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Birmingham Post
Birmingham Post
Business
Tom Keighley

Business Life: charity initiatives and award wins in the North East

A trio of businesses have signed up to support The Beacon of Light through a new shirt tiles display.

As the home of Sunderland charity The Foundation of Light, the city centre venue launched the tiles - displayed in the main foyer building - which firms can sponsor for £1,000. Proceeds from the initiative will support the community building and three city businesses have already signed up.

Woofs and Scruffs, a doggy day centre based in Stack Seaburn; Rorack Shipping a vehicle shipping firm based at Quay West; and BIM73, which offers precision digital engineering services from its North East base have all signed up, and they are urging more businesses to do the same.

Ian Cutter from BIM73 said: “There are so many events here, and people walking around, seeing the company logo on the Shirt and Boot Tile. It gets my business noticed. Anything I can put into the Beacon to benefit the community is definitely worth it. I hope others get involved and support the Beacon of Light.”

Jamie Wright, managing director of the Beacon of Light, said: “The support we have from businesses like Woofs N Scruffs, Rorack Shipping and BIM73 is a vital contributor to the Beacon, supporting a venue that makes such a huge impact on so many lives. We’re enormously grateful to our supporters.”

Cresswell Tower has been removed from Historic England's At Risk register (handout)

Holiday park operator Parkdean Resorts has landed an award of its contribution to the restoration of Cresswell Tower.

The North East firm scooped the title for Best Coast & Countryside Project at the LOVE Northumberland Awards 2022. The 14th Century Grade II listed building gives its name to one of the company’s holiday parks on the Northumberland coast, and was built as a Pele Tower, a common feature in Northumberland between 1350 and 1600 to protect local families from border reivers.

Prior to the restoration, the tower had been subject to vandalism and graffiti and had been roofless. Following a Heritage Lottery Fund grant, Parkdean worked with local charity Cresswell Pele Tower CIO and Historic England to restore the building over two years. It has now been removed from Historic England’s “Heritage at Risk” register and opened to visitors last year.

Stephen Griffiths, director of development & estates, Parkdean Resorts, said: “We’re thrilled to have won this award for our work in helping to restore Cresswell Tower. The team worked really hard to get it back to its former glory for visitors to admire and enjoy, and we’re delighted that their efforts have been recognised. Congratulations to everyone involved.”

In April, Parkdean Resorts announced a cash injection of more than £400,000 in Creswell Towers for 2022, as part of a record £140m nationwide investment programme to improve the guest experience and install park-wide Wi-Fi-capability.

John McCabe (left) and Cannon Michael Everitt. (Supplied by the North East England Chamber of Commerce)

North East England Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Dinner will raise money for Durham Catherdral, where it is being held on September 22.

Previous events catering for 800 guests have contributed around £250,000 towards the building, helping to protect it for future generations. John McCabe, chief executive, North East England Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are delighted to be able to join so many members of our region’s business community in the magnificent Durham Cathedral once again, after two year’s pause due to the pandemic. This will be our third year and it’s the highlight of our Chamber events calendar. It’s also particularly important to us all that we’re able to support the Cathedral’s work with our fundraising through tickets and sponsorship.”

Cannon Michael Everitt said: “We're delighted to host the North East England Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner once again. It is a very special evening in which the cathedral is transformed for the event – it’s an important event in our calendar, one that we are excited to welcome back after two years. We're ever grateful to the Chamber and its guests for the funds it has raised over the years. As well as enabling us to carry out the cathedral’s core mission, these donations have supported vital conservation work, helped to improve our visitor experience and will enable us to welcome generations to come."

Guest speaker at the evening will be TV host and Teesside-born Steph McGovern. Previous speakers have been architect George Clarke; and Sir Tim Lawrence, chair, English Heritage Trust who studied at Durham Cathedral.

Moody Logistics’ Cheralyn Roden with her ‘Above and Beyond’ award. (Alex Maguire)

Northumberland-based Moody Logistics and Storage is celebrating its success at the Amazon Everywoman in Transport & Logistics Awards for a second time in two years.

Cheralyn Roden, the family-run firm’s digital marketing coordinator won the Above and Beyond category in the 2022 Freight Awards in recognition of the innovation and excellence she brings to her role. The mother-of-two, from Cramlington, was one of 16 winners designed to highlight the breadth of opportunities available for women in what is a traditionally male dominated industry.

Just two years ago her boss, managing director Caroline Moody, picked up the Freight Leader award in recognition of her positive contribution to the sector. Ms Roden, who is responsible for promoting the business, was instrumental in highlighting its in-house HGV driver apprenticeship scheme – successfully bringing it to the attention of the Department of Transport, which then featured it in a nationwide campaign encouraging people to consider a career as a lorry driver.

She said: “It is a real honour to receive the Above and Beyond award, given the talent of the others who were also shortlisted. I’m passionate about promoting Moody Logistics and Storage and it’s fantastic to have your work recognised by your peers.”

Gary Fawcett, senior investment manager at Brewin Dolphin’s Newcastle office. (Supplied by Brewin Dolphin)

Wealth manager Brewin Dolphin’s Newcastle office has been awarded the North of Tyne Combined Authority’s Advanced Good Work Pledge (GWP) award - recognising good jobs and a positive work environment.

The award is based on five criteria: valuing and rewarding the workforce; promoting health and wellbeing; effective communication and representation; developing a balanced workforce; and fostering social responsibility. Brewin Dolphin’s Newcastle office was awarded for its initiatives designed to help employees to feel included, supported and rewarded, and also for its support of the local community.

Gary Fawcett, senior investment manager at Brewin Dolphin’s Newcastle office, said: "We are thrilled to have achieved the Advanced Good Work Pledge award, and it just goes to show the hard work the business is putting into supporting its employees and the local community. I believe it is really important for large organisations to show commitment to their employees and the wider community in which we live and work, and hopefully this will help encourage other businesses – big and small – to join the Good Work Pledge initiative."

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