Category: charity

Grace House runner Steven truly is Great!

By on 4th January 2019in charity
Photo from left to right: Matt Wylie MBE and Steven Garrigan

People take part in the Great North Run for a number of different reasons; to get fit, to challenge yourself or to remember someone special. In 2018 Steven Garrigan ran the Great North Run in memory of his Niece Grace Jones, who was the inspiration for Grace House and sadly passed away in September 2017.

Steven wanted to do something for Grace House and his daughter Alisha persuaded him to run the Great North Run to honour the memory of Grace. Along with Alisha and his friend Ian, they signed up and set themselves a target of £1,250, little did they know that they would go on to smash this! Steven raised over £2,300 in the lead up to the event and between the three of them they raised a total of £3,247! Steven admitted he did struggle to find time to train as he works away from home however, he did fit in some last-minute training while he was on holiday in Fuerteventura! This paid off as he completed the run in 2 hours and 15 minutes, crossing the finish line as the Red Arrows flew over South Shields.

To acknowledge this amazing achievement Grace House awarded Steven with a trophy for best fundraiser which was presented to him at Grace House by Matt Wylie MBE.

Victoria Brown, Chief Executive at Grace House said “Steven should be immensely proud of what he has achieved in the name of his Niece Grace. His story is inspiring, and Grace House is extremely grateful for his amazing effort in raising such a fantastic amount of money. Local charities like ourselves rely so much on the passion and commitment of our supporters and we cannot thank Steven and his family enough”

Steven said “Completing the Great North Run I felt a huge amount of emotion, pride and sense of achievement. I couldn’t of done this without all the fantastic support from my family, friends and work colleagues donating such a large amount to such a worthy cause in Grace House, making the whole day and memory of it stay with me forever.”

Entries for the 2019 Simplyhealth Great North Run are now open and if Steven’s story has inspired you, you can sign up and join #TeamGraceHouse now at the link below or email lf@gracehouse.co.uk. https://members.gracehouse.co.uk/events/simplyhealth-great-north-run-2019

Darlington Businesses Volunteer Thousands of Hours to Rejuvenate the Town’s Parks

By on 11th December 2018in charity
Darlington Volunteers

Four Darlington parks have been given a new lease of life after local employees volunteered thousands of hours to improve the green areas.

At the Darlington Cares’ Great Park Auction, which took place in April in partnership with Darlington Borough Council, companies were invited to bid the number of volunteering hours their staff were prepared to commit to one of four parks in Darlington. The highest bidder won the right to work in that particular park.

The four parks auctioned were Eastbourne Park, The Denes, Green Park and North Lodge Park.

In a celebration event at the Theatre Hullabaloo, it was revealed that employees from Darlington Cares’ members Cummins, EE, Darlington Building Society and Capita had delivered over 3,400 volunteering hours.

Representatives from each of the companies attended the volunteering organisation’s event, which commemorated the hard work of the employees.

Darlington Cares’ Director Seth Pearson said: “We were thrilled to see that the original pledge of 2,135.5 employee volunteering hours the firms had committed to has been smashed!

“We can’t thank the companies and the employees enough for all of their hard work and dedication to the parks. We’ve had some fantastic feedback from the community and all four areas lookastonishing.”

The businesses worked alongside their respective park’s Friends groups to develop a project that benefitted the local community. Darlington Borough Council Parks, Allotments and Countryside Ranger, Pippa Smaling and Assistant Parks and Countryside Ranger, Warren Bearpark were also on hand to advise the volunteers.

The volunteers worked on their park throughout the Summer months and an advisory inspection by Northumbria in Bloom Judge Allannah Robinson and Chairman Andrew Jackson also took place.

Andrew said: “These four projects have been coordinated and have improved the network of parks across the whole of Darlington, so it’s made a significant difference to the quality of the parks within the town.

“I’ve noticed a big difference in the parks since our inspection and the local residents have seen what the volunteers have been doing and this has encouraged them to get involved as well, which is brilliant.”

