Property company Bradley Hall is gearing up for its eighth annual festive fundraiser in aid of local charities. The Newcastle business hosts the event to support key charitable organisations every year, having raised £360,000 to date. This year’s beneficiaries include Heel & Toe, NE Youth, Bravehearts, and The Great North Children’s Hospital Foundation, and The Inn Collection Group has signed up as the headline sponsor,
In addition to the event on Friday, December 6, at The Fed Brewery in Gateshead, the business is supporting Sunderland Area Parent Support (SAPS) with their Christmas Eve Box appeal, acting as a drop-off point for food bank donations and children’s Christmas gifts that support families in Sunderland during the Christmas period. The events come as the group unveils a refreshed brand identity and a new website.
Neil Hart, group managing director of Bradley Hall, said: “Our annual Festive Fundraiser is always a highlight of the year, and with the generous support of The Inn Collection Group as our headline sponsor, we are excited to continue making a meaningful impact.
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“We are incredibly proud of the funds we’ve raised over the years and are looking forward to contributing even more to these important local charities this year. Additionally, our brand refresh and leadership changes demonstrate our commitment to staying ahead of the curve and continuing to deliver exceptional results for our clients and communities.
“Bradley Hall’s combination of charitable giving, strategic growth, and leadership ensures the firm will continue to have a positive impact on both its industry and the communities it serves.”
The leader of North East fashion brand Barbour has received a coveted Special Recognition prize in front of the great and the good of the British fashion industry. Dame Margaret Barbour is chairman of the South Shields heritage and lifestyle brand, which designs and manufactured waxed jackets and many more fashion accessories which are loved by everyone from royalty to rock stars. Now Dame Margaret, 84, has received the 2024 Special Recognition Award at the British Fashion Awards for her contribution to the fashion industry at a star-studded event at the Royal Albert Hall.
The award was presented to Dame Margaret by designer, broadcaster, and model Alexa Chung - who has been behind two exclusive clothing collections with the Tyneside firm - and is designed to honour outstanding contribution to the fashion industry and longstanding commitment to British excellence and innovation.
Dame Margaret said: "Barbour means so much to me - I took over the company in the most difficult of circumstances and as we celebrate our 130th anniversary this year, I think my late husband John would be very proud of how far the company has come and what I have achieved in making Barbour the recognised global lifestyle brand it is today.
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"This award, however, would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of all of my management team and staff who have contributed so much to our success."
Robert Forrester, the chief executive of North East motor retailer Vertu has been recognised with the Outstanding Achievement Award at the 2024 Motor Trader Industry Awards. Now in their 34th year, the Motor Trader Industry Awards are regarded as the Oscars of the motor industry, celebrating excellence across motor retailing. The awards highlight the sector’s outstanding contributions and achievements, with the Outstanding Achievement Award reserved for individuals who have made a significant impact on the industry.
The win marks the second time Mr Forrester, leader of the Gateshead company, has won the award. He said: “I am incredibly honoured to receive the Outstanding Achievement Award at the 2024 Motor Trader Industry Awards. We won this fifteen years ago in 2009 and we should be pencilled in for 2039! I suspect the work as a group we have done educating the Government on the ZEV mandate played its part. This recognition reflects the commitment and talent of the entire Vertu Group. Without Vertu’s excellent colleagues, the Group’s growth and success would not have been possible. Thank you to everyone for your support.”
Weekly youth groups for children with disabilities put on by a Sunderland charity are set to continue thanks to new funding from the Banks Group. Grace House holds two after-school youth groups three days a week at its Bardolph Drive headquarters which provide young people aged between 10 and 18 with the chance to spend time together and try a variety of different activities.
The existing funding for the youth groups was due to run out early in the new year – but now, a £5,000 grant from family-owned property and mining firm the Banks Group is going to allow them to continue.
Grace House, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, aims to support and inspire disabled children, young people and their families by helping them to manage challenges and enjoy the benefits of playing a full part in society. It was originally established after a huge community fundraising drive by North East broadcaster Kathy Secker, who wanted local children “to have an amazing place where they can come to laugh, learn and live life to the full.”
Victoria Brown, chief executive at Grace House, said: “With the funding for this project coming to an end, it would have been much harder for us to keep delivering what is a very important part of our service, so we’re really grateful to the Banks Group for helping us to keep doing so.”
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Lucy Hinds, executive assistant at the Banks Group, added: “Grace House has been making a huge difference to the lives of hundreds of North East children with disabilities and their families for more than two decades, and continues to lead the way in helping them all live the fullest possible lives.”
TEDCO Business Support has been recognised for its outstanding contributions to entrepreneurship in the North East, winning the Enterprising Partnerships Award at the National Enterprise Network Conference.
The accolade celebrates the South Shields-based business support organisation’s innovative and collaborative approach to fostering economic growth, creating opportunities and driving positive social impact across the region. The award highlights TEDCO’s work in delivering tailored business support to diverse communities.
Through strategic collaborations and innovative projects, TEDCO has empowered over 1,000 entrepreneurs while significantly enhancing local economies.
James Craft, chief executive of TEDCO, said: “We are delighted to be recognised with the Enterprising Partnerships Award. This achievement is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the entire TEDCO team. It reflects our commitment to ensuring that the entrepreneurial spirit remains alive and thriving in the North East. We firmly believe this region is filled with talented, motivated individuals who, with the right support, can achieve incredible things. This award encourages us to continue building partnerships to help local communities build sustainable businesses and seize opportunities for growth.”
North East civil and structural engineers have brought early festive cheer to families. Newcastle-based RWO has donated bags full of toys to seasonal charity Project Santa, which is providing families and their children in Newcastle who are living on the poverty line, with gifts and food hampers this Christmas.
Amit Bahanda, a volunteer at Project Santa, who called in to the RWO office to pick up the bag of goodies, said: “Every child deserves a happy Christmas and it’s heartbreaking to think that some will go without a present this Christmas day. When we started this initiative, we hoped the number of children in poverty would get less but this has increased year-on-year as families continue to struggle. Thanks to the support of local businesses like RWO and their kind generosity, we will be able to help lots more local children this year and ensure they have a present on Christmas day.”
Emma Gibson, administration manager at RWO who organised the collection of toys, said: “It’s great to see everyone in the company support this initiative and I have received some great feedback from our colleagues. Project Santa does an outstanding job every year and we are delighted to be helping local youngsters, who are a lot less fortunate than others to have a happier Christmas this year.”