Nexus employees have raised more than £6,000 for Bryson’s Animal Shelter through a year of fundraising activities.
The shelter, based in Wrekenton, Gateshead, has been re-homing cats, dogs and small animals since it was founded in 1947. Its team of staff and volunteers look after the animals 24 hours a day, every day, and in an average year it rehomes more than 150 dogs and 200 cats. It costs more than £250,000 a year to run and they rely completely on fundraising and donations to fund them.
Over the year, funds were raised through raffles, coffee mornings, quizzes and wellbeing walks as well as sales of lost property, Metro merchandise and cakes. 33 Nexus employees also spent a day volunteering at Bryson’s, helping walk the dogs and play with the cats.
Cathy Massarella, managing director at Nexus, said: “We’ve got a lot of animal lovers here, so employees were keen to get involved in all kinds of fundraising to help this really worthy local cause. Thank you to everyone who donated, took part in activities or organised events. Every year we ask our colleagues to nominate and vote on what charity they would like to support corporately, that means we’re always supporting causes that are closest to their hearts.”
Tracy Holmes, manager at Bryson’s, said: “I want to say a massive thank you to everyone at Nexus for choosing to support us. You have raised a fantastic amount of money, which really will make a difference. We are replacing a very old kennel block this year, and your £6,000 will be used to help with this build. Your volunteers and regular donations of food and cleaning products have also been a huge help to us, thank you so much.”
Housebuilder Story Homes has raised over £75,000 for Cancer Research Ƶ over the course of a three-year charity partnership.
Staff in the group’s regional offices in Carlisle, Newcastle and Chorley took part in activities including golf days, bake sales, raffles, and dress down days and during its 2024/25 financial year the employees raised £25,000 for the charity. Nicky McKenna, Cancer Research Ƶ relationship manager, said: “We’re deeply grateful and proud to have been Story Homes’ charity partner for the past three years.
"The incredible total of over £75,000 raised by Story Homes employees will help fund new, life-saving discoveries and continue beating cancer. It’s inspiring to see such ongoing commitment from a business, and we want to thank each and every colleague for their contributions. Their support has made a real difference, and we wish them all the best with their next charitable ventures.”
For the 2025/26 financial year Story Homes will be supporting the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) and North West Air Ambulance Charity (NWAA).
Hayley Blair, sales and group marketing director at Story Homes, said: “We are incredibly proud of the £75,000 we’ve raised for Cancer Research Ƶ over the past three years. Cancer affects so many of us, and we’re honoured to have supported such a meaningful cause. As we look ahead to FY26, we’re excited to partner with both The Great North Air Ambulance and North West Air Ambulance – two charities that do amazing work in our regions. We know our colleagues will be just as enthusiastic and committed to supporting these vital services.”
NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI) has been awarded Bronze Green Tourism certification for its work to make the area a ‘regenerative tourism’ beacon.
The internationally-recognised mark has been given to NGI to recognise the work it has carried out to improve its sustainability as part of a Destination North East England project, to provide visitor economy businesses and organisations in the area with access to a fully funded Green Tourism membership. The award is the culmination of a number of initiatives within NGI, including the establishment of a team of sustainability champions who have been tasked with guiding the organisation’s staff towards making greener choices.
As the lead delivery partner for England’s first Destination Development Partnership Pilot, NewcastleGateshead Initiative has been at the forefront of efforts to transform the visitor economy in the area, helping to launch a ‘world-first’ regenerative visitor economy framework in September last year alongside fellow Local Visitor Economy Partnerships Visit Northumberland and Visit County Durham. NGI is also committed to taking Newcastle into the Global Destination Sustainability Index for the first time.
Shelley Johnson, NewcastleGateshead Initiative’s head of market insights, who has led on the organisation’s regenerative tourism projects said: “The Green Tourism certification programme has provided us with a clear improvement framework as well as expert advice. We’ve been adding to and enhancing what we do to work sustainably and how we support our range of stakeholders - from staff and suppliers to the city’s visitors and convention bureau clients - to operate sustainably and visit responsibly too. The bronze Green Tourism badge is now a really simple way for us to demonstrate our dedication to sustainability, and we know exactly what we need to do to achieve silver and gold in the future.”
Regional business network The Mussel Club is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Based in Sunderland, The Mussel Club was established by David Cook, managing partner at wealth management company Northern Spire, and now has more than 5,500 active members. Mr Cook still attends meetings but the day-to-day running of the club is now carried out by his son Matthew, a financial advisor at Northern Spire, and Hannah Dunn, client servicing manager at the same company.
Mr Cook said: “At the time there was a dearth of opportunities for business people to meet, network, exchange ideas and contact details. I was talking to Geoff Bowman, a former stockbroker and financial adviser, and Mike Robinson, a former executive at Royal Bank of Scotland, and we said it was time to launch a new regional network.
“We wanted the meetings to be low-key, informal – and free. We’ve experimented with different days and times for our meetings, but the relaxed nature of our get togethers has not changed. Twenty years ago that was new – what networking events there were tended to be formal with loads of speeches. We wanted The Mussel Club to be informal – with no hard sell or self promotion.”
Matthew Cook added: “That’s still our ethos and I think people respect and welcome that. The model established by my dad still works – we work with some terrific venues who lay on refreshments for members to enjoy. It’s all about providing the free opportunity to network – only occasionally do we have guest speakers.
“We have such a vast range of businesses and sectors who attend – from start-ups and one-person companies to major local, regional and national companies and organisations. People come and go during the meetings, which is fine as not everyone can stay for the full two hours - it’s important we’re flexible."
Metrocentre has launched a partnership with SignLive , a deaf-owned and deaf-led organisation that provides online video British Sign Language (BSL) interpreting services. Through the partnership, BSL users visiting Metrocentre can now connect to the SignLive app and communicate their inquiries to a qualified interpreter.
The interpreter will then relay the message to a member of the Metrocentre staff via video or phone call, facilitating real-time assistance. The service enables deaf customers to inquire about store directories, opening times, gift card purchases, Shopmobility hire, and more.
Metrocentre will offer both Video Relay Service (VRS) and Video Remote Interpreter (VRI) through SignLive. For first-time users, a one-time registration with SignLive is required.
General Manager of SignLive, Steph Lotz, said: “I am delighted to see Metrocentre partner with SignLive to enhance accessibility for deaf shoppers. Shopping is more than just a transaction—it’s about experience, connection, and enjoyment. By providing remote BSL interpreting, Metrocentre is ensuring that every visitor can navigate, communicate, and fully enjoy everything the centre has to offer. This is a fantastic step towards a more inclusive and welcoming shopping experience for all.”
Gavin Prior, centre director at Metrocentre, said: “Collaborating with SignLive is a significant step towards making Metrocentre a truly inclusive environment. We are dedicated to ensuring that every visitor, regardless of their communication needs, feels welcome and supported. This partnership allows us to provide real-time assistance to our Deaf and hard-of-hearing customers, ensuring they have the same experience and access to our services as everyone else.”
