Evening Standard 28 August 2002

Thank you Diana
Five years after her death, the lives changed by the memorial fund

Ten people who have triumphed over adversity were today recognised for their achievements. The individuals from all over the country have all benefited from the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund which next week will celebrate its fifth anniversary.

Among those recognised was 25-year-old Lizzie Emeh from Ladbroke Grove. Lizzie belongs to the Heart'n Soul club, which has been given £123,140 from the fund to help its work encouraging people to use creative expression to overcome their learning disabilities.

She said: "I was told by Heart'n Soul that if I had a dream I should never let it go. I was given encouragement and told that I could achieve whatever I wanted. The Diana memorial fund has brought out uniqueness in a lot of people

The picture above shows how Princess Diana's legacy of caring is continuing five years after her death. It shows a group of 11 youngsters who have all benefited through the fund set up in her memory, the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, to help the charities she felt passionate about.

Number 4 is Lizzie Emeh, 25
Lizzie cannot read or write, due to learning difficulties, but has a wonderful singing voice. She was spotted by the arts organisation Heart'n Soul and has since been helped to tour Europe. The group, in Deptford, South-East London, received £123,140 to help younsters overcome their problems through creative expression. Lizzie, from Notting Hill, hopes to be able one day to write down her own songs - and duet with Luther Vandross.

The memorial planned for Princess Diana has come in for a lot of criticism, but her real legacy was revealed yesterday.

Almost five years to the day that she died, 10 young people from disadvanged backgrounds revealed how their lives have been transformed by the charity which bears her name.

The group ranged from a jazz singer with learning difficulties to a teenrager who suffered from depression and is now training as a nurse and an autistic lad who is looking forward to getting a job.

Among them was Lizzie Emeh, 25, who revealed how she became a successful singer after joining Heart'n Soul, a charity for people with learning difficulties.