To find out more about Darlington Cares, its projects and volunteering opportunities, visit www.darlingtoncares.co.uk.

Twitter: @darlingtoncares

North East Businesses Hop On Board to Drive Digital Double Decker Crowdfunding Success

By on 28th November 2018in Business, charity
double decker bus

Newcastle-based volunteer group Success4All is converting a double decker bus into a multi-functional digital learning hub thanks to local businesses who hopped on board to help.

Work is underway to transform the London bus into a state-of-the-art learning facility, complete with built-in WiFi, STEM equipment and a café.

Once the conversion is complete, workers at the charity plan to take their range of fun, hands-on activities, such as STEM and computer coding clubs, direct to communities that it otherwise wouldn’t be able to reach.

Following a donation of £30,000 from North East engineering charity Reece Foundation, the group launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise the remaining cash to fund the project.

Long-term supporter of Success4All, Newcastle-based law firm Muckle LLP, was one of several kind-hearted businesses to donate and also reached out to its network of business contacts to help raise awareness of the remaining funds required. Hays Travel and HTL also supported the project and, as the crowdfunding deadline dawned, The Watson Family Charitable Trust generously donated £7,000 to take the charity beyond its target.

Success4All provides safe and relaxed learning spaces, called Learning Hubs, for children and young people living in areas marked by low academic achievement.

Its eight hubs with six STEM and CODE clubs deliver a total of 24 weekly sessions from Monday to Saturday in eight different areas in Newcastle and North Shields for 420 children and young people, with the support of 179 volunteers.

Caroline Afolabi-Deleu, founder and CEO at Success4All, said: “We’re so grateful to all the businesses and individuals that have supported us in our drive to convert the bus.

“Our strategy was focused on acquiring the bus and converting it into a digital learning hub for the benefit of communities which are in need of extra educational support.

“We also want to dispel the myth that academic support is boring. Success4All is a fun experience and this new mobile learning bus will help us to reach and help more children in more communities where suitable facilities may not be otherwise available.”

Anne Reece, chair of the Reece Foundation, which was established to support education relating to science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), said: “We are pleased to be supporting this innovative project that aims to provide young people with opportunities that are otherwise not found in their area or are too costly.

“The North East needs more engineers and we hope that with its in-built STEM facilities, this very special bus will give more young people the chance to get hands-on and discover the wide-range of exciting career opportunities studying STEM can bring.”

Ian Watson, Chief Executive of Hadrian Healthcare and founder of the Watson Family Charitable Trust, said: “We have supported Success4All initiatives in the past and when we heard the charity was £7,000 short of its target and in danger of losing all its crowdfunding donations, we decided to step in and help. It’s a wonderful, local charity which is helping children for the benefit of us all and is just the kind of cause the Watson Family Charitable Trust strives to help.”

Hugh Welch, Senior Partner at Muckle LLP, added: “Our firm has been a long term supporter and contributor of the valuable work of Success4All, so we were happy to help and encourage our business network to do the same.

“Unfortunately, there are still many areas of deprivation throughout the North East and we are delighted Success4All are now able to expand their invaluable academic support programmes to other areas in need across the region.”

Success4All works to fill the gap between home and school in areas of Newcastle marked by low academic achievement through independent, collaborative or paired learning.

The charity lends academic support in: Primary School subjects at Key Stage 2 and 3; GCSE and A-level subjects; GCSE and A-level preparation in minority foreign languages; basic numeracy and literacy; academic writing; and study and careers advice for parents to support their children.

Most of Success4All’s Learning hubs and clubs are run by local volunteers, including young people, parents and retired people.

To find out more, please visit www.s4a.org.uk

Help Give a Child a Christmas Miracle

By on 28th November 2018in charity
Christmas tree presents

Newcastle’s newest and most festive bar is urging Tynesiders to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and buy a gift for an unknown child.

