Tag: sunderland bid

Lawson To Perform At Sunderland Style Awards

By on 27th February 2016in Entertainment

One of the UK’s most exciting pop rock bands will be heading to Sunderland to appear at a major awards event…

Lawson, whose hits include Taking Over Me, Juliet and When She Was Mine, are to headline at the city’s Retail and Style Awards, which will take place at the Bridges shopping centre on April 23rd.

The event, organised by Sun FM and the Bridges, and supported by Sunderland BID, will celebrate the city’s top businesses and individuals across sixteen categories. The appearance by the band is part of a full evening of entertainment, which includes a three course dinner, fashion show and the awards ceremonies.

Plus, there is still time for nominations for the awards to be made before the closing date on February 29th.

“It’s a massive coup for us to get a band with the status of Lawson at our awards, and shows what progress the city is making,” said Julian Carter, MD of Sun FM.

“It will make what already promises to be a fantastic night even more spectacular.”

Other acts are already lined up to appear at the event, with further announcements to be made in the near future. Tickets are on sale for the night at £39, and are available from customer service at the Bridges, from the reception at Sun FM and via Eventbrite.

Andy Brown, lead singer of Lawson, said: “When we played the Stadium of Light a couple of summers ago, it was one of those gigs you never forget, and we can’t wait to come back to Sunderland to perform at the Retail and Style Awards.”

Ken Dunbar, Chief Executive of Sunderland BID and the main sponsors for the awards, said attracting a top band to appear showed the calibre of these awards.

He said: “The appearance by Lawson won’t just add another dimension to the night, but it will also turn the spotlight on Sunderland to a national audience, and showcase what an exciting and dynamic city it is.”

This the first year that the city’s Retail and Style Awards have joined forces, with businesses and individuals able to enter in a range of categories. Nominations are still being accepted via the Sun FM website at www.sun-fm.com/rsawards2016.

Categories in the retail section include awards for large, medium and small retailers, best customer service, employee of the year, manager of the year, up and coming business, and the Experience It Here award for the best city centre experience.

In the style section, nominations are being sought for the Most Stylish Mackem, along with sections for top bars, restaurants, salons and individual awards for top bloggers and the city’s most glamorous mam.

“We’ve already seen a fantastic number of entries for the awards, which is what we would expect given the excellent year 2015 was for the retail sector,” said Andy Bradley, Centre Director at the Bridges.

“And now, with an amazing band providing the entertainment on the night, it will be a memorable evening for a whole host of reasons.”

Sunderland To Host Chinese New Year Celebrations

By on 24th January 2016in Entertainment

The Year of the Monkey will be welcomed in style in Sunderland, with the city hosting its first ever Chinese New Year celebrations…

A full programme of events, including an appearance by dragons and traditional lion dancing, will take place at Keel Square on Sunday Feb 7th, with the hope that hundreds of families will turn up and enjoy the fun.

The event is the brainchild of local businessmen Harry Collinson and Ian Wong, who have worked for months to bring together every aspect of the event.

Mr Wong, who runs Asiana Restaurant in Sunderland city centre, said: “The time was right to have a sizeable celebration in the city for Chinese New Year.

“There is quite a large Chinese community in Sunderland, which is growing every year with the arrival of more Chinese students.

“There are big celebrations for Chinese New Year in other parts of the North East, and we felt that Sunderland definitely needed to have one of their own.”

The activities will run from 1pm to 5pm, and will include martial arts displays and lion and dragon dancing, with more events still to be added to the programme.

The programme is being supported by Sunderland’s Business Improvement District. Chief Executive Ken Dunbar said he was delighted that the city was holding such an exciting event.

He said: “Chinese New Year celebrations take place all over the world, and it’s great news to see that Sunderland are now able to be a part of that.

“It’s a great opportunity not just for a family day out in the city centre, but also for people to learn more about other cultures. We hope that this will now become an annual event on the Sunderland calendar.”

Harry Collinson, who heads up Rough Diamond Entertainment and has co-created the event, added that everyone approached had been extremely enthusiastic about the plans.

“Everyone we’ve talked to has been very keen for this to go ahead, including the University of Sunderland, schools, the city council, and of course the Chinese businesses in the city,” he said.

“It should be a fantastic day.”

