» JANUARY 2011
Young People Take Action on Homelessness
JANUARY 2011: Photo and interview opportunity: Sunday 30th January 17.30hrs – Monday 31st January 14.00hrs at Market Place, South Shields.
A group of young people who have been affected by homelessness are taking part in a 'sleep-out', to mark the start of Poverty and Homelessness Action Week (29 January – 6 February) on Sunday the 30th of January and raise money for national youth homelessness charity, Depaul UK.
The event takes place under the old Town Hall in the Market Place, South Shields and highlights how youth homelessness looks set to worsen as a result of Government cuts.
Family breakdown is the main cause of youth homelessness and new Housing Benefit reforms may well lead to added pressure on families to make young people over 18 move out of the family home, regardless of whether they are ready to live independently.
There is also a national shortage of social housing, but because young people are only entitled to a reduced rate of Housing Benefit, they can rarely access private accommodation. This reduced rate of Housing Benefit will soon extend to 35 year olds, increasing competition for affordable private tenancies.
With the risk of increased homelessness, the young people planning the 'sleep out' want to make sure that schemes that prevent homelessness are protected. They also want to highlight that not all homeless people fit the stereotypical view of someone sleeping rough.
Project Manager, Jo Burlton said "Many young people are forced into lifestyles that include sleeping on the floor or sofas in friends homes (known as sofa-surfing) or walking about through the night because they don't feel safe. This can lead to being exposed to crime, drugs, and sexual exploitation. Their mental and physical health suffers and some give up hope."
The young people taking part are supported by Depaul UK, the country's largest youth homelessness charity which works with more than 1,000 young people a year in the North East and over 3,500 young people nationwide.
In South Tyneside, the charity delivers the Jigsaw Project, which supports those young people with little support from friends or family to find, access and maintain suitable accommodation. Throughout the region, the charity also runs Nightstop, a scheme which provides emergency accommodation to young homeless people in the homes of volunteer hosts.
Depaul UK works with a number of key partners throughout the North East to prevent youth homelessness. In South Tyneside partners includes South Tyneside Council, Key Project, South Tyneside Homes, Youth Offending Service, Matrix, Probation and Citizens Advice Bureau.
Following the 'sleep out' on Sunday evening of the 30 January, Depaul UK will then have a stall at the market the next day where its team will provide further information about the causes and effects of homelessness and promote the support available within South Tyneside.
The 'sleep out' is supported by McDonalds, BUPA, Hospitality and Hope, and Newcastle College photography department,
Anyone who wants to sponsor those participating in the 'sleep out' should call 0191 2536161.
For more information about Depaul UK please visit www.depauluk.org or contact Nightstop directly on 0191 2536171
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For further information please contact Madeleine Griffith or Elizabeth Eddy on 01642 584790 or email madeleine@velvetcommunications.co.uk
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North East Contact Centre and Fulfillment Specialist is Best
JANUARY 2011: Contact Centre and fulfillment specialist, Spark Response, has been appointed by leading TV and online retailer, Best Direct, to provide support as it continues to expand its retail offering.
Gateshead based Spark, will provide fulfillment support across the company's television, web and retailer divisions, in addition to contact centre support for its Direct Response TV (DRTV) campaigns.
Best Direct was founded in 1992 and specialises in the retail of demonstrable products in the fitness, housewares and lifestyle categories. Purchased by Industex Spain in 2009 it continues to operate under the Best Direct brand and sales are generated via its TV channels on Sky 649 and Virgin 813. However, as the business has continued to expand and evolve, its retail trade has increased significantly, which was one of the key drivers behind it outsourcing its fulfillment provision to Spark.
The new contract follows a period of significant expansion for Spark as it secured a series of extended contracts and continuing partnerships worth over £30 million over the next four years. Furthermore, it recently announced its appointment by Ethical Superstore to deliver a contract valued at around £2m over four years.
