Laura Crane Trust helped by Stephen Gately signed programme

Oct 23 2009 By Emma Davison

Charity helped by late singer

A CHARITY is hoping a programme signed by late singer Stephen Gately will help boost their bid to help young cancer patients.

The Laura Crane Trust is holding a prize auction at its Halloween Ball at the end of the month.

The star item will be a programme from Boyzone’s 2009 Better major arena tour, which was signed by all the members of the Irish boy band.

It was donated to the charity a few weeks ago, just before 33-year-old Stephen’s tragic death on October 10.

Now the Huddersfield-based charity are hoping that at least some good can come out of the singer’s death by helping their bid to fund research into cancers affecting young people.

Pam Thornes, fundraising manager at the trust, said: “Stephen – and the rest of the band – did quite a bit for charity.

“He was only in his 30s when he died, but I think that if some good can come from this it is the fact that it’s going to help make a real difference to other young people.

“We’re now hoping to forge a great link with Boyzone and perhaps work with them on projects in the future.”

The full colour souvenir programme, features pictures and details of what was to be the band’s last tour together.

The programme was given to the charity by a man who worked with the stars on the tour.

Pam said: “A couple of weeks ago I met this chap and told him about the charity, he told me he’d done work with Boyzone and had a signed programme he could give to support us.