Tag: charity

County Durham Leisure Centres Hold Sport Relief Fundraiser

By on 27th February 2016in Lifestyle

Council fitness coaches are inviting families to spin, swim and sprint in aid of Sport Relief…

As part of their continuing efforts to improve the health of people in County Durham, staff at Freeman’s Quay and Riverside leisure centres have organised fundraising fitness events this March.

Cllr Maria Plews, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for leisure, libraries and lifelong learning, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for people to visit our Durham and Chester-le-Street leisure centres, use some of the fabulous facilities we have, and support a great cause.”

A 24 hour ‘spinathon’ will take place at Freeman’s Quay Leisure Centre from 8pm on Thursday 17th March until 8pm on Friday 18th March.

Members of the public can book themselves in for a 30 minute slot – or longer if they feel up to the challenge – on one of the centre’s 13 spin bikes between 6.30am and 10.30pm.

Staff – including coaches Aiden McDaid, Steven Gardiner and Sam Renwick – will then continue the trial through the night.

With cyclists busy on the bikes, coaches Laura Gwynne, Claire Fothergill, Chloe Heslop and Carol Shaw will invite swimmers to take part in an hour long ‘aquathon’ on Friday 18th March.

From 9.45am to 10.45am visitors to the Freeman’s Quay pool will be able to dance along to everything from Abba to Glee, and the Beatles.

Meanwhile, at Riverside Leisure Complex, schoolchildren and sports club members will be encouraged to walk, jog or run a mile on its running track between 9am and 3pm.

The track will also be open from noon to 1.30pm for any member of the public who would like to take part.

All the events are free, but donations to Sport Relief will be requested.

Metrocentre Call For Food Bank Donations

By on 25th February 2016in In & Around

The North East’s largest shopping centre is urging households to help the hungry by donating to a food bank…

Last year, staff and shoppers at intu Metrocentre, Gateshead, donated more than 200kg of dried and tinned food to Gateshead Foodbank to help those in need, and the aim is to donate even more this year.

In a bid to help as many people as possible, intu Metrocentre is asking shoppers to bring in food products they don’t use or want – or perhaps have given up for Lent.

The initiative, which will last until 20th March, is the brainchild of intu Metrocentre Chaplain Lyn Jamieson, who said: “It is very sad indeed to think that, in this day and age, in this borough, there are still people who do not have enough to eat.

“These may be families whose benefits arrive late or are reduced, people leaving an abusive relationship, with nowhere to go and no money, or students who can’t make ends meet. Sadly, there are many causes and levels of hardship.

“The Gateshead Foodbank has been set up to help those most in need, and as intu Metrocentre is at the very heart of the community, we are committed to gathering as much food and awareness as possible.”

Last year, foodbanks across the UK gave more than 500,000 emergency three-day food supplies to people in crisis. More than a third of the emergency foodbank supplies went to children.

The centre is calling for donations of:

  • Milk (UHT or powdered)
  • Sugar
  • Long life fruit juice
  • Tinned food
  • Pasta sauces
  • Breakfast cereals
  • Tea bags and jars of instant coffee
  • Instant mash
  • 500g rice and pasta
  • Jars of jam
  • Packets or biscuits and snacks

Donations can be handed in at any of the centre’s customer services desks or the Centre Management Offices, 1st floor, next to House of Fraser. For more information, visit www.intumetrocentre.co.uk.

Mum Braves Freezing Sea For Charity Fundraiser

By on 23rd February 2016in Have Your Say

A mum whose son died for forty minutes after a cardiac arrest is getting ready to battle the freezing cold sea to raise money for the charity that kept her by her son’s hospital bedside over 60 miles away from home…

 

Elizabeth Bruin, 29, from Berwick-Upon-Tweed, will be swimming in the North Sea on 20th February to raise money for The Sick Children’s Trust.

Four years ago, the charity gave Elizabeth and husband Paul, 35, free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation so they could be with their seven-year-old son, Lewis, when he was rushed to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary.

Lewis, now 11, was a very healthy and active boy before he had a sudden cardiac arrest. He had a complex heart defect which caused his heart to beat abnormally fast, resulting in a heart attack at home, where he was then resuscitated for forty minutes. Once stabilised at his local hospital, Lewis was rushed to Newcastle’s specialist children’s hospital. Elizabeth and Paul were given a ‘Home from Home’ for four days at The Sick Children’s Trust’s Crawford House before their son was transferred to Freeman Hospital, Newcastle, for keyhole surgery.

Elizabeth, who volunteers for the British Heart Foundation, says: “I couldn’t get my head around what was happening. Lewis had been absolutely fine – we thought he just had a sickness bug. When I got the call from my Mum and Paul to say an ambulance was on its way, I couldn’t believe it.

