North East business life: charity, community and award events of the week

Barratt Developments North East has donated ￡1,500 to the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust , Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust Charity @SHINE Fund.?

Set up nine years ago, the SHINE Fund focuses on providing additional support to service users, offering little extras to enhance their care, treatment, and rehabilitation. Over the years it has arranged initiatives including horse riding outings, summer activities for young people, gardening tools, and festive decorations for the wards.

Barratt Developments has also joined the nationwide celebration of the NHS ’s 75th anniversary this year, creating an NHS rainbow road crossing at Sycamore Grove to honour the contributions and dedication of healthcare professionals.

Carl Sobolewski ACMA , managing director at Barratt Developments North East, added: “We are honoured to be backing such an exceptional organisation as the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust Charity. Their tireless efforts in improving the lives of those in need align with our commitment to creating thriving communities, and together, we can work to make a genuine and lasting impact.”

@Sharon Brennan, marketing manager at SHINE Fund, added: “We are tremendously grateful to Barratt Developments North East for their generous donation to our SHINE fund. These funds will allow us to continue our mission of providing meaningful experiences and essential resources to our service users. By supporting their well-being and quality of life, we can help them on their path to recovery and beyond.”

Electrical recycling company GAP Group North East Ltd North East has teamed up with a North West company to donate ￡2,000 to Maggie's Newcastle .

The Gateshead company worked with REPIC in Bury, Greater Manchester to make the donation to mark the 15 year anniversary of the UK’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations, as part of Repic’s WEEE Cycle Network event.

The event saw its partners, including treatment facilities, reuse organisations and local authorities, take part in a 15-day cycling extravaganza. Gap Group employees joined Repic on day seven and eight of the journey, completing 160kms from Northumberland to North Allerton.

Repic pledged to work with its supporters to donate ￡15,000 to local charities associated with the event route, and having taken part, GAP Group employees selected Maggie’s Newcastle, which offers home-from-home support to those diagnosed or affected by cancer, to receive the ￡2,000 share of the funds.

Peter Moody , managing director at GAP Group, said: “We are grateful for the opportunity to make a positive difference in our local community. At GAP Group we firmly believe in the power of giving back and supporting causes close to the hearts of our employees. We are proud to contribute to the outstanding work of Maggie’s Newcastle and help them continue to support those most in need in our community.”

Centre head from Maggie’s Newcastle, Karen Verrill , added: “You walk through the doors at Maggie’s as a person, not a patient, and are welcomed with the opportunity to meet people who understand what you are going through or a space to sit with a warm drink to gather your thoughts. It costs us ￡2,400 a day to run Maggie’s in the North East, supporting 80-100 visitors every day. Almost everything is funded by our local community. We’re so grateful to everyone at GAP and Repic for choosing to support us with the wonderful surprise donation.”

Port of Tyne has welcomed members of the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association UK ( WISTA UK ) executive committee to the region.

Led by president Monica Kohli , the team explored the potential of synergies between the industry, Government, the Port and WISTA UK, as well as the launch of a local branch of the organisation.

WISTA UK, while focused on the empowerment and inclusion of women, welcomes everyone, regardless of gender or declaration of sex, who aligns with its values of equity, diversity and inclusion. The North East branch, once launched, is poised to host a series of local events, complementing the roster of activities already organised by thr group, to enrich the maritime sector’s dialogues in the region.

The port was joined by representatives from?Mills & Co, NorthStandard and Thomas Miller Legal , who took part in the day’s discussions. During the regional visit the executive committee also held meetings with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCGA) North East and the Royal Navy .

The association added that the launch of a regional branch would be testament to the region’s continued growth, commitment to diversity and an optimistic look towards the future.

A port spokesperson added: “The maritime industry thrives on evolution. Helping to increase WISTA UK’s footprint in the North East means more than just industry growth; it’s about recognising the integral role of diverse voices for the maritime industry and we are proud to help to make this happen.”