Emmaus North East is celebrating its 15th birthday this year and works to support those facing homelessness in the region. Its trustee board was set up to bring together a wide range of skills and different backgrounds. The board has in recent years established a new vision for the organisation, supported the growth and development of its team and set up clear delegation to the CEO and staff members. Board members are said to “demonstrate leadership and a passion to change the lives of the people Emmaus North East supports”.

The trustee board at New Writing North has helped its leadership develop a complex capital project that has included high levels of risk. Long-term chair David Roche has been credited with developing relationships with national publishers that have transformed the organisation’s work, while both he and deputy Caroline Murphy are credited with supporting the charity’s team “way beyond the call of duty”.

Smart Works Newcastle is part of a national charity that empowers women who need help getting into work. As well as a team of around 50 volunteers, the charity’s work is supported by trustees who bring their own area of expertise to support staff. The board also help with profile raising and fundraising and have enabled the move to a new building after the sale of MEA House.

The youth panel advocates for young people affected by domestic abuse, and to ensure their voices are heard. They have contributed to consultations with a number of local and national organisations and have put together a video to tell other young people about Acorn’s work. One of the panel also contributed to a BBC documentary around teenage relationship abuse. They are described as “unsung heroes” who have chosen to continue to advocate and campaign for the needs of young people other than themselves.

Theresa Cave has worked tirelessly for over 20 years advocating and providing support to families who have been victims of knife crime. Following the death of her own son, Theresa has campaigned to change regulations around parole and sentencing, as well as delivering an award-wining educational program designed to show the repercussions that violent crimes can have on families and communities. This year has seen the foundation expand to new premises and deliver training to more than 3,000 people.

Newcastle Carers have given individuals with caring responsibilities the platform, support and training needed to have their voices heard. The organisation launched the #WeCareToo campaign to highlight the role of young carers, making TV and radio appearances and being recognised at the International Young Carers Conference. It has also worked with hard-to-reach groups and has supported a group of asylum seekers and refugees to understand the needs of carers.

Poppy started work with Chopwell Regeneration Group as a volunteer in 2023 and then successfully applied for an apprenticeship there. She has thrived in the role and regularly manages parts of the charity’s operations, as well as doing other work and finding time to volunteer for other local charities. She is described as “an inspirational young woman” who is “generously using her time and skills to support others in her community. She is a role model to other young people in the village and a rising star who will be an amazing future leader.”

Steph established the Love, Amelia charity in memory of her daughter who lived only for a short time after birth. After giving items intended for Amelia to another mother she met in hospital, she set up the charity that has gone on to help thousands of children and families around the North East. Love, Amelia recently won the national Who Cares Wins Award, an accolade that brought personal endorsement from The Princess of Wales. Steph is combining her leadership of the charity with her role as a mother and while pursuing a master’s degree to enhance her leadership skills.

Emma leads the West End Refugee Service’s Skillsmatch programme, which matches refugees with local businesses where they can learn new skills, gain experience and eventually go back in to the workplace. She is also the co-ordinator for the organisation’s team of more than 200 volunteers and is described as being “integral” to the success of the service. After studying Arabic at Manchester University, Emma volunteered in Calais at migrant camps and spent several months in Jordan to immerse herself in a different culture.

Kat joined The Activity Den in Stanley, County Durham, in 2022 after a previous career outside of the voluntary sector. She has worked hard to develop the charity and lead its team of young volunteers, with colleagues describing her as “an asset to the organisation and the people who attend it”. Kat has raised more than £80,000 for the charity in the last year and helped it secure substantial multiyear funding to support its activities. She was also chosen as a regional leader on the Virgin Money - Leading The Way programme.

Following the success of the CHUF’n’Builders project in 2014 , J T Dove has carried on supporting the Children’s Heart Unit Fund with continued fundraising. That partnership has now seen more than £250,000 raised through a range of activities, including the sponsorship of CHUF’s 40th anniversary Ruby Ball. The decade of working together has been described as “a blueprint for others to follow”.

Housebuilder Lovell Partnership’s North East regional division formed a partnership with Oasis Community Housing in 2023 to help bring hope to people facing homelessness across the North East. The company’s head of construction Mark Whittaker is also volunteering his time and expertise to help the refurbishment of the kitchen at the Naomi House, Oasis’ supported accommodation project for young women.

Stiller Warehousing and Distribution has supported The Children’s Foundation by providing time, expertise and resources over the last two years to support its baby box programme. The family business first worked with the charity with fundraising in 2022 and has since supported it with the development of its baby box initiative, which has delivered support to more than 800 families in the North East. 

The Newcastle law firm has supported On the Up, formerly Upstart Enterprise organisation, with a £2,000 donation and involvement from its trainees. The project targeted students from disadvantaged backgrounds, offering them a chance to develop essential skills and gain an understanding of business and legal practices. Feedback has demonstrated the value of the project to the young people involved.