Maureen Wilson, Managing Director, Best Direct says: "As our business has continued to grow a pace we began looking at ways to make our operations more effective from a cost perspective and to maintain the highest standards of service that our customers have come to know and expect. Outsourcing our fulfillment and a proportion of our contact centre operation was strategically crucial for our business and we evaluated our existing provision before approaching Spark. Working with its team will allow us to focus on consolidating our existing trade platforms, while planning for rapidly expanding retail and eCommerce areas. We are confident that in Spark we have found a long term strategic partner and that its expertise and capability will enable the Best Direct brand to continue to grow and develop into 2011 and beyond."
Peter Slee, Managing Director, Spark Response says: "To have secured another high profile brand with such a rich heritage is testament to our commitment to delivering the highest possible standards of service and our proven track record in managing Direct Response TV and eCommerce accounts. Working with an outsourced and independent partner to ensure that high volume calls and associated fulfillment can be managed successfully is a key tool for organisations such as Best Direct, as they look to differentiate their organisation from others in an increasingly busy marketplace and we believe we will help them achieve just this."
Spark also provides contact centre and fulfillment support to organisations including Toys R Us, Scottish Power, Cancer Research UK, Best Direct, Ethical Superstore, Red Direct, FitFlop, Soap & Glory, GANT and Pavers Shoes, among others.
For more details about Spark Response please visit www.sparkresponse.com or call 0191 418 6077
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For further information please contact Madeleine Griffith or Elizabeth Eddy on 01642 584790 or email madeleine@velvetcommunications.co.uk
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Free Event to Harness Investment Opportunities in Anaerobic Digestion
JANUARY 2011: A free event is being held later this month in Durham for North East companies within manufacturing and related industries to explore business opportunities in Anaerobic Digestion.
The event, organised by RENEW and MAS North East, has been rescheduled due to the recent adverse weather conditions and is now taking place at Durham County Cricket Club on Thursday 27 January.
RENEW facilitates and delivers commercial energy and environmental technology projects across North East England and is committed to ensuring the region is at the forefront of the UK's low carbon and sustainable energy drive.
Peter Walsh, Energy Manager at RENEW said: "Converting food waste and other organic materials into biogas is a process that is commonly used across northern mainland Europe, but not here in the UK. This event will help companies working in sectors such as plant and equipment, pipework, general fabrication, heat exchange and ancillary equipment explore the opportunities available to them in this growing market.
"The Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association predicts that 1,000 anaerobic digestion biogas plants will be built in the next five years at a cost of £5billion, mostly funded by the private sector. Businesses who attend the event will be able to find out about the technology, where opportunities exist and how they can access the market."
Working with businesses, communities, investors, regulators and technology suppliers RENEW helps low carbon energy and environmental technology projects make the transition from development to the marketplace. Additionally, it provides strategic support to a diverse range of businesses looking to maximise the economic opportunities and carbon reductions from the application of these projects.
John Barton, Project Director, RENEW adds: "We are committed to ensuring the region is at the forefront of the UK's low carbon and sustainable energy drive and that the industry is making a significant contribution to the economy bringing investment, jobs and growth to North East England. Waste management is a key element of our work and we hope this event will highlight the investment opportunities and growth in this marketplace, and more importantly the significant economic benefits that are associated with sustainable waste management in our region."
The event will run from 9:00 am to 12:00 midday with breakfast and registration from 8:15 am. To register, please contact Gemma Swinney at MAS North East with your name and business contact details via gemma.swinney@paconsulting.com or telephone 0191 501 8603.
For further information please visit www.renew-cpi.com or 01642 455 340.
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For further information please contact Elizabeth Eddy or Christina Pounder on 01642 584790 or email elizabeth@velvetcommunications.co.uk or Christina@velvetcommunications.co.uk
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Celebrate A New You In The New Year With www.iexerci.se
 JANUARY 2011: As a health and fitness professional it can be difficult to keep track of your clients' progress when you're not around and checking in with you once or twice a week is often not enough.
