TEENAGER Tally Green wanted to ensure that her father’s name and memory lived on after his untimely and premature death.

Within weeks of his passing, she had decided to start a charity in his name and create a legacy that would go on to save lives.

Already the Park Street youngster has raised around £1,000 herself out of almost £5,000 raised towards the £10,000 target for the first project.

Now 15-year-old Tally’s dedication and enthusiasm have earned her a nomination for a contest that showcases outstanding young people in Herts.

She has been put forward for Mitsubishi Electric Young People of the Year (YOPEY) with a chance to win up to £800 out of a total of £2,000 to be given away to young people like her who go the extra mile to help others.

Tally, of The Grove, was nominated by Rabbi Leo Dee from the Radlett United Synagogue in Watling Street.

She lost her father Michael last December at the age of 53. He died very suddenly from a heart attack caused by complications from type two diabetes, a condition from which he had suffered for years.

Colleagues at his employer, a serviced office company in north London, wanted to organise a race in his memory and Tally decided in April to start a charity in his memory.

Although Tally and her mum Joanne have just heard that the Michael Green Foundation has been registered as a charity, work to raise awareness of the condition and funds for projects has already produced results.

The first major project is the Michael Green Dietetic Educational Kitchen at Watford General Hospital which will cost £10,000 to equip properly with specialist equipment to educate diabetes patients.

Tally quickly rose to the challenge of organising events to bring in money to the charity’s coffers.

She spoke passionately to two assemblies in her school and was involved in a promotional stand at its summer fair as well as baking and icing more than 300 cakes with her friends which were sold for the charity and selling ice cream on sports day.

She also organised a junior tournament at the Greenwood Park Tennis Club in St Albans, promoting the event and organising a shield for the winners.

Rabbi Dee said: “What is inspiring is that Tally and her mother have encouraged other people to get involved and raise money for the cause. Their enthusiasm is infectious.”

As a result 13-year-old Jamie Wolff, the brother of one of Tally’s best friends, took part in a 5k race and raised more than £1,000 with half of that going to the Michael Green Foundation.

Already the efforts have totalled £5,000 with Tally responsible for around £1,000. Her mother said: “Tally has changed the situation from a big negative to a way of channelling her grief into something positive.”

Tally said she wanted to start the charity not only to raise awareness of how dangerous diabetes was but to do something positive.

She explained: “Once we have raised funds for the kitchen, we will ask doctors at the hospital what they need next and we will work on that. We will raise as much money as we can for a number of projects.

“I think dad would be really happy to know that we have done something to honour his memory and that some good has come out of this situation.”

In addition to Mitsubishi Electric this year’s Herts YOPEY is supported by a number of companies in the county.

There is still time to nominate a young person for a YOPEY award. Log on to yopey.org or write, enclosing an SAE, to YOPEY, Woodfarm Cottage, Bury Road, Stradishall, Newmarket CB8 8YN for a paper entry form before August 14.

For more information on the Michael Green Foundation visit http://www.michaelgreenfoundation.org/