Citizens Advice Gateshead has been named North East Charity of the Year at an event celebrating the best of the region’s voluntary sector.
The advice service saw off competition from the Great North Air Ambulance, the Hospital of God at Greatham and Oasis Community Housing to win the top prize at the North East Charity Awards, which are organised by The Journal and our sister paper on Teesside, the Gazette. Other winners on the night included Karbon Homes, Beamish Museum and Difference North East. Individual charity champions and corporate supporters were also honoured.
Alison Dunn, chief executive of Citizens Advice Gateshead, said: “It’s been an incredibly difficult few years. We’ve been at the heart of the pandemic and now we’re facing cost of living crisis.
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“This is fantastic. To have that work recognised and to be able to say to our staff all of what they’ve done, all of those sacrifices they’ve made, have been recognised is hugely rewarding. I’m absolutely delighted.”
The event at The Fed in Gateshead was introduced by Journal editor Graeme Whitfield, who said: "The cost-of-living crisis has raised costs for charities, made it harder for them to fundraise and at the same time increased demand for the services that many of them provide.
"To make matters worse, some of the policies coming our way from Westminster have added another challenge. For the Government to be even considering real-term benefit cuts or axing health education programmes is breathtaking.
"But this is not who we are. It’s where we’re at, as a country, but it’s not who we are. Who we are – at our very best – is the people and organisations in this room who see people in need and want to help them. So more than ever I want to take the opportunity to thank our voluntary organisations, the people who work at them and the fundraisers who help them, for what they do.”
The awards are sponsored by RBC Brewin Dolphin, with sponsorship also coming from VONNE, the Sir James Knott Trust, Banks Group, the County Durham Community Foundation, Millfield House Foundation, Muckle LLP and the Newcastle Hospitals Charity.
Rita Grey, who has been a volunteer in her local community for more than 50 years and is currently chair of trustees at disability support charity ELCAP, was awarded the Charity Champion of the Year title for her tireless efforts. She said: "I'm absolutely thrilled, what a wonderful thing. This is for all the volunteers. It's been 52 lovely years and I'll be there until they kick me out!"
And the Uniquely North East Award went home with Beamish: the Living Museum of the North. Chief executive Rhiannon Miles said: "We are utterly delighted. It's an emotional award for us. We are all about people and all about the people of the North East. This isn't just about Beamish, it's about the people that make this region what it is. We invest in our people and they give us so much back."
Meanwhile Teesside Hospice chief executive David Smith was chosen as Charity Leader of the Year. Mr Smith was inspired to go into hospice work when his late mother received end of life care and he witnessed the level of care afforded to her.
He said: "It's about 21 years since my first chief executive job and I feel like it's been a constant learning experience - learning from people and organisations with new ideas about how to do things. There's something about working in this sector, despite the challenges and difficulties we may face, that means you can go home at the end of the day and know that we delivered care that was needed."
Jeff Ball, from RBC Brewin Dolphin, was chair of the judging panel.
He said: “When it comes to charities in the North East, excellence is around every corner. Tonight is a celebration of that excellence, but it is also a reminder of the responsibility we all carry. As much as we applaud the causes that we will hear about tonight, you must keep telling their stories tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. Because it’s only by puffing our chests out and taking pride in ourselves that others will follow.”
You can find a selection of pictures from the awards ceremony at The Fed, Gateshead, here.
The full list of winners:
North East Charity of the Year: Citizens Advice Gateshead
Outstanding Charity Support by Large Companies Award: Karbon Homes
Outstanding Charity Support by Small to Medium Companies: Durham Box
Corporate Charity Ambassador of the Year: Sarah Gray - Pepperells Solicitors
Uniquely North East Award: Beamish: the Living Museum of the North
Outstanding Social Enterprise Award: Daisy Chain Charity Superstore and Coffee Shop
Outstanding Contribution to Social Change Award: Difference North East
Charity Leader of the Year: David Smith - Teesside Hospice
Charity Champion of the Year: Rita Grey - ELCAP
Young Charity Champions of the Year: Zakiyya Kamran & Nathan Rennison
Small Charity of the Year: Escape Family Support Ltd
Special Recognition Award: Shared Interest Society
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