Personal trainer, Phil Crosby, has designed an online support tool, www.iexerci.se, to remedy this problem. The online resource can be used by health and fitness professionals to track clients' progress around the clock and enables clients to feel supported beyond their training session.
Creator and CEO of iexerci.se, Phil Crosby, said: "When I was working as a personal trainer, I had a client who moved to Cyprus and I needed a way to be able to monitor his diet and fitness regime during the periods when we couldn't meet face to face. I searched for an online tool that would do this and although I found various food diaries and fitness websites, I couldn't find anything that had all of the features I needed in one place, so I began developing www.iexerci.se.
"The website has evolved hugely from the initial concept, but the rationale for creating it is as valid as ever, as it allows personal trainers, nutritionists and other health professionals to log into clients' accounts (with permission) and monitor what they are eating, the exercises they are practicing and how they are progressing with specific goals and targets."
The website includes a comprehensive food diary populated with thousands of foods and users can easily add any other specific foods or recipes that aren't already in there. Once meals are entered into the food diary, iexerci.se works out how many calories have been consumed and what percentage of the food consumed is protein, carbohydrates, fats and alcohol, as well as the user's recommended daily allowances (RDAs) of various vitamins.
In addition to diet advice and support, health professionals can upload exercise programmes for their clients to follow, as well as setting goals on their behalf. Clients can update their own profile on the move too, as the site is accessible via mobile phones and then profiles can be accessed by the health professional whenever they want to check on their clients' progress.
While the online site is proving popular with consumers, Retford NHS has also endorsed its benefits, using iexerci.se as a key focus and resource within its many health and diet clinics.
To trial the website go to www.iexerci.se for a 21 day free trial. Annual membership for clients is £34.99 and the Health Pro membership is £59.99 for up to 30 clients or £149.99 for unlimited clients. With the Health Pro membership users get a dedicated web address with their own company branding as part of the sign up process such as www.iexerci.se/companyname which can then be linked or embedded into their own website.
To try the website for free go to www.iexerci.se for a 21 day free trial. Annual membership is £29.99.
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For further information please contact Madeleine Griffith or Elizabeth Eddy on 01642 584790 or email madeleine@velvetcommunications.co.uk
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Aesica Announces European Expansion And Long Term Strategic Partnership
JANUARY 2011: Aesica Pharmaceuticals announced today that subsidiary company, R5 Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by Aesica in June 2010, is set to double in size by the end of the year.
R5 is based at Biocity in Nottingham and the new facilities will be built to R5's specification. A new analytical chemistry laboratory will be built this spring with the second stage of construction completing in the second half of the year.
Widely acknowledged as one of the leading providers of pharmaceutical dosage form development across Europe, R5 develops and manufactures new medicines and clinical trial materials. The expansion is strategically essential for the company and follows a period of increased demand from existing clients and significant growth in new markets, most notably in the US.
Paul Titley, Managing Director, R5 Pharmaceuticals said: "This is an exciting development for R5 and demonstrates our commitment to evolving and enhancing our service offering to meet market demands. That we are set to double the size of our site and create new facilities, which will enable us to introduce new services to our current provision, is testament to the dedication and expertise of the entire team in establishing R5 as a leader in its field.
"Becoming part of Aesica in 2010 has proved invaluable and our expansion is largely due to its confidence in our service offering as well as its desire to help us enhance our facilities and establish a presence in new markets. As part of Aesica we aim to promote and further develop our offering, while supporting continued growth as Aesica strives to become the leading provider of formulated products and active pharmaceutical ingredients to the global pharma and biotechnology industries."
Aesica is one of the UK's fastest growing companies and is currently undergoing a period of significant and rapid expansion both in the UK and Europe, as well as across America. The R5 expansion follows Aesica's recent announcement in December 2010 that it had acquired three manufacturing sites in Europe, almost doubling its workforce.
Aesica supplies contract development and contract manufacturing services for Formulated Products and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients to a host of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies and emerging biotechnology organisations.