This year, an estimated 48,000 youngsters in the region could wake on Christmas morning to find that Santa Claus has passed them by.

Now, Miracle on Grey Street, at Newcastle’s Grey Street Hotel, is appealing to its customers to make sure that doesn’t happen.

The bar’s owner, Malhotra Group plc is calling on partygoers, shoppers, businesses and nearby residents to “make a miracle happen” this Christmas by donating a gift for youngsters aged anywhere between birth and 18 years.

The bar, with its fairy lights, garlands and traditional decorations has proved so popular since it opened earlier this month that owner, Malhotra Group plc, has doubled it in size.

And, along with additional seating, the new space to the rear of the main bar will house a seven-foot Christmas ‘giving tree’ and a drop-off point for donated gifts, which can encompass everything from toiletries to toys.

Gifts, which must be new and in their original packaging, will be handed over to the Cash For Kids charity and should be left unwrapped so the charity can label them and distribute them accordingly.

It is hoped sufficient gifts will be donated to ensure each child has at least two presents to open on Christmas morning.

“That any child should miss out on a visit from Father Christmas just doesn’t bear thinking about,” said sales and business development manager Fabian Pritchard, “and we very much hope our customers will help us ensure that doesn’t happen.

“The Malhotra Group will be getting the ball rolling with gift donations and we hope others will rally round and help – because, never mind the tinsel and the baubles, surely kindness and compassion are what Christmas is really all about.”

Miracle on Grey Street is open daily from 12 noon to midnight (children are welcome until 8pm) and the deadline for donating gifts is 19 December.

For more information visit www.malhotragroup.co.uk/miracleongreystreet and for Christmas Party booking enquiries email miracleongreystreet@malhotragroup.co.uk.

Local convent receives generous donation from roofing company

By on 13th November 2018in charity
St Mary’s Convent

According to Alzheimer’s Society, around 850,000 people in the UK currently have dementia. Those over the age of 65 are mainly affected, with an astonishing 1 in 14 over this age living with dementia.

In response to these shocking figures, and understanding that a wide range of their own customers are living with dementia, Grant Findley, Director of Findley Roofing and Building, decided to increase awareness within his staff. Last week, front line staff and managers from the company visited St Mary’s Convent Care Home to learn more about Alzheimer’s, Dementia and other illnesses affecting our elderly.

St Mary’s Convent

The team got to see the conditions first hand and Findley Roofing and Building is now sponsoring the convent and the wonderful sisters and carers who do such amazing work for the residents. The convent desperately needed funding to help them maintain the buildings and facilities. They have been struggling for a number of years to carry out the upgrades the care home so vitally needs. With Findley Roofing and Building’s help, the care home can ensure the building is maintained and they can continue to offer a place of safety and comfort to their residents.

Findley Roofing and Building are sponsoring the convent for the coming year and are looking to continue this funding over the next two years. The company’s Sales and Marketing Director presented a donation to the sisters, Marianne and the care home leaders earlier this month.

The company’s Director, Grant Findley, said, “Understanding all our different customers is something we place great importance on at Findley Roofing and Building. Dementia is something that affects so many people across the region, including some of our staff’s families, and we feel increasing awareness of this within our workforce is vitally important. We want to help St Mary’s Convent in any way we can.”

To find out more about the work Findley Roofing and Building do in the local community, head to findleyroofing.co.uk or call their office on 0191 417 3422. To learn more about dementia, visit alzheimers.org.uk.

St Mary’s Convent

North East PR agency joins High Tide wave

By on 1st November 2018in charity
High Tide Wave organisation

North East PR, social media and content marketing agency, Harvey & Hugo, is the latest company to pledge its support to young people in Teesside by becoming a member of local charity, the High Tide Foundation.

Headquartered in Darlington, Harvey & Hugo has been developing and promoting brands across the North East and beyond for over nine years. Through this new membership, the company will offer work placements and industry insights to young people across the Tees Valley.

