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North East builders’ merchant J T Dove has announced it has raised £250,000 for CHUF (The Children’s Heart Unit Fund) over the last decade.

The Newcastle business’s team last year raised £33,847, helping it to reach the milestone figure for CHUF, which provides support to children and families undergoing vital cardiac care at the Freeman Hospital’s Children’s Heart Unit and other hospitals across the North.

J T Dove’s corporate charity partnership with Chuf was established 11 years ago when it began working together on the CHUF’n’Builders project, which brought seven construction industry companies together to raise over £50,000.

At the start of the partnership J T Dove set a fundraising target of £30,000 over two years, but that has since been surpassed through the involvement of all the firm’s North East sites, which have involved its customers in fundraisers including fun days, golf days, sponsored walks, bike rides and bake sales.

Charlotte Campbell, director of CHUF, said: “Our relationship with J T Dove is so important to us and their ongoing commitment continues to take us from strength to strength. Their loyal support has had a transformative impact on the Heart Hero community and we are so grateful for everything they have helped us to achieve.”

J T Dove and Chuf’s partnership was recognised at last year’s North East Charity awards where they won the corporate charity partnership category.

Juliette Coplin, marketing co-ordinator said: “The award means so much to us because we have quite a few staff members in the business that have benefitted from Chuf’s support at the Freeman so we know that every penny we raise makes a real difference.”

North East businesses have come together after raising more than £270,000 for the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS).