Can the people of the North-East come together to give our children a better start in life?

Health Editor Barry Nelson explains the goals of The Tenner Campaign, which is launched today.

THE Yellow Brick Road Campaign - which transformed children's health services in the Newcastle area - was one of the most successful fund-raising drives in the North-East.

But now the child health charity set up by the Yellow Brick Road Campaign - The Children's Foundation - is hoping to get the whole region behind a new and even more ambitious plan.

If it succeeds the new Tenner Campaign could make a significant difference to the health of children right across the region.

Apart from improving facilities for children in a number of North-East hospitals, the campaign will build up a fighting fund for research into the most pressing health problems facing North-East children. It will also aim to create 'partnership programmes' with organisations across the region that will tackle the key health and lifestyle issues affecting North-East youngsters such as smoking, excercise and obesity, mental health, disability and accident reduction.

Carol Botten, communication director with the Children's Foundation, says: "We need people to realise just how bad children's health is here in the NorthEast and how that has a huge impact on employment prospects, education and the wider economy. Then we need them to back the Tenner Campaign."

The organisers hope that masses of people across the North-East will put their hands in their pockets and come up with £10 a year or £10 over ten years to help raise a total of £10m.

Because of the nature of the appeal, the organisers will be hoping that many North-East schoolchildren will help to raise £10 a year to help other youngsters.

To carry on the 'ten' theme, the intention is to improve facilities for children in ten North-East hospitals, including smaller centres such as Darlington Memorial Hospital.

It is now ten years since the Yellow Brick Road-funded Sir James Spence Institute for Child Health was opened at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

The Tyneside hospital is where the most seriously ill children in the region are referred for highly specialised treatment. Newcastle is also the centre for much ground-breaking research into childhood illnesses.

During the last decade teams of researchers at the Institute - named after a North-East expert who pioneered child health research 60 years ago- have been involved in significant advances in children's cancers, causes of childhood illnesses, autism and childhood brain injuries.

The Children's Fund also funded the world's first mini-dialysis machine for tiny premature babies.

Since it was founded those working at the Institute have attracted tens of millions of pounds in grants for specialist research projects.

The university department of child health which works closely with the Institute publishes more than 100 scientific papers every year and is responsible for teaching 380 medical students.

Dr Stephen Singleton, currently medical director of the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Strategic Health Authority and new chairman of the Children's Foundation, believes passionately that a revolution in children's health in the region could be achieved - if there is enough support from the people of the North-East.

"There is no reason why we can't have the healthiest children with the best outlook in the country. If we all pull together, we can do this, " says Dr Singleton.

"From the North Yorkshire moors up to Berwick our children do suffer worse health and in some areas, the worst health in the country."

Although the Children's Foundation has its headquarters Newcastle, Dr Singleton is very keen to stress that the Tenner Campaign is aimed at benefiting the entire region.

"There is no sense in the charity's mind that we are Newcastle-focused.

Clearly a lot of effort has gone into setting up a research institute in Newcastle but that is partially because Newcastle is the tertiary centre where very sick children with complex illnesses are referred to from other North-East hospitals and partly because that is where the world class researchers are based, " he adds.

"To make a difference to child health we need to do the highest quality research. We have got to attract the best researchers to the North-East because that then has a knock-on effect on local services. We want people to support a North-East children's charity that generates world class research that helps children all over the world."

Apart from encouraging research, the Tenner Campaign also wants to act as a back-up resource for the whole region.

"The Children's Foundation has got expertise in developing networks. When people are asking how we can work together better, then we might be able to put some money to help. Maybe we can fund the first meeting. The idea is to prime the pump then look for specific projects to support."

This expertise could be used to help grass-roots community organisations to attract lottery funds and other sources of incomes.

"We also have fund-raising expertise.

We have the knowledge and the contacts.

We can tell you who you need to approach and we will even help you to fill the forms in, " he adds.

The Tenner Campaign is due to be launched today at the Children's Foundation AGM.

The aim is to raise £1m a year for ten years - a £10m campaign to create a solid foundation for children and young people's health in the region.

Every child in the North-East will be asked to raise £10 per year to help other North-East children and encourage their schools, youth groups, parents and grandparents to support them.

Staff from the Children's Foundation plan to systematically visit North-East schools to deliver health messages - using characters from the Wizard of Oz - explaining why their health is so important and then encourage them to raise funds for the Tenner Campaign. Children will be invited to sign pledge certificates and the wider population of the NorthEast will be asked to sign up to regular donations via standing order or through payroll giving.

The ultimate aim - as Dr Singleton says - is to transform child health in the region from the worst to the best in the country.