Charlotte Nichols, owner and managing director of Harvey & Hugo said: “I’m really passionate about developing and retaining talent here in the North East. We have an exceptional range of industries and it’s important that young people get a taste of the opportunities available before they commit to long term studies and qualifications.

“The Tees Valley is well known for its port, manufacturing and engineering but there is so much more here, too. The Pack and I are excited to join the fantastic member businesses in offering an insight into just how much there is.”

As members, Harvey & Hugo will also support High Tide through fundraising activities and raising awareness with its varied customer base.

Lauren Bywater, general manager at High Tide Foundation, said: “It’s great to add Harvey & Hugo as our latest members to the list. Six years ago, we started off with only the local port users and it’s great to now see just how much we have grown to have members from many different industries including the creative media and digital sector.

“I feel so proud to be part of Tees Valley with our fantastic young people we support and also the great businesses that are so keen to help out. We started our journey in Redcar and Cleveland and have expanded into Middlesbrough, Stockton and Hartlepool. Our next hope is to become more engaged with the Darlington area and through teaming up with an amazing Darlington-based company such as Harvey & Hugo, this really gives us a great place to start. I’m very much looking forward to seeing what the team bring to our new Creative Media Sector Week.”

Harvey & Hugo will be working with High Tide Foundation for strategy development and to provide PR and content marketing support, to help the charity continue developing awareness of its work and share its successes.

High Tide Foundation works to connect education and industry in the Tees Valley, delivering a wide range of industry-led programmes to as many young people as possible. From accountancy and automotive to media and manufacturing, its business members are in a unique position to inspire, influence and shape their future workforce.

In 2019, the charity is increasing its already established sector weeks, covering industries such as finance, law, engineering, digital, creative and media. This is supported in part by corporate sponsorship and fundraising activities such as its 2018 golf day which raised £2,800. Based on this success there will be another golf day in 2019/

For more information on Harvey & Hugo see www.harveyandhugo.com

For more information on High Tide Foundation see www.hightidefoundation.co.uk

Tackling period poverty: Darlington Cares calls on the town’s businesses to support its new campaign

By on 1st November 2018in charity
Darlington cares

In a bid to tackle period poverty, a local voluntary organisation is aiming to supply all of the town’s secondary schools with free sanitary products.

Darlington Cares has launched its period poverty campaign, Darlo’s Big Sister, to help raise awareness of the problem and is looking to the town’s businesses to offer monetary support and product donations.

A survey by children’s charity Plan International UK found that one in 10 females aged 14 to 21 in Britain cannot afford sanitary towels or tampons, which has resulted in a number of girls missing school during their period.

Darlington Cares’ campaign is currently being piloted with secondary schools and colleges. The organisation is aiming to help as many girls as it can and is looking to learn from the educational establishments to understand the best way of distributing sanitary products to the girls who need them.

Darlington Cares’ Programme Officer, Chelsea Johnson is hoping to see girls benefiting from the scheme immediately.

“I found it hard to accept that period poverty is denying young women their right to an equal education, but after speaking to the head teachers of Darlington secondary schools they all thought this was an increasing issue.

“We feel passionate about this scheme because we believe all children have the right to an equal education. I hope more people realise that this is a real issue in today’s society.”

Jenny Chapman MP for Darlington is a keen supporter of Darlington Cares’ campaign and is hoping the work the organisation is doing will help young women in the town.

She said: “Over 137,000 girls missed school in 2017 across the UK, which disrupted their education because they couldn’t afford sanitary products. This is a shameful issue and it is happening here in Darlington.

“Tackling period poverty is one of my top local priorities. I am pleased to be working with Darlington Cares and we are currently collecting donations of sanitary products at my office. This is the first time we have attempted a project like this in Darlington, I hope we will do the issue justice, raise awareness and encourage other local organisations to get involved.”

