St Oswald’s Hospice is gearing up for one of its biggest fundraising drives in years, with the help of TV character Shaun the Sheep and a fully electric zero-emission van.
The charity is using the vehicle from Bell Truck and Van to help build awareness and make preparations for its Shaun the Sheep on the Tyne Art Trail 2023, which will see 50 individually decorated Shauns placed in highly visible locations around Newcastle throughout the summer. Each sheep statue is designed and painted by artists from across the country, and Art Trail participants can follow a map or downloadable app to spot them all.
Ahead of the Art Trail’s launch on July 19, event organisers have been busy taking some of the Shauns to high-profile events to raise awareness, plus taking Shauns to businesses as they look to bring in firms as sponsors.
Events Manager Libby Fryer said: “All of this activity involves a lot of driving, and the statues need a big vehicle to move them. That’s why we’re so grateful that local Mercedes-Benz Dealer Bell Truck and Van stepped in with the loan of an all-electric eSprinter. They provided the vehicle to us for the whole year so we’ve been able to use it for all of the Art Trail’s transport requirements – this means our other vans, which work hard on a daily basis supporting our network of charity shops – can carry on working as normal.”
Bell Truck and Van managing director Ben Sowersby added: “We are delighted to be providing the official transport for Shaun the Sheep. St. Oswald’s makes a meaningful difference in the local community providing vital services to care for those with life limiting conditions and their families. We are proud to offer our support and very much look forward to exploring the Art Trail this summer.”
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Furniture retailer ScS has announced a partnership with Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity.
The Sunderland business is donating £25,000 to support Shelter’s vital services, including its emergency helpline, which provides life changing assistance for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The donation comes as the estimated number of people sleeping rough has increased 26% in a year.
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Behind the scenes, ScS has been working closely with Shelter’s retail stores and ScS workers have provided support for new pop-up ventures as well as Shelter’s Erdington upcycling workshop. ScS has also donated over 100 unwanted products to Shelter for resale to raise funds for the charity.
Andy Harris, director of income generation at Shelter, said: “We are so pleased to announce our partnership with ScS. We share the belief that home is everything and their support will help us raise funds for our vital services on the frontline of the housing emergency. Shelter is here for anyone facing bad housing and homelessness, providing free expert advice and support 365 days a year.”
Marie Liston, corporate services director at ScS, added: “We are delighted to be partnering with Shelter and support their efforts to emphasise the importance of home – something that’s close to us at ScS too. Everyone deserves a safe place to call home and this partnership allows us to help Shelter bring that security to people across the country. Our efforts will not only support the charity with its national work but also those in the communities close to us by providing affordable furniture to Shelter stores. We look forward to seeing this partnership flourish.”
Marketing and advertising agency Different Narrative has been awarded CPD Gold accreditation by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising – the only agency in the North East to receive the accolade.
The IPA CPD Gold Accreditation scheme recognises CPD excellence and is awarded to IPA members which demonstrate a genuine culture of learning while improving the professionalism, development and reputation of the industry and enhancing clients’ brand worth as a result.
The Newcastle agency was formed last year through the merger of creative agencies Different Advertising, Design and Marketing and Narrative Integrated Communications.
Director of operations Joanna Taylor said: “As a business we have had an exciting time since transitioning through our merger. For our employees, we have been eager to create an environment in which our people feel that their best efforts impact on our quality of work and the quality of service we offer our clients. We are committed to developing our employees, not only for their own personal career growth but also for the betterment of our clients and the wider industry.”
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North East leisure operator The Apartment Group has chosen to support regional charity Wag & Company by becoming a Corporate Friend of Wag – and the boss, Duncan Fisher, a volunteer.
The group – which operates a string of bars, pubs, clubs, boutique hotels and wedding venues including Newton Hall, Le Petit Chateau, Runa Farm and Whitworth Hall & Deer Park – has made a donation of £5,000, which enables 12 volunteers to visit older people in the region for over a year, making 372 visits to people in their own homes on a 1:1 basis or 3,348 friends visits in care or hospitals.
The company’s founder Duncan Fisher will be visiting a care home for Wag in Alnwick, Northumberland, with his Hungarian Vizsla Rudy.
He said: “I believe that what Wag is offering is an exceptional and very much under-valued service. I hope that by joining the team Wag’s reach will continue to spread.”
Wag & Company was set up seven years ago to tackle loneliness and isolation among older and vulnerable dog lovers in the North East; the only visiting dog charity to visit people in their own homes.The charity has a network of hundreds of volunteers who visit older dog lovers in their homes as well as in care homes and medical establishments.
Diane Morton, founder and CEO of Wag & Company, said: “We’re so grateful to The Apartment Group for providing such important financial support and especially, of course, Duncan and Rudy for their personal commitment. With help like theirs we can continue to meet the huge and growing demand for Wag friends across our region. Our regional army of volunteers make such a positive impact to older people often isolated, bereaved and vulnerable in our local communities. Regular visits and lots of cuddles with a special dog as well as a chat and a cuddle with a fellow dog lover make a genuine difference to people’s lives.”
Commercial property and regeneration specialist Kevan Carrick has been made honorary life president of the North East Initiative on Business Ethics (NIBE).
Mr Carrick is co-founder and past chair of NIBE, which was established in 2013, and the honour recognises his outstanding contribution to ethical and responsible business practices in the North East of England. He is co-founder of JK Property Consultants, which advises investors, developers and occupiers, applying its local market knowledge with a national perspective, whether for development, acquisitions, lease renewals, reviews and resolving issues through dispute resolution.
NIBE is an independent regional resource that acts as a focal point for good business behaviour. Working across the 12 local authority areas covered by the North East and Tees Valley local enterprise partnerships, its aim is to see the region recognised as a great place to do trustworthy, honest and transparent business.
Current co-chair of NIBE, Caroline Theobald, said: “Kevan is one of the most prominent and highly respected business people in the region. His energy, commitment and vision, was key to NIBE gaining traction very quickly with a wide range of businesses and from the region’s university sector. Kevan is still very actively involved and recently brought together NIBE, Northumbria University and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), to discuss and review the RICS’s rules of conduct, professional and public ethics.
“Now, more than ever before, companies are being challenged to demonstrate they not only talk about being transparent, responsible and ethical, but show the evidence and that is what we will continue to champion at NIBE.”
Mr Carrick said: “I am delighted to receive this honour for doing something that I am so passionate about. I have simply brought the values and ethical approach to business that I have lived by over many years. Many sectors, through the impact of the economy and government intervention, are being disrupted greatly and going through a period of turbulence and change. Despite the complexities we are now seeing, there is always a way forward if you adopt a culture and set of values, based on responsible and ethical business.”
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