A MOTHER-of-two and the former face of a British Heart Foundation campaign has joined a charity to provide weddings for terminally ill couples.

Alexandra Ellis, 24, began her own wedding venture, The Bride’s Maid, which sees her travelling to wedding venues across the North-East to dress brides-to-be on their big day.

And now Ms Ellis is providing her services for free to the Somerset-based Wedding Wishing Well Foundation which works to give “dream weddings” to brides or grooms with life-limiting or terminal illnesses.

Business owner Ms Ellis said: “I used to work at Poppy Bridal, on Duke Street (in Darlington), and there was a gap in the market that I noticed, but two kids later and I’ve been able to finally start The Bride’s Maid.

“Often brides and girls at proms will struggle getting into their dresses and gowns as they’re very intricate and sometimes difficult to put on, especially the corset types.

"Now I'll be giving those services for free after being named as an official supplier for the Wedding Wishing Well Foundation that helps organise and fund wedding days for terminally ill people.

“I give my services for free because it is such an amazing cause and I think charity is so important.”

The entrepreneur, who lives in Newton Morell, a farming hamlet near Darlington, is also the chairman of Darlington’s British Heart Foundation group.

The mother-of-two underwent a series of life-saving heart surgeries growing up and was key to raising more than £92,000 to buy a heart scanner for Darlington Memorial Hospital in 2009.

She added: “I am very proud to be announced as a supplier for the foundation. Wedding days are meant to be perfect, but sometimes people are thrown into tragic circumstances.

“Hopefully more suppliers from the North-East region will get involved too as they’re always looking for as much help as possible.

“The foundation already has some well-known patrons who support the cause and I’m very happy to be a part of it.”

Ms Ellis was chosen to lead the BHF’s Help a Heart campaign as a 16-year-old which saw her combining photoshoots and television interviews with revision for her GCSEs at Carmel College.

The national charity called on Ms Ellis to front their cause after she endured major surgeries to rectify an atrial septal defect – a condition which occurs when no wall separates two chambers of the heart.

For more information on the Wedding Wishing Well Foundation, visit weddingwishingwell.org.uk