Bridge Creative works with adults with a learning disability and autistic adults across County Durham, supporting people into employment in the events, arts and creative industries. The organisation has expanded its team to more than 55 people, 60% of whom identify as having a learning disability or being neurodivergent. It has also engaged with more than 50 companies in the events sector who have given tangible commitments toward inclusive employment practices.

Emmaus North East has opened a community launderette to help people without access to their own laundry facilities. With support from Proctor and Gamble and Riverside Housing, the facility has been used by more than 2,500 people. It has also received notable media coverage and has been featured in Emmaus UK’s annual report, celebrating solidarity and helping those in need.

Nuvo Wellbeing is a multi-award-winning social enterprise dedicated to enhancing health and wellbeing in the North East through dance and wellbeing programmes. This year the organisation launched programmes to help people with learning disabilities and people suffering social isolation. It has also provided dance coaching in East Durham to help people gain arts industry experience and create digital showcases.

ThroughFilm is a video production Community Interest Company which aims to make high quality visual storytelling affordable and accessible to the voluntary and community sector. The company uses profits from corporate commissions to provide subsidised services to organisations in the voluntary sector. It also provides filmmaking workshops to grassroots organisations, including those working with young people.

After Lucy lost a close friend to a knife crime incident, she has campaigned to raise awareness of the issue and the impact it has on those involved. She has made significant contributions to the Peer Action Collective project and the fight against youth violence through her involvement with NE Youth. And as a member of the Violence Reduction Unit’s youth panel, Lucy worked with other young people to review project ideas and allocated over £10,000 to six organisations for projects aimed at reducing youth violence.

Leia has turned the tragic loss of her brother Thomas into an opportunity to help other children process their grief and cope with bereavement. When her younger brother passed away, her parents received a memory box but Leia received nothing. This inspired her to create ‘Leia’s Gift in Memory of our Thomas’. She undertook a huge fundraising drive to attract funds to purchase the items required and has worked with the Children and Young Person’s Unit at Butterwick House to hand out boxes.

Maya came to the Building Self-Belief organisation to develop her own confidence and has gone on to become a great asset to the charity. Her work as a volunteer has seen her develop a range of new skills and she has helped at three youth clubs to support younger children. She has also worked at the charity’s community garden and is described as “an invaluable part of our team” who “sets a fabulous example to the children she works with”.

Kaylem has won a number of awards for his work as a volunteer with The Activity Den. Described as a “natural leader”, he has turned his hand to a number of tasks for the charity and has been praised for the “dedication, determination and passion he continuously demonstrates”. Kaylem has represented the charity at external events and runs a social media group for its young volunteers.

Born and raised in Hendon, Jo Cooper joined Back on the Map as operation and service manager in 2011 and has worked her way up to become its CEO. Her time at the charity has seen her lead a successful application for National Lottery funding and take the charity above the £1m turnover mark for the first time in its history. She also holds positions with other local and national charitable organisations, including the Sunderland Voluntary Sector Alliance and the North East Emerging Sector Leaders Network.

Helen led Redcar and Cleveland and Darlington Citizens Advice through a merger in 2021 and stepped in to lead Citizens Advice Hartlepool at a difficult time for the organisation. Described as being “skilled at pinpointing and championing the most underrepresented and vulnerable in our communities”, she has ensured that the CAB organisations have remained open to the public, helping clients with 45,000 enquiries over the last year. 

Duncan became Action Foundation’s second CEO in 2021 and has steered the organisation and its staff through a difficult period with what colleagues described as “hope-fuelled positivity”. A hands-on leader, he has worked to counter some of the negativity against people seeking sanctuary and has developed an ambitious five-year strategy for Action Foundation to help it come out of the Covid pandemic. 

Mick Rodgers became chair of the Pelton Community Association in 2007 when the facility was on the brink of closure. During his 17-year tenure, he transformed it from a dated, underused building into a vibrant and inclusive community hub, increasing its turnover and leading a number of capital projects to transform facilities. He continues to lead the organisation with passion and energy despite being in his eighties.

Chopwell Regeneration Group was set up in 2017 to transform the life chances of people in its community. It helps families and young people, isolated people of all ages, people in financial hardship and people suffering with mental health challenges and addictions through a range of activities. That includes a community allotment, a regeneration shop and the provision of low-cost meals.

Community Action Northumberland (CAN) is based on the core value of empowering people in rural communities through support of village halls. It has created a network of warm hubs around the county, and provides a ‘rural voice’ that aims to influence policymakers. The organisation has secured more than £1m in lottery funding to help refurbish village halls around Northumberland.