“During this hell, we were fortunate enough to stay at Crawford House. When we went to Freeman Hospital there was no accommodation available for us, as the new ‘Home from Home’ Scott House hadn’t been completed, which made us appreciate just how much The Sick Children’s Trust helped. It was the worst time of our lives – we had no idea whether he would pull through or not, so being just a minutes’ walk away from his bedside and having a direct telephone to the ward was so valuable.

“The Sick Children’s Trust provided us with a ‘Home from Home’ for four days – it was crucial that we could stay together as a family and be there for one another. Because of their wonderful support, we’d like to thank them by raising some funds to help other families with sick children.”

Lewis, who attends Scouts every week, and is the ‘happiest he’s ever been’, will be supporting his Mum on the day.

Crawford House Manager, Gail Stonley, says: “After all these years, it’s wonderful to hear this news from Elizabeth, and we’re so pleased that Lewis is doing extremely well. Elizabeth’s event will do wonders to support families whose children are seriously ill at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, but it will also help raise local awareness of the charity in Berwick-Upon-Tweed. It’s vital that families know that this service is available to them, as a ‘Home from Home’ helps make things just that little bit easier.”

To find out more about The Sick Children’s Trust, please visit www.sickchildrenstrust.org.

Darlington Building Society Offer Safety Blanket To Project Linus

By on 14th February 2016in Local Biz

The Stockton branch of Darlington Building Society is helping to bring comfort to the babies of North Tees Hospital’s neonatal unit and their children’s ward…

The High Street branch has made a £250 donation to the local branch of Project Linus, a national volunteer organisation that creates quilts for babies, children and teenagers who are ill or traumatised.

The total was a combination of money raised from a member raffle, and also a further donation from the Society’s community fund. The money will be used to purchase the fabric used by the Stockton-On-Tees arm of the charity to create the bespoke quilts.

The branch decided to support the charity after regular customer and local coordinator for Project Linus, Marjorie Cook, made them aware of its work.

Marjorie Cook, Stockton area coordinator of Project Linus, said: “We’re very grateful to Darlington Building Society and its customers for the very kind donation.

“The money will be used to purchase the fabric that our network of volunteers use to sew quilts destined for North Tees Hospital’s neonatal Unit and Children’s wards.

“The quilts are used to brighten the cots and beds whilst they are in hospital, and are given to the parents to take home once a baby or child is well enough to be discharged.

“We want to provide comfort to as many poorly babies and children as possible, but because each quilt is gifted individually, there is always a demand for us to provide more.

“We say that a quilt is a hug you can keep, and I think the physical reassurance that comes from being snuggled up is something everyone can relate to.

“We’re always looking for more volunteers. You don’t need to be an expert sewer to help. As long as you have your own machine and a little spare time, you can become part of Project Linus.”

Dawn Moore, Branch Manager at Darlington Building Society, said: “We made the decision to support Project Linus after Marjorie and I got talking over the counter. She talked so passionately about Project Linus that it touched all of our hearts.

“Darlington Building Society is committed to making a positive impact in our local communities, and the fact that the quilts go to a local hospital meant we were only too happy to help.

“We hope that we can continue to support Project Linus throughout 2016 as Darlington Building Society celebrates 160 years supporting local people.”

Carnival Themed Charity Ball Set For Ramside Hall

By on 3rd February 2016in Entertainment

Ramside Hall Hotel is being transformed into Rio de Janeiro for a colourful, carnival-themed charity ball…

The fifth annual Moorbennhall Charity Ball, organised by Andrew Bennett and Calvin Moore, will be held at the luxury hotel near Durham on Saturday April 16th.

Guests at the event, including Gogglebox favourite Scarlett Moffatt, celebrity make-up artist Armand Beasley and star of TV show Real Housewives of Cheshire, Ampika Pickston, will enjoy a fabulous four course dinner, as well as live entertainment running throughout the night.

This includes performances by top comedian Brendan Healy, popular North East singer Jerome Remblance, and a troupe of Rio Carnival dancers.

Proceeds from the black tie ball, which has a filthy rich and fabulous dress code, will be donated to Rochdale-based charity, GEM Appeal, which funds research into genetic diseases affecting children across the UK.

To date, The Moorbennhall Charity Ball has raised £50,000 for the appeal, and charity patron and TV star, Denise Welch, is expected to attend this year’s event to show her support.

Event organiser, Andrew Bennett, said: “Calvin and I attended a fundraising event for the GEM Appeal many years ago, and were really touched by the charity’s efforts to help children and their families struggling with genetic disorders and inborn errors of metabolism.

“Establishing The Moorbennhall Charity Ball seemed like a natural extension to our own work among young people with learning disabilities, and we’re delighted to have raised such a significant sum over the past four years.

“This year’s event looks set to be one of our most glamorous yet, and we can’t wait to see everyone dressed up and shaking their maracas in a night not to be missed.”

