by NICOLE LAMPERT

Stanmore charity, Aspire, is to benefit from Princess Diana's Memorial Fund.

The spinal injuries charity, based in Brockley Hill, was one of just over 100 of the Princess's favourite charities to benefit from the first wave of grants from the £40 million fund. It is not yet known how much the charity will receive.

It is not yet known how much the charity -- which Princess Diana was a patron of until her withdrawal from public life -- will actually get, but it has submitted an application for £50,000.

A spokeswoman for the the Memorial Fund, which is distributing £19 million in the first share-out, said it has not decided how much each charity would get.

"We will be working with the charity to put together a viable proposal," she said.

But the charity is likely to be one of the 100 charities which will have to share £5million between them.

Aspire administrator Gaye Rose, who had not been told about the funding until the Times Series told her the news, said: "Obviously we are delighted about any support we receive from the fund. We have applied for support for our national training centre, which is something the Princess of Wales was particularly interested in.

"Members of Aspire gave the Princess a private briefing on the centre before building work had even started and she indicated a willingness to come and open it.

"Any money we get will be used to help the start up running costs of the centre, which is officially opened in September."

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