A YOUNG mother who achieved worldwide fame when she stepped in to help a disabled pensioner has revealed ambitious plans for her biggest fund raising challenge to date.

Katie Cutler has revealed she is launching her own charitable foundation and hopes to raise £1m by September.

The 21-year-old beautician was moved by the story of disabled Alan Barnes, who was mugged as he went to his wheelie bin outside his home in Gateshead.

She set up an online fund-raising page hoping to raise £500 to help the frail 67-year-old move to a new home.

But within three weeks, the total topped £330,000 as support flooded in from generous well-wishers around the world.

She has since gone on to help buy a specialised wheelchair for Kacie Martin, a disabled two-year-old from Wallsend, and a

motorised scooter for Barnsley mother-of-three Danielle Rowland, who suffers from Ehlers–Danlos syndrome.

Miss Cutler, from Greenside in Gateshead, said: “Now it’s time for my biggest fund raising challenge ever.

“By raising £1m, I can continue to help lots of other less fortunate people through acts of kindness.”

She hopes to raise the money, enough to help 20 deserving cases, within just five months and has already set up the website www.katiecutlerfoundation.co.uk to get the ball rolling.

Details of the charitable foundation are expected to be announced at a press conference in a Tyneside hotel on Thursday, just hours after the 25-year-old who mugged Mr Barnes is sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court.

Meanwhile, Miss Cutler had another reason to celebrate after winning the Beautician of the Year title at the English Hair and Beauty Awards held in Manchester on Sunday.

Miss Cutler said she was “thrilled” to win the title and added: “I’m so over the moon”.