Founded in 2017, the North East Young Dads and Lads Project aims to improve the lives of disadvantaged young fathers, with a vision for them to be valued and supported in their role as parents. The organisation works intensively with young men on a 1:1 basis and has expanded across Tyne and Wear and into Tees Valley, Northumberland, and County Durham to reach nearly 150 young dads each year. 

The Newcastle hospice is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with life-limiting conditions in the North East. Its team of health professionals provide end-of-life care to more than 3,000 patients each year. To support that, it raises more than £14.5m, with new strategic objectives set to develop a range of post-Covid services and to develop its volunteer roles. The last year saw its children’s service celebrate its 20th anniversary.

Pamela Hutchinson has been involved with the Girls Friendly Society (GFS) for more than 50 years and is currently English president of the organisation. She is described as a “gifted listener” who provides “empathetic and timely emotional support to the girls” at its organisation’s Eldon branch in particular. Colleagues also highlight the support she offers to new staff members and volunteers on joining the organisation.

Maxime is a 21-year-old student who has volunteered more than 500 hours in the last year while studying at university full-time, working part-time and writing her dissertation. She has supported both FACT Cancer Support and Sexpression:UK, helping to raise £3,000 for the former with a number of fundraising events. She organised Sexpression:UK’s national conference, which was described as “the best conference in years” thanks to months of planning from her.

Inspired by the loss of his mother to dementia, Brian Lewins has raised more than £20,000 for the Alzheimer’s Society. Since 2017, he has participated in the South Shields Memory Walk in the persona of TV’s Mrs Brown, as well as doing collections in supermarkets and selling homemade crafts and Alzheimer’s Society merchandise. He also helps people who have lost relatives to dementia and has been praised for his kindness and care for others.

Eddie McNamee has been a tireless supporter of the children and young person’s unit at Butterwick Hospice Care since 2000 after responding to an advertisement on the side of a bus that asked people to raise £2,000 for the charity. Since then he has raised more than £25,000 through a variety of initiatives and his “prolific” use of social media has promoted the hospice’s work to a wide audience.

BOOST is the registered charity of the Duchess's High School Trust, which was founded 30 years ago to support learning activities for students attending the school in Alnwick. The trust was revived during the pandemic to help meet the needs of young people in rural north Northumberland. Activities include providing breakfast snacks, a hardship fund, counselling and wellbeing support and a book vending machine that aims to encourage reading for pleasure.

Love, Amelia is a children's charity dedicated to alleviating the impacts of childhood poverty. Since 2019, it has provided essential support to babies, children and caregivers facing poverty and hardship. That support has reached more than 15,000 children with over £1.6m worth of items and equipment. Love, Amelia recently won the national Who Cares Wins Award, an accolade that brought personal correspondence and endorsement from The Princess of Wales.

The Millin Charity supports long-term unemployed women from diverse communities in the North East. Since 2021, it has operated hubs in Newcastle and Gateshead that serve as safe spaces for women to seek support, access training and wellbeing workshops and connect with other women as part of a welcoming community. The charity supports around 350 women each year.

Support and Grow North East is dedicated to alleviating poverty, reducing health inequalities, and combating social isolation. Working in some of the most deprived organisations in North Tyneside and Northumberland it provides resources and trauma-informed care to individuals in crisis. Since August 2022, it has been based at the Bertram Grange Community Centre, providing a food bank, clothing bank, baby resources bank, community kitchen, and garden.

Children’s Cancer North is an independent charity that supports individuals and families affected by childhood cancer in the North East and Cumbria. The organisation and its predecessor bodies have raised more than £40m to support children with cancer in the region since 1979. That support has involved funding clinical research, providing support for children and their families, and raising awareness of childhood cancer. Children’s Cancer North also delivers the annual Children’s Cancer Run, which celebrated its 41st anniversary this year.

Chopwell Regeneration Group is a grassroots, community-based charity set up to regenerate Chopwell and improve the lives of people living there. The organisation’s overriding objectives are to bring about long-term change in Chopwell, including improving the local economy, bringing empty buildings back into use and helping people out of poverty through job creation. The group has turned a derelict former bank into a Welfare and Enterprise Centre which provides a range of services to the local community.

Feeding Families provides support to those who can't access food banks due to mental and physical health issues, rural living, working hours that don't align to food bank opening or other issues. Operating from centres in Blaydon and Sedgefield, it works with charities, schools and other organisations to get help to those most in need. In the last year it has impacted more than 46,000 households around the North East, working with more than 5,000 volunteers.

Mortal Fools is a theatre, drama and creative learning company supporting children and young people in the North East. The group’s work engages and empowers young people who are often socially isolated or managing complicated lives. It aims to enhance wellbeing and to cultivate employability and leadership skills through its interventions. In the last year it has supported more than 6,000 children and young people, working with 85 schools and other groups.