Its unique proposition lies in its flexible and bespoke approach to service delivery, coupled with its ability to develop products from the initial clinical stage through to final commercial supply. Furthermore, the long established and proven expertise within the company enables it to provide primary and secondary contract manufacturing services to the highest possible standards. It is this all encompassing offer and its dedication to exceptional standards of service that truly sets Aesica apart from its counterparts.
For more information about Aesica please visit www.aesica-pharma.com
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For further information please contact Christina Pounder or Elizabeth Eddy on 01642 584790 or email christina@velvetcommunications.co.uk
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New Network Launched To Grow the Energy & Environmental Industries
JANUARY 2011: The North East Sustainable Resources Board (NESRB) has launched a new interactive web tool to help generate investment across the region.
The Geographical Information System (GIS) Resource Mapping Tool has been developed to allow users to examine the location of waste management facilities throughout the North East of England and also the tonnages of waste and resources disposed at these facilities.
RENEW, the organisation that facilitates and delivers commercial energy and environmental technology projects across the region worked with the NESRB to create the tool and believes it is the first of its kind to provide such detailed information in an interactive format.
Chris Hayward, Environment Technologies Manager, RENEW and an NESRB stakeholder, helped coordinate the project and says: "The GIS Resource Mapping Tool was developed to provide greater confidence to waste infrastructure companies interested in investing in the region and to improve the accessibility and usefulness of available waste management information.
"We were very pleased to work with the Environment Agency, DEFRA and Arup to bring all this information together in a simple to use format. By making this information accessible to all organisations with an interest in waste management, it will provide better understanding of the capacity and type of resource management facilities, spatial distribution of facilities and more certainty over the composition and location of waste generation in the North East."
The GIS tool uses data collected from publicly available sources such as the Environment Agency's Waste Interrogator (2009), DEFRA's Waste Data Flow, the Regional Spatial Strategy, in a variety of formats including charts, diagrams and data tables. This data was then manipulated (with the Environment Agency's cooperation
and licensed approval) to render it suitable for import into a Geographical Information System (GIS).
One key feature of the tool is that it provides more detailed data relating to Commercial and Industrial Waste than has previously been available. Its accuracy will be improved further by DEFRA's national C&I waste survey (2010), and the North East Commercial & Industrial Waste survey also commissioned by the Board, which will be published in March 2011.
John Barton, Project Director, RENEW adds: "Through our work at RENEW we are ensuring the region is at the forefront of the UK's low carbon and sustainable energy drive and that it is making a significant contribution to the economy bringing investment, jobs and growth to North East England. This new resource mapping tool will help bolster that by showing what opportunities are available for investors and helping current services develop and grow to meet the needs of the region."
Working with businesses, communities, investors, regulators and technology suppliers RENEW helps low carbon energy and environmental technology projects make the transition from development to the marketplace. Additionally, it provides strategic support to a diverse range of businesses looking to maximise the economic opportunities and carbon reductions from the application of these projects.
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For further information please contact Elizabeth Eddy or Christina Pounder on 01642 584790 or email elizabeth@velvetcommunications.co.uk or Christina@velvetcommunications.co.uk
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Staff at Spark Response Raise £5,500 for Forces Charity
 JANUARY 2011: Staff at Gateshead-based Spark Response have raised over £5,000 for the North East branch of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) Forces Help, through a series of fundraising events and sales.
Each year, staff at the contact centre and fulfilment specialist choose a charity to raise funds for and host various events throughout the year such as the annual family fun day and sales of stock donated by clients such as FitFlop, Red Direct and Soap & Glory.
The 2010 donation of £5,477 is Spark's biggest single donation to date and brings the total it has raised for charity, since it began recording amounts in 2005, to more than £27,000.
The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) Forces Help charity supports those serving in the Armed Forces, as well those who used to serve, and their families. Last year alone, the charity helped more than 50,000 people. Although SSAFA is a national charity, it has branches across the North East and helps countless families in the region.
