Selfless work of two Northumberland residents who have dedicated their lives to helping others is captured in song for BBC Radio 2

The feature aims to capture the essence of life in the North East through the creation of folk songs about the lives of five people from across the region.

One of those to feature is Delyth Raffell, from Blyth, who lost her teenage daughter, Ellen, at the age of 16, to anaphylaxis – an acute allergic reaction.

The tragic incident led Delyth and her family to set up a charity in her memory, Ellen’s Gift of Hope, to support other children who face challenges due to health issues.

The song, She Speaks In Colours, was inspired by Delyth and Ellen’s story, and penned and performed by Oxfordshire singer-songwriter Thea Gilmore.

Thea wrote the song after meeting Delyth and hearing about “her extraordinary daughter and the pain and purpose that inspires the charity”.

Delyth featured on Monday’s episode of The One Show, showing the moment Thea performed her song to her for the very first time.

Thea said: “It was such an honour to be a part of the 21st Century Folk project. I don’t think I have ever felt such a responsibility as a songwriter to capture a person and a mood as I did with this song.

"It has been a privilege to listen to Delyth and her family remember Ellen. It has been a privilege to try to do justice to Ellen’s life in song.”

Another local hero to feature is Katie Toner, from Northumberland, who has overcome her own challenges of autism and ADHD to dedicate her life to helping children with neurodiverse conditions.

As a child, Katie found it difficult to attend children’s parties and has used her own experience to “create experiences that all children can enjoy”, including parties and sleepovers.

Katie’s song, A Dream For You, was created by Cornish singer-songwriter Angeline Morrison, who recently performed on BBC Two’s Later with Jools Holland.

The music is performed by Northumberland band The Unthanks.

Angeline said: “Katie is so friendly, confident and warm. She’s just a fantastic person. I was really struck by the way she goes into schools and shows children that neurodivergent people come in all different forms, and there’s no one way of being neurodivergent.”

The project was launched in February 2022 by presenter Mark Radcliffe and the songs can be heard for the first time today.

Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2, said: “Radio 2’s commitment to specialist music makes us unique in the UK radio landscape, and I’m hugely proud of 21st Century Folk, which has originated five beautiful new songs. I’d like to thank our wonderful contributors for sharing their stories and the talented songwriters and composers who’ve brought them to life.”

The three remaining songs feature Andrea Bell, who founded The Sunderland Community Soup Kitchen, Sunderland foyboatman Michael Dodds, and Dr Ifti Lone, a GP working in Middlesbrough.

The stories are available on BBC Sounds from Monday January 9 and will be broadcast in 21st Century Folk on Radio 2, 8pm - 10pm on Sunday, January 15.

Each contributor and their songwriter will also feature on this week’s BBC Radio 2 Jeremy Vine show.