Four biking builders from Countryside Partnerships North East are planning to head to Asia to tackle a cycle challenge in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care (MCCC).
Development director Andrew Rennie, development manager Michael Duffy, managing director Dave Brown and associate Jason Douglas plan to join a group of 50 people, taking on the gruelling 550km Vietnam to Cambodia route in October. Riding between 30 – 95km per day, the week long journey will cover some challenging terrain and weather conditions - with humid temperatures expected to be around 31 degrees and possibly torrential rain, as the trip coincides with the rainy season.
Mr Rennie said: “Considering the stark fact that one in two people will develop cancer in their lifetime, we feel it is important to support and help fund vital services - like Marie Curie - which are leading the way in caring for patients, their families, care givers and friends, in often challenging and difficult circumstances. All four of us have personally been affected by seeing loved ones and friends battle this cruel disease and know how important it is to get the correct care and treatment, but also the compassion and dignity which MCCC and its team of nurses and healthcare professionals provide to those living with a terminal illness. Any donation, no matter how small, that people can contribute would be greatly appreciated.”
To donate you can visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/andrewdavemichaelandrew
Cassie Moyse, marketing director of property agency Bradley Hall, has been named UK Property Businesswoman of the Year by Business Awards UK. The award was launched to recognise female entrepreneurs who have excelled in the property industry, building a thriving business in real estate, property management, or development.
Ms Moyse joined Bradley Hall as a PR manager in 2018 and quickly rose to director level after being appointed marketing director in 2022. She also runs business and lifestyle magazine Portfolio North, a bi-monthly print publication which also operates online and via events.
She said: “I am incredibly honoured to have been named UK Property Businesswoman of the Year, I was truly shocked when I found out and that I had even been nominated for the award by another property professional, never mind that I’d won it. It really feels great for Bradley Hall to be recognised nationally and to have the opportunity to represent the talented and dedicated women who are making their mark in this field. It is a true testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire team at Bradley Hall and Portfolio North. I am incredibly lucky to have the job of shouting about all the fantastic achievements of the team and am glad that our good news is being seen.”
Neil Hart, group CEO of Bradley Hall, added: “Cassie’s entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to championing the North of England is outstanding. Her creativity and leadership have been instrumental in developing innovative marketing strategies that have helped us stand out in this highly competitive property market and we are so proud to have her as part of our team and to see her hard work being recognised by such a well-deserved award.”
North East holiday park operator Parkdean Resorts has raised over £8,000 for The Prince’s Trust through its Great Big Breakfast fundraising event. Held on June 19 at each of its 66 holiday parks across the UK, the company is donating 50% of all breakfast sales from the event to The Prince’s Trust to help transform young lives.
The fundraising comes after Parkdean Resorts announced a major new partnership with the charity earlier this year, which will see the two parties work together to support young people seeking employment through a number of fundraising initiatives and development opportunities. Parkdean Resorts has committed to raising a minimum of £50,000 within the first two years of the partnership, to help The Prince’s Trust launch at least 20 in-school programmes for young people across the UK.
David Morrison, retail director at Parkdean Resorts, said: “Raising funds to help The Prince’s Trust carry out its vital work for young people across the UK is something we’re extremely passionate about at Parkdean Resorts. We’re delighted that teams, holidaymakers and holiday home owners at all of our parks embraced The Great Big Breakfast, and we’re looking forward to raising more money for this amazing charity.”
Commercial property consultancy Naylors Gavin Black has received nine CoStar Awards in recognition of its work in the North East. The firm, based in Newcastle, has collected awards which include the North East’s most active agent in office, industrial and investment categories by number of deals and the square footage of transactions. It also picked up the best single branch award for investment.
The CoStar UK Awards celebrate exceptional achievements and outstanding contributions by property professionals across the country. Angus White, managing partner at Naylors Gavin Black, said: “I am very proud of our team for securing these awards, which are directly linked to our record of achieving results for our clients. The variety of awards that we have received is testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire team, across the whole business.”
Chris Donabie, investment partner at Naylors Gavin Black added: “We are incredibly proud to have received this recognition and remain committed to providing unparalleled service to our clients in the North East. Thanks to our extensive network in the North East - and across the UK and abroad - we are able to unearth off market opportunities for our clients. Our success is a direct reflection of the trust our clients place in us, and the expertise and professionalism of our teams.”
Energy recruitment firm Visuna has raised funds to buy life-saving equipment for its North East office.
Staff at Visuna, based in Washington, held a number of fund-raising events to pay for a defibrillator to be installed on-site. The company employs 50 people on Wearside, where it has had a presence for more than 20 years. It also has bases in the US, Australia and Saudi Arabia.
Chief executive Ford Garrard said: “The closest defibrillator to our Washington office is one mile away, so it’s likely this would be too far to save a life in an emergency situation. The team decided they’d like to purchase a defibrillator for the office and received some funding from the London Hearts charity to help with this, as well as hosting their own fund-raising activities.
“This life-saving device will be situated outside the UK office, funded by team charity activities and will be a public access defibrillator, so in the event of an emergency, anyone in the local area or from any of the businesses on the estate will be able to make use of it.”
The fund-raising events included a Pancake Day buffet, an easter egg decorating competition and hunt around the office and a raffle with a star prize of England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford’s signed gloves. Along with a donation from the company, the team raised £1,335 for the defibrillator.
Other charity initiatives the company has taken part in include a Macmillan Coffee Morning that raised over £630, donating goods to the Washington Community Food Project and supporting Norah’s North Pole, which ensures that as many children as possible wake up with a gift from Santa on Christmas morning.