Edward Duffy, HR Manager, Spark Response, said: "That we have been able to donate such a significant amount of money to SSAFA in the North East is testament to the commitment of our staff to fully support our charitable initiatives. We're delighted with the total this year, particularly as £1,500 of the total was raised in December alone when everyone's very busy and money can be tight. Some of our staff have family or friends in the Forces and SSAFA was chosen in memory of Dave Ritchie, a friend and former colleague who passed away a little over a year ago. Dave worked for the company for over ten years and served in the Forces himself. We're happy to be able to give this money to such a deserving cause and I would like to thank all our staff for their commitment and generosity and hope that our chosen charity in 2011 is as well supported."
Jeremy Feggetter, Tyne & Wear Branch Chairman, SSAFA, said: "We would like to extend a huge thank you to all of the staff at Spark Response for their efforts this year in helping to raise such a substantial amount. As a charity, we pride ourselves on the fact that we offer support not only to those currently serving, but also to ex-servicemen and women and their families. This may be financial, practical or emotional but without the support and generosity of individuals and organisations such as Spark we couldn't continue to provide these services."
For more details about Spark Response please visit www.sparkresponse.com or call 0191 418 6077
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For further information please contact Madeleine Griffith or Elizabeth Eddy on 01642 584790 or email madeleine@velvetcommunications.co.uk
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New Network Launched To Grow the Energy & Environmental Industries
JANUARY 2011: A new network aimed at helping businesses, organisations and agencies in the energy and environmental industries to meet, connect, trade and grow has been launched across the North East.
The Energy and Environmental Industries Forum (EEIF) has been created by RENEW, the organisation that facilitates and delivers commercial energy and environmental technology projects across North East England.
It has been designed exclusively to support the continued growth of the sector, which is playing an increasingly significant role in the region and the continued drive for a Low Carbon transition will bring additional opportunities for local businesses leading to further inward investment and new job opportunities.
The EEIF will connect the diverse range of companies operating in the sector through a comprehensive directory, an extensive events programme, jobs database, daily news feed and weekly newsletter. In the coming weeks the network will also provide a comprehensive tender notification service, as well as advice and support relating to procurement, funding and business development.
More importantly membership is currently free and RENEW is urging both private and public sector organisations to visit www.eeif.co.uk and sign up to experience the many benefits the network affords.
Speaking of the launch, John Barton, Director, RENEW, said: “There are over 1,000 businesses and organisations operating in the energy and environmental marketplace in the North East and this number is set to increase as the region strives to establish itself at the forefront of the UK’s low carbon and sustainable energy drive. We believe there is a real need to bring everyone together in one place to connect, share expertise and knowledge, while supporting the trade and supply chain and helping members to enjoy tangible commercial results. The EEIF will fulfill this need and membership levels are growing each day, with a diverse range of organisations interacting and benefiting from the services offered.
“Other more industry specific forums currently exist in this sector, but we have designed the EEIF to complement these forums, while providing a more commercially focused interactive environment that is truly unique. It is our hope that the forum will become the place for businesses in the energy and environmental industries to meet, connect and ultimately grow.”
EEIF will be officially launched as part of an event hosted by RENEW on Wednesday 23rd February at the Excel Centre, Newton Aycliffe in County Durham and admission is free for North East based companies operating in this market. *
Working with businesses, communities, investors, regulators and technology suppliers RENEW helps low carbon energy and environmental technology projects make the transition from development to the marketplace. Additionally, it provides strategic support to a diverse range of businesses looking to maximise the economic opportunities and carbon reductions from the application of these projects.
For further information about the EEIF or to become a member please visit www.eeif.co.uk
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For further information please contact Elizabeth Eddy or Christina Pounder on 01642 584790 or email elizabeth@velvetcommunications.co.uk or Christina@velvetcommunications.co.uk
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North East Hair Company Continues Expansion and Announces Re-Brand
JANUARY 2011: Local eCommerce business Hair X-Tensions Limited is celebrating its fifth anniversary by announcing it is re-branding as Harland Corporation Limited to enable the company to develop new lines of business and operate in new markets.
