One of the North East鈥檚 best known businesswomen has made a 拢50,000 donation to a children鈥檚 charity to help its work in the coronavirus pandemic.
Helen McArdle, who ran a care home business and the Kids First nursery chain, has given the money to Children North East after the charity appealed for help when the Covid-19 outbreak started.
Despite having to suspend most of its routine fundraising work, the charity has launched new services during the lockdown to carry on its work of supporting vulnerable children and families in the region.
These included activity packs to help children learn at home, computer vouchers for pupils to get tablets to do school work and a new domestic abuse helpline.
Mrs McArdle鈥檚 donation brings the money raised to support these projects to 拢75,000.
She said: 鈥淚 have supported Children North East for many years and have always been impressed by the help and support they have given children and families.
鈥淲hen the pandemic hit, I knew it would have a devastating impact on the charity and the children in the region, so I was keen to get involved and help the team to meet the increasing need for their services.
鈥淚t has been so positive to hear about the work which Children North East has been able to continue to deliver during the lockdown. Whilst under immense pressure, they have still been able to reach the children who desperately need them.鈥
Leigh Elliott, interim chief executive at Children North East, said: 鈥淟ike many charities, we have had to postpone or cancel most of our fundraising events this year, yet at the same time there has been an increased demand for the kind of support we provide.
鈥淭his is why we launched our urgent appeal with the aim of raising 拢250,000 in order to combat the effects of the Covid-19 crisis on disadvantaged children.
鈥淲e are so grateful to Helen and all of the people who have donated to our appeal so far as it will help sustain our organisation at a difficult time and enable us to be there for babies, children, young people and their families in the uncertain months and years ahead.鈥
Anybody wishing to donate 拢5 to the appeal can text HOPE to 70490 or by visiting www.children-ne.org.uk/urgent-appeal.
Last year Mrs McArdle, gave a multimillion-pound donation to Newcastle University to support pioneering research that addresses the priorities of an ageing society.
The donation came three months after she made a similar donation to Sunderland University to boost its teaching and research in the nursing and care sector.