Bronze tickets for The Moorbennhall Charity Ball at Ramside Hall Hotel are priced at £50 per person, including limited seating and a drink on arrival.

A Silver option is also available at £65 per person, with the addition of a wine package, while top tier Gold tickets, incorporating preferential seating and a goodie bag, are priced at £85 per person.

For more information or to book, call Entertainment Today Events Ltd on 0161 4840876 or email info@entertainmenttoday.co.uk.

Sunderland Celebrity Hairdresser Joins Northern Youth Fashion Show

By on 25th January 2016in Lifestyle

An award-winning North East hairdresser is set to head up the back stage team at a fashion show with one of the industry’s leading ladies…

Celebrity hair stylist Neville Ramsay, from Sunderland, will be styling the models at the Northern Youth Fashion Show, which will be attended by Anna Wintour, the Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue and Artistic Director of Condé Nast.

The show, which will take place on January 29th at the University of York’s Central Hall, will showcase the work of some of the best student designers in the North.

“It’s fantastic to be involved with a show like this,” said Neville Ramsay, who is also an ambassador for hair brand Milkshake.

“The North often gets overlooked, when really it’s home to some amazing talent. This fashion show will really help to put the North on the map, and show that the future talent of the fashion industry isn’t limited to London.

“We couldn’t be happier to be part of the styling team at such a big event, and we can’t wait to see some of the designers’ work.”

During the event, Anna Wintour will deliver a talk about her career before a Q & A session, led by Katharina Viner, editor-in-chief of The Guardian News & Media.

There will also be a number of live performances from North Yorkshire folk singer Billie Marten, Friendly Fires and Metronomy, who will be collaborating for the first time especially for the show.

Proceeds from the event will be split between Refugee Action York, which helps to integrate refugees into the local area, and the Xavier Project, which delivers mentoring schemes, offers job opportunities, and runs schools for refugees across the world.

“We’re delighted to have Neville and Milkshake on board to help us with the show,” said Ellie Wintour, one of the organisers of the Northern Youth Fashion Show.

“As well as giving northern talent a platform to showcase their work, we’re working to help some really good causes, so it’s been great to see so many businesses getting involved with the event.”

The event, which is being sponsored by a number of well-known organisations including train company Grand Central, makeup brand Bobbi Brown, and Yorkshire Living Magazine, starts at 5.45pm with a champagne reception.

Tickets to the event now sold out.

Teesside Charity Aims To Raise Awareness Of Dyspraxia

By on 25th January 2016in Lifestyle

A Teesside charity is launching a new support group which aims to help young people affected by dyspraxia…

Roseberry Community Consortium has set up Dyspraxia Support Group, which will offer assistance and a wealth of support for anyone in the region, aged between 13 and 25, suffering from the condition.

Pritthijit Datta, the brains behind this new group, suffers from dyspraxia himself, and has been a trustee of the Stockton-based charity for five years.

He said: “The support group will give members the opportunity to share their experiences with others who are affected by dyspraxia, and also help to build their confidence levels and social skills.

“There will be numerous activities which members can get involved in, ranging from art to one-on-one sessions, workshops and more.

“The charity has gone from strength to strength, and we would like to see this continue by getting as many people involved with the support group as we can.”

Dyspraxia is a life-long condition which specifically affects a person’s co-ordination. It is thought to affect around 3% of adults in the UK, and is more common in men.

Pritthijit – who was diagnosed with dyspraxia at a young age – has played a pivotal role in moving the charity forward, but believes the condition is still misunderstood.

He said: “I hope the support group will help us raise awareness of dyspraxia across the Tees Valley, and also help not only those affected by it, but also the people around them.

“Our aim is to educate people so they get a better understanding of the condition.”

Roseberry Community Consortium was established in 2009, and offers guidance for disadvantaged young people across the Tees Valley through numerous projects, including music tuition, dancing, heritage, education and life skills.

The charity also runs a horticultural project, Plot to Plate, which is transforming a once derelict piece of land between Stockton and Middlesbrough into a vibrant garden and horticulture resource.

“Plot to Plate encourages young people to think about healthy eating and wellbeing, and also aims to help members build their self-confidence,” said Pritthijit.

“It’s a fantastic project, and we’re hoping the area will become a community hub for the region.”

Roseberry Community Consortium wants to develop the Plot to Plate further, and is looking for volunteers to join the project in March.

Dyspraxia Support Group will launch on Saturday 30th January at Arc, Stockton, at 1pm and is currently looking for volunteers and new members.

For more information about the forward thinking charity, or to become a member or volunteer with Dyspraxia Support Group, visit www.roseberrycommunityconsortium.org.