If you would like to find out more about the campaign or how to make a donation, please email Chelsea.Johnson@darlington.gov.uk.

To find out more about Darlington Cares, its projects and volunteering opportunities visit www.darlingtoncares.co.uk.

Twitter: @darlingtoncares

Diamond Group tees off for charity

By on 19th October 2018in charity, Local Biz

North East-based technology solutions provider, Diamond Group, used its recent corporate golf day to raise money for local charity and client, Age UK Northumberland.

Diamond Group, which announced a three-year partnership with the charity earlier this year that will save it around £90,000, recently welcomed the charity’s service users to its offices for a home-cooked lunch, bingo and entertainment, and wanted to raise money to support its work.

John Burns, managing director of Diamond Group, said: “It’s a charity doing fantastic work, something I really believe in. It feels natural for me and the Company to support Age UK Northumberland and I’m grateful so many people joined us for our golf day.

“I, and all the directors at Diamond would like to thank everyone who took part in the event for their generous support and donations, with a special thanks to Pam and Donna from Diamond and Rachel from Age UK Northumberland.  We look forward to seeing everyone at the event next year!”

The event was held at Wearside Golf Club and after networking and a bacon sandwich, golfers headed out to the course. The undeniable victors were the Henderson team; winning best team, with their player Rob Briggs scooping longest drive and best individual score. Nearest the pin was awarded to Graeme Haswell of the Bluebell Care team.

Following the game, players enjoyed a delicious two-course lunch in the club house, followed by a raffle. Prizes had been donated generously by local businesses and included a bottle of Moet & Chandon, beauty treatment vouchers and a meal for two at Aspers Casino.

Rachel Todd, head of income generation and marketing at Age UK Northumberland, said: “We’re a small independent charity and we need support like this to sustain our services; Diamond Group has made a real difference to our charity. The work that the Company has done to support us and the additional activities, welcoming our service users and raising money, is hugely appreciated.

“Loneliness in older people is a real issue in Northumberland and all of the services we provide work in some way to reduce social isolation and loneliness. The fundraising by Diamond Group will really help us to continue this work.”

The golf day raised £1200 in total which will be used to help older people across Northumberland. The Company is continuing its commitment by sponsoring a table at the Age UK Northumberland Annual Dinner, to be held in October.

For more information on Diamond Group, see http://www.diamond-group.net/ or follow @DiamondGroupNE on Twitter.

North East Company Backs Local Causes

By on 18th October 2018in charity, Local Biz

North East document destruction and confidential waste expert, The Shred Centre, is building on its support of the local community with sponsorship and a charity initiative.

The family-run company has sponsored Heighington AFC under 14s’ new 2018/2019 home kit as well as a fundraising campaign to support local charity, Solan Connor Fawcett Family Cancer Trust.

Company Director, Natalie Stephens said: “We have a personal connection with Heighington AFC and when the club approached us for support, we were glad to get involved.

“It’s great to keep the younger generation in sport and we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to help make a contribution to our local community.”

The company has also launched a campaign where individuals can drop off their personal confidential waste free for secure disposal in return for a donation to its chosen charity, the Solan Connor Fawcett Family Cancer Trust.

The charity and its work supporting cancer sufferers and their families in the local area is something that is personally important to the company’s owners.

Patrick Stephens, company director said, “Not only is the charity is based in the Spennymoor area, we’ve heard a lot about Mark Solan and the work he has done to help families with cancer – it’s fantastic.

“Natalie and I have a personal connection to the issues the charity addresses and we are aware that more support is needed to help people get through those tough times. Raising money for a cause we believe in so strongly seemed like a natural thing to do.”

The shredding service does not need to be booked in advance and will be available to individuals who visit the destruction centre throughout the month of November at Merrington Lane Industrial Estate, Spennymoor, between 10am and 2pm, Monday to Friday.

To find out more about The Shred Centre, visit https://www.theshredcentre.com/ or call 01388 328019.

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