£15,000 BOOST FOR SALVATION ARMY AND FOOD BANKS

Directors from a fast-growing firm led the way as patrons of Middlesbrough and Teesside Philanthropic Foundation played Santa in support of the Salvation Army and local food banks.
Stockton logistics business InBond is the latest patron of the charitable movement that has raised £1.7 million for Teesside community groups and other good causes over the past five years.
The Foundation’s corporate patrons, who all donate £5,000 annually to the charity, presented nearly £15,000 to Teesside food banks and the Salvation Army’s Christmas Toy Appeal.
InBond directors Craig Rye and Phil Lyons carried out their first duty as patrons by presenting £1,000 of food to staff at Billingham Food Bank to help local people in need during the Christmas period.
Business support director Phil said: “As both Craig and I are passionate Teessiders, born and raised in Stockton, we’ve joined the Foundation to try to do some good for those who need our support in the community.
“Supporting the food banks are a perfect example of the reason why InBond became patrons of the Foundation. I personally felt humbled and inspired to meet the unsung heroes who run the food bank. It was a real eye-opener.”
Part of the Trussell Trust, the food bank will distribute supplies of food to individuals and families in need across Billingham, Stockton and Port Clarence over the festive season.
Project manager Jill Coyle, who said the food bank also hands out hats, gloves and winter coats for the winter months, said: “Without donations like this one from the Foundation we couldn’t keep going.
“This donations means dozens of people will eat this Christmas. Some of them will be families in poverty, others perhaps people who have recently come out of prison and have nothing.
“There is a certainly a greater need this Christmas, even more than last year, and I fear it will only get worse in the new year as the effects of job losses from the steelworks start to kick in.”
The Foundation has also shared a further £3,000 with food banks in Middlesbrough, Redcar and Hartlepool, with some of the money raised by more than 120 big-hearted locals who slept rough for the night as part of the sixth Big Tees Sleepout.
Staff from waste management firm Biffa visited Middlesbrough Food Bank to present £1,000 after raising money when taking part in the sleepout.
Patrons of the Foundation also toured Teesside to present £10,000 for the Salvation Army’s Christmas Toy Appeal.
Five local Salvation Army centres – in Guisborough, Eston, Middlesbrough, Stockton and Hartlepool – each received £1,000 cash and £1,000-worth of toys to be distributed to underprivileged families across Teesside.
Nigel Willis of Foundation patrons First Choice Labels presented toys at both Guisborough and Eston, along with a £1,000 cheque to Redcar Food Bank, whilst providing the company’s van to distribute the gifts to all centres.
The Foundation’s new personal patron Jayne Stephenson of Marton Electrical made the presentation at the Salvation Army in Middlesbrough, while David Henderson of px handed over the donations to Hartlepool Food Bank and the Salvation Army.
After BNI raised £5,500 for the Foundation, Gill Sawdon, executive director for Durham and Tees Valley, presented another cheque and gifts to the Salvation Army in Stockton.
A further £1,500 was donated to the Moses Project in Stockton towards providing Christmas Day dinner for families in poverty, along with addicts, alcoholics and the homeless.
The project also received 120 shoeboxes packed with winter essentials such as hats, scarves and gloves, all collated by patrons and supporters of the Philanthropic Foundation.