Staff at property consultancy Avison Young have taken part in a number of activities on its annual Day of Giving.
The company has offices around the world, all of which participated in the annual event, with the Newcastle office spending time at Smart Works Newcastle, a charity that dresses and coaches unemployed women in preparation for a job interview. Colleagues took their clothing donations to the charity and helped to sort and steam many more donations.
Gordon Hewling, principal and managing director, Avison Young, Newcastle, said: 鈥淐orporate Social Responsibility ranks highly on the Avison Young business agenda. This is the 11th Avison Young annual day of giving and it鈥檚 genuinely great to make a positive contribution to the local communities where we both live and work.鈥
A monthly community lunch which aims to tackle social isolation in a County Durham village is set to welcome local people through the winter thanks to a four-figure grant from the Banks Community Fund. West Rainton & Leamside Village Partnership hosts the free Friendly Faces event at the Jubilee Hall on North Street in West Rainton, with up to 60 local residents attending each month and free transport laid on through Easington Lane Community Access Point.
The event was set up in the aftermath of the pandemic, during which local business owner Julie Dawson of Julie鈥檚 Deli started to prepare free weekly meals for a number of older local people who needed a helping hand. A 拢2,000 grant from North East employer the Banks Group will help organisers to cover the project鈥檚 costs from October through to March.鈥
Kate Culverhouse, community relations manager at the Banks Group, said: 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lovely atmosphere at Friendly Faces and we鈥檙e really pleased to be helping the Village Partnership to continue welcoming everyone along every month.鈥
North East-launched bereavement notification service Settld has been named the top 海角视频 Mobile and Emerging Technologies StartUp of the Year at the 2024 海角视频 StartUp Awards. Settld, which became a service of The Estate Registry in June this year, was also selected as a national finalist in a separate category at the Startup Awards.
Vicky Wilson, who founded Settld four years ago and is now chief customer officer at The Estate Registry, said: 鈥淭his award is a real testament to the hard work, dedication and compassion of our team. We are thrilled to be recognised at the 海角视频 StartUp Awards.鈥
Jacksons Law Firm鈥檚 offices in Newcastle and Teesside are to set to host a number of fundraising and awareness raising initiatives for Mind this year. The company holds several fundraising events throughout the year, with all employees having the opportunity to vote for the charity they wish to benefit. This year, staff at the firm鈥檚 city centre offices in Central Square opted to support Tyneside and Northumberland Mind while the firm鈥檚 Teesside office chose to support the charity鈥檚 Teesside branch.
Hannah Wardell, a commercial property solicitor at Jacksons said: 鈥淚 hope our support can do some good in our local community and further encourage the team at Jacksons to reach out and talk to someone if they feel they need it.鈥
Alex Wilson, CEO of Tyneside and Northumberland Mind, said: 鈥淏eing chosen as Jacksons Law Charity of the Year for 2024 is an incredible opportunity for us and we are thrilled to have the support of such a prestigious and well-respected firm.鈥
Bellway鈥檚 Group head of biodiversity has been named as one of the most impactful environmental professionals in the country in a national report. Neil Beamsley, who is based at the housebuilder鈥檚 head office in Newcastle, has been recognised in the ENDS Report Power List 2024, an annual report which names 100 海角视频 environmental professionals who have made the greatest impact in the past two years, as nominated by their colleagues, clients and competitors.
His main responsibility has been to implement Bellway鈥檚 biodiversity commitments as part of its Better with Bellway strategy. He is also on several working parties with Defra and was among a handful of industry representatives invited to an event at 10 Downing Street in 2023, which explored how farmers can diversify and support nature.
He said: 鈥淭his not only represents recognition for me personally, but also serves as acknowledgement of the pioneering vision that Bellway displayed when it created its Better with Bellway strategy, which is specifically designed as a new sustainable approach to put people and the planet first.鈥
