Awards that celebrate the best of the North East’s charity sector - plus the companies and individuals that do so much to support it - are launching again.
The North East Charity Awards are returning for their ninth year with a total of 13 prizes to recognise charities, fundraisers and volunteers. The Charity Awards – which are organised by The Journal and our sister paper on Teesside, The Gazette – aim to shine a light on the region’s top charities and those that work in them, as well as individual fundraisers and businesses that support voluntary groups.
Last year the top North East Charity of the Year prize was won by Citizens Advice Gateshead. Other winners included Difference North East, Shared Interest Society and Karbon Homes. The event – which takes place at the Fed in Gateshead on July 19 – will this year feature a new prize of Trustee Board of the Year.
The awards are being partnered by RBC Brewin Dolphin, who have been headline sponsors since the beginning of the awards, with County Durham Community Foundation and the Hospital of God as associate partners. There will also be support from voluntary sector group Vonne, the Sir James Knott Trust, Muckle LLP, the Newcastle Hospitals Charity and Millfield House Foundation.
Jeffrey Ball, charity investment manager at RBC Brewin Dolphin, said: “We are excited to celebrate these awards now in their ninth year, an event we have supported since we helped create them in 2015. Events over the last 12 months both at home and abroad have reminded us how important charities are to our communities, which is why we encourage both new and previous nominees to enter and tell us about their stories of the last year.
“RBC Brewin Dolphin has a long and proud history within the North East, supporting it through our specialist charity investment management team that works with over 100 local charities. And now as part of the Royal Bank of Canada following last year’s take over, we continue to focus on helping clients thrive and communities prosper.
“What that means in simple terms is that we help charities make their money work harder, investing their cash reserves to generate a higher return than they would from cash and allow them to support more beneficiaries, both now and for years to come. We see ourselves as ambassadors for our clients and the charity sector.
“We are proud to help them realise their financial objectives to support as many people as possible.”
Michelle Cooper, CEO at associate partner County Durham Community Foundation, said: “County Durham Community Foundation is delighted to sponsor the North East Charity Awards. This event offers a unique opportunity to acknowledge and applaud the exceptional contributions of charities, community groups, and fundraisers in our region.
“It is a privilege to support organisations that are making a real difference in their local communities to enrich lives and help end poverty. At the foundation, we are committed to helping local businesses, and individuals, channel their charitable giving to have a greater impact, and the North East Charity Awards is an excellent platform to showcase these efforts.”
And Lawrence McAnelly, director at associate partner Hospital of God, said “The Hospital of God has a long and proud history of caring for people. This year marks our charity’s 750th anniversary and we are delighted to be sponsoring the North East Charity Awards.
“I am a passionate advocate of the voluntary and community sector, and our trustees are committed to ensuring that our charity supports a wide range of organisations doing great work and making a positive social impact through our annual grants programme. I encourage all of these outstanding organisations to nominate themselves for an award.”
The categories are:
- Corporate Charity Partnership
- Trustee Board of the Year
- Rising Star Award
- Uniquely North East Award (in partnership with Vonne)
- Outstanding Social Enterprise
- Charity Champion of the Year
- Young Charity Champion of the Year (in partnership with Newcastle Hospitals Charity)
- Small Charity of the Year (in partnership with Sir James Knott Trust )
- Charity Leader of the Year
- North East Charity of the Year (in partnership with Muckle LLP)
- Outstanding Contribution to Social Change (in partnership with Millfield House Foundation)
- There will also be a Headline partner’s Lifetime Achievement Award (RBC Brewin Dolphin) and an Associate partner’s Special Recognition Award (County Durham Community Foundation and Hospital of God).
- More details on the awards – including how to enter – can be found at www.northeastcharityawards.co.uk. For further details, contact dawn.owens@reachplc.com.
