TEENAGERS wrote and performed their own songs for a charity event in memory of one of their friends.

A live music night at the Tuned In venue in Redcar, called Can U? was the latest event to raise money in memory of East Cleveland teenager Georgina Anderson, who lost her battle with cancer last year.

More than £40,000 has been raised since the Marske teenager died. She became well-known after a video of her singing went across the Internet, being tweeted by celebrities including Cheryl Cole, while she was fighting her illness.

Young people aged between 13 and 18 took part in the charity event on Friday, writing and performing songs to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust. They worked with Allan Hyslop, a community musician at the Unviersity of Sunderland and the lead singer of the band Kosoti, and musicians from The Sage in Gateshead, to pen their own songs and perform them for the first time.

Mr Hyslop said: “It’s great to see the development and creative spark in young people. It’s nice to see them all clocking and finding their own way.”

Can U? is a regular event at Tuned In and was set up by The Sage in 2002 to provide opportunities for youngsters to compose their own music. Friday’s event was a special one to raise funds.

Georgina herself sang in the studio at Tuned In before she died – and it was the last time she was able to sing.