Fifteen local charities, community groups and schools need your votes to help them win a fabulous cash injection of up to £5,000.
You can vote here on our Home page.
Each group is already guaranteed £500 – but with your help they can win up to £5,000, depending on the number of votes they receive.
A number of our patrons have whittled it down to 15 groups from a stack of applicants to be part of our twice-yearly £20,000 Golden Giveaway.
And now it’s up to you to decide who is most deserving of a bumper cash boost in our latest winter giveaway.
Here’s the list of 15 candidates – now it’s over to you to get voting ahead of the Friday, December 7 deadline!
• Coatham House – A long-established charity which works with young homeless people in #Redcar and runs a five-bed hostel, it would use the money to support those in crisis to access its services.
• Leo’s – A #Yarm-based charity which “cares for families during preterm and traumatic labour, the neonatal unit and beyond”, Leo’s would use a share of the Golden Giveaway money to help fund its welcome boxes, with more than 1,000 babies needing care across the hospitals it supports.
• Blaze – Blaze reaches out to help children, youngsters and families in the #Grangetown and TS6 area, providing fun workshops based around life skills and creating opportunities while strengthening relationships within the community.
• Synthonia Scout Group – This volunteer-led, #Billingham-based scout group has just celebrated its 90th anniversary. It has provided a full range of adventure, educational and social development programmes since 1928, and would spend the money on a new minibus.
• Age UK Teesside – Provides information and advice, insurance, social events and befriending for older people within the communities of #Middlesbrough, #Stockton, #Hartlepool and #Redcar and Cleveland. Would spend the money on providing ‘Winter Warmer’ packs to those in need in Redcar and Cleveland.
• Bloodrun EVS (Emergency Voluntary Service) – A #Middlesbrough-based blood bike charity established in 2010 to provide a free, voluntary courier service to North East NHS hospitals and Trusts. If successful in securing funding would like to bulk-buy tyres for its fleet of motorbikes at a discounted rate so its bikes are never off the road.
• Reagan Jack Rainbows – A small #Stockton charity helping families of children with complex needs and life threatening illnesses throughout the Teesside area. Would spend their money on equipment to keep children secure and comfortable, such as standing aids and seizure monitors.
• Families First – Based in #Hartlepool where it works to improve the quality of health and life of children, young people and their families, particularly those with disabilities and special needs, through a range of measures. Among other things, would use the money to provide healthy free meals for children and free activities.
• St Timothy’s Church Hall – Well-used by the #Hemlington community in #Middlesbrough, St Timothy’s runs several initiatives including a community cafe, foodbank and toddler groups. Would spend the money on a new boiler for the church.
• Newport Primary School – Located in one of the UK’s most deprived areas, #Middlesbrough-based Newport Primary supports some of its most vulnerable and underprivileged families at Christmas time by helping them with gifts, food hampers and other necessities.
• CAUSE Christmas Hamper Campaign – Founded over 30 years ago to help cash-strapped families buy food and presents at Christmas, #Middlesbrough-based CAUSE would spend their money on providing hampers for nominated families and gift bags for vulnerable people living alone.
• South Cleveland Heart Fund – Raises money to support the Regional Heart Unit at James Cook University Hospital by buying VAT-exempt equipment, funding new advanced techniques in patient care, and helping to keep the unit at the leading edge of heart care.
• Butterfly Giving – A Coulby Newham-based charity dedicated to supporting young people between the ages of 11-24 with cancer. Would spend the money to organise family events and buy memory boxes for families who have lost a young loved one.
• Teesside Samaritans – Volunteer-led #Middlesbrough organisation offering non-judgemental emotional support for people in distress, and available 24/7 when needed. Money received would enable the group to train more volunteers.
• South Tees Diabetes UK Family Group – #Northallerton-based branch of branch of Diabetes UK covering the #Middlesbrough, #Redcar & Cleveland and #Hambleton & Richmondshire areas, brings ‘diabetic families’ together, helping to create friendships. Would like to spend funds on an active break for families with diabetes sufferers.
Our thanks to our panel of patrons who chose the winning 15 including Jeremy Lowes of Crystal Galleries, Jamie Brown of Endeavour Partnership, Andrew Rowe of Baldwins, Sue Theobald of Barclays Bank (Middlesbrough) and Teesside Centurion Ron Arundale.