Activities are also planned for the day prior to the event at Sunderland’s Museum and Winter Gardens, which will host a family fun day on February 6th, with a range of activities including Chinese lantern making and stalls selling Chinese crafts.

Cllr Paul Watson, Leader of Sunderland City Council, praised the organisers for creating the event.

He said: “It’s great to work with passionate local business people like Ian and Harry to be able to stage a weekend of activities like this.

“We have strong links with China through our Friendship Agreement with the city of Harbin, and our international student community is very important to us.

“It is great to be able to showcase Chinese culture and traditions in our city centre to welcome the Year of the Monkey.”

Voting Opens For Sunderland Retail And Style Awards

By on 7th January 2016in Local Biz

Sunderland’s booming retail sector and the city’s most stylish individuals and outlets are set to be celebrated, with the combining of two major award ceremonies…

For the first time, Sunderland’s Retail and Style Awards are joining forces to honour businesses, events and people who have helped put the city on the map.

The event is being jointly organised by the Bridges shopping centre and radio station Sun FM, with nominations for the 17 categories open today (January 7th).

Sponsored by Sunderland’s Business Improvement District, the awards will give shops, restaurants, bars, hairdressers and beauty salons the opportunity to be recognised.

Categories in the retail section include awards for large, medium and small retailers, best customer service, employee of the year, manager of the year, up and coming business and the Experience It Here award for the best city centre experience.

In the style section, nominations are being sought for the Most Stylish Mackem, along with sections for top bars, restaurants, salons, and individual awards for top bloggers and the city’s most glamorous mam.

Nominations can be made online at www.sun-fm.com/rsawards2016 and will close at the end of March, with the awards evening taking place at the Bridges on April 23rd.

Attendees at the glitzy ceremony – which will include live music, dinner and a fashion show – will also get the opportunity to come away with an award on the night, with a Red Carpet honour being given out to the best dressed.

“2015 was an excellent year for the retail sector in the city, and we welcomed a number of new businesses with some exciting plans going forward,” said Andy Bradley, Centre Director at the Bridges.

“These awards give retailers of all sizes – from leading high street names to our impressive range of independents – the opportunity to be recognised for the great service they offer.”

Julian Carter, Managing Director of Sun FM, added that the style section of the awards gave both individuals and leisure outlets the opportunity to shine.

“With the current regeneration and positive momentum, there has never been a better time to unite the already successful style awards into an even bigger retail and style event,” said Julian.

“We’ve put together a range of exciting categories which not only gives the city’s leading restaurants, bars and salons a showcase, but also there’s a chance for our most stylish individuals to be publicly acknowledged.”

“This is a great opportunity for us to showcase businesses of all types and sizes, including the city burgeoning restaurant and café scene and to recognise their innovation and hard work,” said Ken Dunbar, Chief Executive of main sponsor, Sunderland BID.

A shortlist for each category will be drawn up by a judging panel, which will then be put to a public vote.

A number of sponsorship opportunities are also available for the night, and further information is available by contacting Harry Collinson at harrycollinson@aol.com.

Sunderland Ice Rink To Remain In Place Until New Year’s Eve

By on 22nd December 2015in In & Around

Christmas fun in Sunderland is set to continue, with plans for the city’s Frost Village to remain open…

The ice rink at Keel Square was due to close on Christmas Eve, but the attraction has been such a success that it will now stay in place until New Year’s Eve.

The rink will close at 4pm on Christmas Eve, as originally planned, but will reopen until 8pm each day from December 27th to December 30th, and until 10pm on December 31st.

This means visitors attending the city’s firework display on New Year’s Eve will also be able to enjoy early evening entertainment.

More than 5000 people have already visited the ice rink, which has also brought a huge economic boost to the city, with traders reporting an increase in sales.

“We’re delighted to be able to keep the ice rink open until New Year’s Eve,” said Ken Dunbar of Sunderland BID, which organised the Frost Village.

“The ice rink has been particularly successful, and even the bad weather didn’t put people off from coming along and enjoying the city’s first ever Frost Village.

“Our special characters, The Frostlings, have also proven really popular with families, and have brought their own special magic to the attractions.

“We’ve also had some very positive feedback from retailers in the city who have seen a real upsurge in trade.”

The BID’s social media campaign around the Frost Village has raised awareness to around 400,000 people across Facebook and Twitter.

