Northumberland timber windows and doors manufacturer Allan Brothers has scooped the Employer of the Year trophy at the 2024 Best of Northumberland Awards.
The Berwick-upon-Tweed firm won the award which recognises companies in the region that have shown commitment to the development and welfare of their employees.
Managing director Morten Bach Valsted said: “This win is a significant marker in the company’s development. It’s a reminder of how far we have come and how the enthusiasm and commitment of the entire team continues to make Allan Brothers such a positive and friendly workplace.”
The award means the business achieved a hat trick of regional business award wins last year. The company was joint winner of the Northumberland & Tyneside regional heat of the 2024 North East Business Awards in the Made in the North East category, and apprentice Rafal Krzeminski won the Engineering/Manufacturing Apprentice of the Year category of the 2024 North East Apprenticeship Awards.
A County Durham youth organisation has received a four-figure grant from North East employer the Banks Group.
Non-profit youth arts organisation Creative Youth Opportunities (CYO) runs weekly after school arts sessions at Seaham Town Hall which aim to give young people the chance to try out new artistic activities. Around 40 young people have been taking part in the programme, with older volunteers helping to plan and run some of the younger children’s sessions and sharing their creative expertise and knowledge.
The £1,998 Banks Group grant will now cover CYO’s staffing costs for the 37 term time sessions that it plans to run, allowing the organisation to plan with certainty the events and activities it will put on this year.
Michelle Harland, CEO at Creative Youth Opportunities, said: “This type of project really helps to connect young people to their peers and their community, but it can be difficult to find the funding to make it happen. The Banks Group’s support has given us a solid platform from which we can plan our activity programme for the year with certainty and we’ve got lots of exciting ideas for what we’re going to deliver for local young people through 2025.”
Lucy Hinds, executive assistant at the Banks Group, added: “CYO is helping to open the artistic horizons of young people in our home county and is providing them with opportunities which might otherwise be out of reach to them. We’re very pleased to be helping them to keep delivering their excellent work in Seaham and look forward to seeing what their young artists create through the year to come.”
Consett ice protection firm CAV Systems has celebrated the 25th work anniversary of a key employee.
Lesley Robinson is the dispatch coordinator for the County Durham firm, which specialises in anti-ice protection and drag reduction technology for the aviation, aerospace and defence markets. He works within CAV’s Ƶ dispatch team, coordinating and liaising with transport companies and customers to get their goods out on time.
As a show of gratitude for his service CAV have given him cheque for £1,000 for his long service.
He said: “It’s hard to believe that I’ve been working hard here for the last 25 years. The passage of time just seems to fly by. There have been quite a few changes over the years, and in my opinion, it has become a much nicer place to work. You never quite know what life has in store for you, so it was good to know that lots of my friends and colleagues wished me well and sent kind messages.”
General manager Ian Jackson said: “At CAV, our people are the foundation of our business. We are always looking to add exceptional people to our team whilst being lucky enough to have employees who have been with us through our journey.”
Champion judo siblings from Blyth are seeking further sporting glory with the backing of The Bernicia Foundation.
Taylor and Joshua Chrisp, aged 15 and 18 respectively, are currently ranked number one and number three in Great Britain in their respective age categories. Taylor has previously won gold at the Welsh, English, and Scottish Opens before winning the British Championships three consecutive times, while Joshua won gold at the 2024 Welsh Open before taking a bronze medal in the 2024 British Championships.
The costs of competing at the national level quickly stack up and after being accepted onto the England Judo Talent Development Programme, the family now needs to fund two sets of international competitions, training camps in the Ƶ and abroad, kit requirements, including International Judo Federation-approved judogis in both blue and white for each sibling, and personal training fees. Two Inspiration Grants of £1,000 have now helped the family meet the additional costs necessary for them to progress their careers.
“Taylor and Joshua have committed a lot over the years”, said John Chrisp, the siblings’ father and judo coach. “But now they are facing more financial pressures from the increasing cost of living crisis. They are both really excelling in judo, so there is a bigger financial pressure than ever.”
Jenny Allinson, director of Corporate Governance at The Bernicia Foundation, added: “Supporting a child competing at a national level is a huge undertaking, and for the Chrisp family to be doing that for two children simultaneously shows the value they place on their development. I am excited to see how Taylor and Joshua’s judo careers progress here in the Ƶ and internationally.”
