Gateshead tech firm Petards was amongst the winners at a special ceremony to recognise the positive social and environmental impact being made by train marker Alstom’s supply chain.
A total of 125 suppliers in the 海角视频 and Ireland took part in the Alstom 海角视频 & Ireland Corporate Social Responsibility Awards, and nine awards were given to companies who are delivering products and services to the company. AIM listed Petards, which is involved in developing, supplying and maintaining advanced security and surveillance technologies for the rail, traffic, defence and communications sectors, won the Fighting Climate Change SME Award
The judges noted: “Petards Rail Technology has a strong policy and CSR commitment. Their KPIs were well reported and validated externally through EcoVadis, a globally recognised assessment platform that rates businesses’ sustainability.”
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Raschid Abdullah, chairman of Petards Group plc said: “We are proud and delighted that Petards Rail has been recognised in this way by Alstom, one its key customers and one the world’s largest rail manufacturers. It demonstrates Petards Rail is considered a leading supplier to the 海角视频 rail market operating to the high standards demanded by global OEMs.”
A Newcastle tech business is toasting success after scooping two awards. BentoBot is an AI-powered learning suite that is disrupting traditional e-learning courses by moving learners away from traditional ‘tick-box training’ and transforming compliance and mandatory training into engaging, interactive five-minutes-a day experiences. The business, founded by Richard Coates and Dinesh Kumar, was only officially launched in April 2024 but already counts the likes of Dr. Martens, McDonalds, KP Snacks, Leeds University and Sides Chicken among its clients.
Now the firm has won two trophies at the Learning Excellence Awards – which were held in the Queen’s Tower Rooms, Imperial College, London – including the Innovative Digital Learning and Innovative Training Initiative awards.
The company has also been shortlisted as finalist at the LPI Learning Awards in the Innovation in Learning category, in which it is up against big names including Adobe and Cornerstone.
Co-founder Mr Coartes said: "I was deeply honoured that BentoBot—our AI-powered learning platform designed to boost workforce performance through bite-sized, multimodal learning, using AI to identify individual knowledge gaps and personalise each learner’s journey—was nominated in multiple categories at the Learning Excellence Awards 2025. Even more exciting, we’re proud to have won in two: Innovative Digital Learning and Innovative Training Initiative, in partnership with Red Construction Group."
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The operator of the Tyne Tunnels TT2 has announced it is supporting the Tiny Lives Trust for a third year running with a £15,000 donation to pay for the transport of families to and from hospital to visit their poorly babies.
The new sum brings the total donation from TT2 up to £40,000 which has so far helped 798 families, either by paying for parking permits or for travel costs so they can spend time with their babies.
Rachel Hardwick, fundraising & engagement manager at Tiny Lives, said: “We understand from speaking with families, just how much of an impact your incredible generosity means during such difficult times. The ability to cover parking and travel costs could just be the saving grace that allows parents to stay incubator-side - right where they need to be.”
TT2’s chief operating officer, Shaun Simmons, said: “TT2 and the Tyne Tunnels strive to add value to our region and this partnership is a great example of that in action. We are helping provide transport connections that are vital to our communities.”
A Darlington church food bank has received a four-figure boost from the Banks Group as it seeks to cover the cost of rising community demand.
The food bank at the King’s Church on Prospect Place has seen a drop-off in donations from their peak after the pandemic, while also trying to keep helping the dozens of local families that use its assistance every week.
Now it has received a £2,000 grant from Durham based Banks Group to help cover its overheads. It’s the second time that Banks has supported the church’s work, with a £1,996 grant enabling it to upgrade the kitchen equipment in its popular community café last year.
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Helen Gannaway, fundraiser at the King’s Church, says: “We’ve been through a really challenging period, and while we do get great support from local people and supermarkets, we’re constantly needing to buy food in to meet local demand. It’s especially difficult when our service users have particular dietary or health requirements that they’d be struggling to meet without our help.
“We’re working to access new funding from all the different sources we can find and are determined to make sure we’re always available to provide whatever help local people need from us whenever they need it. Getting this second grant from the Banks Group means we can keep planning ahead and we’re really grateful for their continuing support.”
Kate Culverhouse, community relations manager at the Banks Group, added: “The King’s Church food bank team are absolutely dedicated to helping people in their local community in every way they can and we’re very happy to be extending our support for their invaluable work.”