“The Christmas programme has been a great success, and we’re thrilled that the fun is able to continue for another week,” said Ken.

Sunderland Family Win A Christmas VIP Experience

By on 19th December 2015in In & Around

Christmas has come early for one lucky family in Sunderland, who will be getting the VIP treatment throughout the festive season…

As part of their summer events programme, WEAR All Bonkers Here, Sunderland BID ran a special competition for the city’s visitors, which gave families the chance to win a package of festive treats and experiences.

Father of two, Keith Lawler – who lives with his family in Monkwearmouth, Sunderland – won the VIP Christmas Experience. He said, “We’re so excited to have won this prize. It’s given the kids plenty to look forward to during the holidays, and it will help us to make this Christmas absolutely amazing for them.”

The prize included a free pass to Sunderland’s Frost Village and Winter Fair at Keel Square, tickets for Aladdin – which is this year’s pantomime – at the Sunderland Empire Theatre, a free visit to Santa’s Grotto at the Bridges with free parking, a £50 gift card, a cut and blow dry for a family of four, and £50 worth of beauty treatments at Estrella Hair and Beauty.

The festive package also included a festive afternoon tea at the National Glass Centre, a Marks & Spencer Christmas hamper, and festive afternoon tea at the Sunderland Marriott Hotel on Christmas Eve.

“We’re delighted to be able to give Keith and his family an early Christmas gift,” said Ken Dunbar, chief executive of Sunderland BID.

“And the competition offered us a great opportunity to showcase the amazing programme of festive activities in Sunderland.

“We have some really exciting thing going on throughout December, including our special Frost Village and our fantastic outdoor ice rink.”

“We really hope that everybody will come along and celebrate the festive season with us.”

Both the WEAR All Bonkers Here summer event, which celebrated the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s novel Alice in Wonderland, and the Christmas events in Sunderland are designed to attract families to the city and increase the amount of time people are spending in the area.

For more information about Christmas in Sunderland, visit www.experienceithere.co.uk/christmas.

North East Youngsters Name Winter Characters

By on 23rd November 2015in In & Around

A magical duo, designed to spread seasonal sparkle across Sunderland, are being brought to life with help from two North East youngsters…

The Frostlings, who are spearheading a programme of festive entertainment in the city’s Frost Village, had, until now, been without first names.

But following an appeal by their creators, Sunderland Business Improvement District, the brother and sister duo have been officially crowned Frostina and Spike.

Both names were among suggestions submitted by youngsters from across the North East, with Mia McCormick and Rebecca McKitterick finally chosen as the winning entrants.

Mia, 10, from Plains Farm, Sunderland, was inspired by a fellow Barnes School student for Frostina, while six year old Rebecca, from Newbottle, plumped for Spike thanks to the male character’s spikey hair.

The pair will now each receive a free family pass to the Frost Village, where visitors can enjoy a range of activities, including an outdoor ice rink offering daily skating sessions and classes for everyone from children to adults.

Ken Dunbar, Chief Executive of Sunderland BID, said: “This year’s seasonal schedule is one of the busiest and most exciting Sunderland has ever seen. Frostina and Spike Frostling will play a key part in that and we’re delighted that they have now finally been named.

“I would like to congratulate Mia and Rebecca on their winning entries and thank everyone who took part, we received some amazing suggestions.”

The Frostlings are part of a number of illustrated characters which have been created by the BID to add some unique magic to Christmas in Sunderland.

The duo will appear in and around the Frost Village, which is at the centre of the city’s seasonal activities programme, with a traditional Christmas market and fun fair also running nearby.

Christmas in Sunderland city centre officially gets underway on November 26th, with a Gala Ice Extravaganza featuring stars from TV show, Dancing On Ice.

The Frost Village will then be open Sundays to Wednesdays from 10am to 8pm and Thursdays to Saturdays from 10am until 10pm, with a Christmas fun fair on the former Vaux site opening daily from noon.

The real open air ice rink at Keel Square will offer a range of activities for all abilities including skating lessons, ice discos and skating with princesses and super heroes.

The Frost Village will close at 4pm on Christmas Eve and skating sessions for that date must be booked in advance.

For further information about the Frost Village or group bookings visit www.sunderlandchristmas.co.uk.  You can also keep up with Frostina and Spike on Facebook and Twitter.

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