Six people who prove the North East has a big heart
The North East of England has the highest rate of unemployment and the lowest average salaries in the UK.
But when it comes to giving, the people of the North East have hearts bigger than their pockets.
Psychologist Dr Joan Harvey of Newcastle University puts it down to one thing: regional pride. From Berwick to Teesside, from Sir Bobby Robson to Tony the Fridge, she says people of the North East will look after their own.
But whatever the reason, we found six people (in no particular order) who prove the North East is full of local heroes.
1. Katie Cutler and Alan Barnes
Alan Barnes is 67 years old, only 4 feet 6 inches tall and partially sighted, but that did not stop a man from attacking him outside his own home, pushing him to the ground and breaking his collarbone.
Katie Cutler had never met him, but she was moved by his story and set up a fundraising page to help him with the costs of moving house. Within four days, it had reached 23,000 people and raised an astonishing £314,000. (Click here for latest figure)
2. Tony the Fridge
Tony Phoenix-Morrison, from Jarrow, is known as Tony the Fridge, because he runs endurance marathons with a 42kg fridge strapped to his back.
He has raised tens of thousands of pounds for cancer charities and won a Pride of Britain award in 2014, for which he was nominated by ITV News Tyne Tees viewers.
Next he is planning to run across the United States of America - with his fridge.
3. Sir Bobby Robson
It was the former Newcastle United and England manager Sir Bobby's final goal to raise half a million pounds for cancer research.
He thought it would take years, but the big-hearted people of the North East handed over a cheque for that amount within seven weeks.
Since his death his foundation has continued his work. In March 2014 the total raised passed £7m.
4. Run Geordie Run
Charity runner Mark Allison, from Newcastle, is known as Run Geordie Run. He has raised more than £200,000 for good causes, mostly charities based in the North East.
He has taken on a 20,000 mile challenge to circumnavigate the world, through 24 countries. He will do the run in stages - he has already run across the US and Australia - and is due to complete it in 2024.
5. Children's Heart Unit Foundation (CHUF)
Parents of patients have raised nearly £400,000 for the Children's Heart Unit at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.
Two major fundraisers, Ivan and Nadine Hollingsworth, began raising awareness of the unit after their son Seb was treated there in 2009.
About 300 babies and small children have heart surgery there every year - and many more are treated as outpatients. Among other things, the foundation has recently opened a state-of-the-art playroom to make their stay a little easier.
6. Great North Runners
Last year, Tracey Cramond, from Darlington, became the millionth runner to finish the Great North Run. Like many of the million before her, she was taking on the race as a personal challenge, to raise money for charity - in her case, a local hospice.
There's also the Junior Great North Run - last year 6,000 children finished the fun run on Tyneside, many raising funds for leukaemia research.