7,000 families a year in the region, and was also chair of the Community Foundation serving Tyne & Wear and Northumberland and chair of the National Council of Voluntary Child Care Organisations.

Tom Adams, deputy director of Children North East, last night said: "It has been a very difficult year for us, but Joy coped with it in typical fashion.

"She remained very upbeat throughout her illness was still attending fundraising events.

"She's been a tremendous battler. It epitomises the way she approached her work. She was very creative, very funny, and had a lot of vision. She will be very sadly missed in the social care world in the region, nationally and internationally."

After completing her training in Durham and Newcastle, she devoted her life to community work across the country, settling back in the North-East in 1991 Children North East director.

George Hepburn, chief executive of the Community Foundation, said: "She worked in the voluntary sector for over 30 years and was one of the most respected people in the country's childcare movement.

"She tackled her treatment with huge grit and determination. She chaired our AGM in October and was determined to get up and speak. Joy was an inspiring leader who also had a great sense of humour, which shone through even over these last nine months. She had a lot more to give, and it's very sad she couldn't see through the rest of her career."