Heart Of Teesdale’s ‘Donate A Gate’ Scheme A Great Success

By on 11th January 2016in In & Around

A walking group, which donated two gates at Gainford as part of a ‘Donate a Gate’ scheme, used its annual Christmas walk to visit them…

 

Members of the Darlington Countrywide Holidays Association and Holiday Fellowship Rambling Group decided to see the work for themselves, festively dressed and singing carols along the way.

Chairman of the Darlington club, Ian Bagshaw, said: “It makes everything much more accessible. If you don’t walk so well, you don’t want to be going over wobbly styles, so it just makes things safer and easier for everybody.”

The Heart of Teesdale Landscape Partnership and the Friends of the North Pennines have been working together to roll out the ‘Donate a Gate’ scheme across Teesdale and the wider North Pennines area. The idea behind the scheme is to make the area’s popular footpaths more accessible by replacing awkward stiles with gates, and members of the public are being encouraged to sponsor a gate to make this possible.

Thanks to the scheme, 45 new gates have now been installed by Jay Marrison of 4Nature.

The ‘Donate a Gate’ scheme invites members of the public to pay for a stile to be replaced, and the new gate fitted with an engraved plaque. This could be in remembrance of a loved one, to commemorate a special occasion, or as a gift to someone who loves walking in Teesdale and the North Pennines. Everyone who ‘Donates a Gate’ will be given a choice of the location of the gate (subject to conditions), choose their engraving, and receive a personalised map of the area around their gate.

This scheme forms part of the Heart of Teesdale’s Paths for All People project, which aims to improve the footpaths and bridleways around the project area to make them more suitable and accessible. This includes work on the Teesdale Way and the Greta Walk.

For more information on the scheme, contact Emma Ashton-Wickett on 03000 260645 or emma.ashton@durham.gov.uk, or Friends of the North Pennines on fotnp@hotmail.co.uk.

Willy Wonka Leads Kids To A Healthier Future

By on 10th January 2016in In & Around

Pupils from Peases West Primary School in Crook have enjoyed a Willy Wonka walk of pure imagination…

 

Caitlin Holiday, 10, won a MEGA Motion competition to decide the theme of a special walk by writing about having a lie-in while Roald Dahl’s Big Friendly Giant carried her to school in his pocket.

As her prize, however, she asked for her very own golden ticket and chose another Roald Dahl favourite, Willy Wonka, to join her and her classmates as they walked, cycled and scooted to school. Once there, the pupil’s enjoyed a tasty treat with a special assembly from Willy Wonka highlighting the benefits of healthy and environmentally friendly ways of getting to school.

The special day was the latest Durham County Council supported MEGA Motion event, which comes under the wider Local Motion campaign promoting sustainable transport throughout south Durham. The campaign aims to encourage children to walk, scoot or ride to school, and to make them aware of the health and environmental benefits from an early age.

As well as the fun walks, pupils earn points every time they use sustainable travel to get to school, aiming to collect enough points to become MEGA heroes by the end of the year.

Cllr Neil Foster, Cabinet member for economic regeneration, said: “MEGA Motion is a brilliant scheme that encourages our children, in a fun way, to be healthier and more environmentally friendly every day. It’s great to see the kids enjoy such a memorable day, and we’d like to wish them all good luck in their quest to become MEGA Heroes!”

Darlington Building Society Supports Belmont Park Playground Project

By on 8th January 2016in Local Biz

The Guisborough branch of Darlington Building Society has made a donation from its community fund to help build a new playground…

The £500 donation was made to Friends of Belmont Park Community Group, a local group of residents who are trying to raise enough money to provide a new playground and update the ageing sports facilities in Belmont Park.

In 2015, the group undertook a public consultation and online survey which found that 100% of the respondents were in favour of the construction of a new play area.

Darlington Building Society is the first local business to make a donation towards the £68,000 needed to realise the group’s ambition of removing the old structure and replacing it with modern playing equipment surrounded by soft surfacing and secure fencing. It made the donation from its community fund, which makes monetary donations to causes nominated by members of the Society.

Janine Richardson of Belmont Park Community Group, said: “We’re exceptionally grateful to Darlington Building Society for its generous donation.

“Having completed the necessary tender process and submitted design plans, we are now in the final process of raising the £68,000 that we need to build a playground that can be used by children of all ages and abilities.

“We have a great deal of support from the local community and council. Now we need businesses to follow Darlington Building Society’s lead and help us to make this dream a reality.

“Donations are key to our project’s success. No matter how large or small, all donations are welcome.”

Colin Fyfe, Chief Executive at Darlington Building Society, said: “Darlington Building Society likes to help all of our communities in every way possible. When we heard about the Friends of Belmont Park project we knew this was an initiative worthy of supporting.

“After meeting with the group and discussing with them their aims, we were only too happy to make a donation from our community fund. We hope our donation can help to contribute to restoring this park for the children of Guisborough and for future generations.

“We hope that our donation will be the catalyst that inspires other businesses to make a contribution, no matter how large or small.”

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