The original company was founded in 2005 and specialised in supplying hair extensions and associated accessories via its eCommerce site. As the company has evolved and demand for its products increased both in the UK and across the US, Canada, Australia and Western Europe, it has identified a gap in the market and now aims to diversify and expand its product range to cover all aspects of the hair and beauty industry.
As a result, the company has decided to re-brand the business and create a platform from which it could operate globally and without sector or product constraints.
The re-brand also follows the company’s relocation to a bigger site at Seaham Grange Industrial Estate. The new facility is over 250 per cent larger that the company’s previous site and provides 7,000 sq ft of office and storage space with the potential to add a mezzanine floor, taking the useable space to 10,000 sq ft.
In addition to the new site, the company has recently appointed two further members of staff and is currently recruiting an office manager and two additional web developers, creating an eleven strong team.
Speaking of the re-brand, Darren Williams, Director, Harland Corporation Limited, says: “Following a period of significant and sustained growth we decided to capitalise on the momentum and relocate to a larger site that would enable us to meet increased demand and evolve our offering more efficiently. At the same time we have invested heavily in planning for the future of the business, and following an extensive strategic overview, decided to re-brand before expanding any further.
“Re-branding as Harland Corporation Limited and trading as Harland Hair & Beauty, will enable us to market our brand and company offer more easily and compete on the global stage with major organisations. It’s our vision to become the leading supplier of hair and beauty products and accessories to the global consumer market and despite operating in a continually challenging and unpredictable economic climate we are making great strides in achieving this. Our turnover has grown steadily throughout the recession and we are currently looking to close the financial year with a 100 per cent increase on the previous year. It is this success that has fuelled our ambition to extend our current offering, secure new brands and products to complement our existing range, and begin trading with new audiences in Europe and Asia.”
Following the company’s relocation it has also created a trade counter to display and retail its extensive range of products to the public and also to professionals in the hair and beauty industry.
Harland Hair & Beauty supplies an extensive range of products and accessories from leading luxury brands including Balmain, Tigi, Mark Hill, Jessica Simpson Hair Extensions, Tangle Teezer and its own brand of hair extensions, among others.
For further information about Harland Hair & Beauty please call 0191 521 3311
or visit www.hairextensions.co.uk
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For further information please contact Elizabeth Eddy or Madeleine Griffith on 01642 584790 or email elizabeth@velvetcommunications.co.uk or madeleine@velvetcommunications.co.uk
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Staff Incentive Scheme Sees Warehouse Worker £1,500 Richer
 JANUARY 2011: One member of staff at Gateshead-based Spark Response is celebrating the arrival of the New Year after winning an incentive bonus of £1,500.
Joe Walton, who works in the fulfilment centre at Spark, was awarded the cash bonus as part of the company's Reward & Recognition scheme, which runs throughout the year and relies upon staff being nominated for their hard work and dedication. Employees are awarded either one or three points for achievements such as regularly exceeding targets, adding cost savings or efficiencies to the business or making an effort to make Spark a greener company. Each point earned equates to one entry into the annual draw, so the more points a staff member has, the better their chances of winning.
Joe, 55 from Gateshead, had received three points throughout 2010 for going the extra mile and showing dedication to his role. He also proactively identified a way of saving the company money, whilst positively impacting productivity for him and his warehouse colleagues. Speaking of his win, Joe said: "Obviously, I'm delighted to win the top prize which is particularly welcome so soon after the expense of Christmas. I was just doing my job as I would normally but the fact that what I do has resulted in me taking home an extra £1,500 at this time of year is a great incentive to go that extra mile at work."
Other cash prizes of £750 and £500 were awarded to Rita Shiels who works in Spark's inbound contact centre and Alan Baron who also works in fulfilment. Alan defied all odds and took home third prize for a second year in a row.
