Durham’s Salvation Army donation centre is marking its second anniversary with a donation from housebuilder Barratt Homes.
Based within the Dragonville Retail Park, the centre offers furniture, electricals and everything that is available in its retail stores, but on a much larger scale. Since its opening, the centre has welcomed thousands of customers and donors who have bought and repurposed second-hand items.
The donation, which has come from nearby housing development, Barratt Homes Old Durham Gate, will go towards continuing the work the charity does all year round, including providing people who are homeless with a safe space to sleep, and giving social enterprise training and donations towards food and warm clothing.
Andrew Wray, the regional sales manager for the North branches of the Salvation Army, said: “We would like to thank Barratt Homes for their generous donation to our charity in celebration of our centre’s second year in Durham. Donations are essential in helping us to support a wide array of people within the area, and the cold winter months are especially difficult for people who are homeless. We’d like to invite people to visit our donation centre in Durham to have a browse, and support those who are most vulnerable in the local community.”
Emily Watson, sales manager at Barratt Homes’ Old Durham Gate development, added: “The Salvation Army achieves really fantastic work within the Durham community, and it’s wonderful to be able to support the newest donation centre in Dragonville Retail Park. We would like to encourage people to visit this donation centre to browse its goods, and if you are in a position to do so, to make a donation to their fantastic cause.”
Newcastle-based Mincoffs Solicitors is celebrating after being ranked the region’s most active deal adviser in the Experian Market IQ M&A Review FY24, completing on 57 qualifying deals over the time period. Alongside the full year ranking, the firm has been recognised as the top deal advisor in each of Experian’s quarterly reports across the last two years.
The department has expanded over the last year to meet demand, welcoming solicitors Connie Lu and Olly Moore and paralegal Holly Kirk to the department, which includes partners Paul Hughes, John Nicholson and Chris Hughes, associate solicitors Daniel Bell and Max Gilchrist, solicitor Grace Hughes and paralegal Jenny Harrison.
Senior partner and head of the department Paul Hughes said: “Once again, Mincoffs has been ranked by Experian as the region’s number one deal adviser - a position we have held for the second year in a row. This result is one we are incredibly proud of, and it is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team who work tirelessly for our clients.
“We continue to see significant deal activity across the region and further afield, and we have a strong pipeline in the coming months.”
Stockton digital agency Ryze has been named Site of the Day by Awwwards, a global platform recognising the best in digital design and user experience, for its work on the M-Sport Raptor website.
Ryze was appointed by M-Sport in late 2024 with a brief to bring its partnership with the Ford Raptor T1+ to life ahead of the 2025 Dakar Rally. It was enlisted to create a website and build a fully immersive digital experience to elevate M-Sport’s global brand appeal and establish it as a serious competitor on the race circuit as well as in the world of performance engineering. Its solution - msport-raptor.com - has been heralded for delivering an F1-grade digital presence without the F1 price tag.
David Smith, founder of Ryze, said: “While its engineering expertise has long been revered, M-Sport needed a digital platform that could showcase the brilliance of the Raptor, highlight its technical prowess and connect with global audiences like never before.Given the scale of Dakar, a motorsport event that spans continents and attracts millions of viewers, this was a critical gap.
“This award is a testament to the incredible agency talent outside of London. We are passionate about working with innovative technology brands to create digital experiences that match the quality of their products. Our work with M-Sport and Ford was about capturing the essence of high-performance engineering in a way that resonates with fans, and we’re thrilled that Awwwards has recognised that.”
The website was so successful that it has also been nominated for the ‘Best Web Experience in Business & Services’ honour by Awwwards.
Leading shower designer and manufacturer Roman has celebrated its 40th anniversary. March 5 2025 marks exactly 40 years since its first started trading, and the milestone was celebrated with all employees at the company’s headquarters in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. To mark the occasion, CEO David Osborne delivered a presentation to employees, followed by celebrations with cake for everyone.
In 1985 Roman initially started selling coloured bath screens to match the bath suites of the time. As the business evolved, the product range expanded to include shower enclosures and shower trays. Today, Roman operates from a state-of-the-art 400,000 sqft manufacturing facility and has more than 200 employees.
David Osborne, chief executive officer at Roman, said: “Celebrating our 40th anniversary is a proud milestone for everyone at Roman. What began in 1985 with selling coloured bath screens has evolved into Roman becoming the Ƶ and Europe’s leading shower manufacturer – with our products now specified across the globe. This achievement is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and passion of our entire team over the last four decades. As we look to the future, we remain committed to innovation, sustainability, and continuing to manufacture world-class products here in the Ƶ.”