To decide the winners, all staff in the draw have their picture taken and their images flash up quickly on a screen before Managing Director, Peter Slee, stops the rotating images at random revealing the winner of each prize.
Peter says: "It's more fun that way. The old names-out-of-a-hat routine wouldn't drum up the same level of buzz and excitement. It's an incredibly busy and positive time of year for us and it's great to be able to give something back at this time.
"We've had over 1,000 nominations since we started the scheme in 2006 which clearly demonstrates the positive effect the scheme is having on the business. We have a very broad and diverse client range and we need a talented team of staff who can cope with that and help us in growing our business. To that end, the Reward & Recognition scheme enables us to let staff know how much we appreciate their hard work, and that initiative and dedication are valued and rewarded. The scheme is unique and I believe it plays a key role in engendering loyalty and creating a real sense of community and culture throughout the business."
The scheme also names a Quarterly Hero every three months, whereby the employee with the most points for that period receives £100. The winner of the Hero title for quarter four 2010 was 22 year old Luke Anderson from Crook in County Durham, who received six separate nominations throughout the year, including four in the final quarter, and was recently promoted to a senior member of the inbound contact centre team at Spark.
Peter Slee continues: "Of course, all of our annual draw winners are worthy of their cash prizes, but it's important that we do something that honours those who have achieved that little bit more than their peers. It's not about putting anyone on a pedestal; it's about getting a message out to the rest of the team around what R&R means. Luke was nominated six times in 2010 and only three others in the business can claim the same. The Quarterly Hero award is a way of reminding everyone that the scheme is there and giving tangible examples of the kind of positive achievements we're looking to reward."
Spark's Reward & Recognition scheme has been running for five years in March and has seen over £15,000 in cash prizes awarded.
For more details about Spark Response please visit www.sparkresponse.com or call 0191 418 6077
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For further information please contact Madeleine Griffith or Elizabeth Eddy on 01642 584790 or email madeleine@velvetcommunications.co.uk
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Local Charities Celebrate £8,000 Donation from Bus Drivers
 JANUARY 2011: Bus drivers from across the North East have raised £8,191 for a number of local charities from fundraising activities over the Christmas period.
The twenty drivers dressed up as Santa and handed out sweets during their shifts in December to collect funds for their nominated charities and then their employer, Stagecoach North East, match funded the donations.
This year, despite the country's economic downturn, the drivers collectively raised a staggering £4,095.50, which was rounded up to the grand total by the bus operator.
The drivers were collecting for various charities across the North East, including Tiny Lives, The Hartlepool Blind Welfare Association, St. Benedicts Hospice, Macmillan Cancer Support and St. Clare's Hospice.
The fancy dress costumes brought a smile to the faces of young and old customers alike and the younger passengers were treated to a lolly courtesy of the drivers for every donation made.
Ronnie Oxborough, a driver from the Stagecoach North East's Walkergate depot, who has donned the famous red and white outfit many times before for charity says: "Tiny Lives at the RVI is a wonderful cause and as Christmas is primarily about children, it made sense to do our bit to help those children who benefit from the unit."
He adds: "Our passengers were so generous and to have raised £2,513 in Newcastle was just fantastic. To then have the sum doubled by Stagecoach North East was even better, and I know I speak on behalf of the whole group when I say that we had fun dressing up and hope that through our fundraising we also brought a smile and some festive cheer to our passengers."
John Conroy, Managing Director of Stagecoach North East said: "We were happy to support the fundraising efforts of all our drivers and would like to commend them for their dedication to collecting for such worthy causes that benefit the local communities they serve. On behalf of all the participating drivers I'd like to thanks our passengers and the staff across all our depots for their continued generosity and support."
For further information about Stagecoach North East please visit www.stagecoachbus.com/northeast
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For further information please contact Christina Pounder or Elizabeth Eddy on 01642 584790 or email christina@velvetcommunications.co.uk
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