You’re so golden

In a heart-warming ceremony for our annual Golden Giveaway held at the Riverside Stadium, 20 local organisations were granted donations of at least £500 with one lucky organisation receiving an impressive £5,000 as a result of a public poll.

This year we received a record-breaking number of votes from the public in support for our 20 finalists who were chosen by a panel of our Patrons.

Stockton Parent Carer Forum, a group of parents and carers of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities aged 0-25 years, topped our poll and took home an amazing £5,000! Rachel McCulloch of Active Chartered Financial Planners presented the award to the lucky winners who were thrilled and jumping for joy.

Staff members and pupils of Newport Primary School were elated when they were awarded their second-place prize of £2,500 which will be used to purchase a new library bus for the children.

Third place in the poll was Boosbeck Village Hall who received £2,000 awarded to them by to help them continue their mission of improving the lives of those within the local community and surrounding villages.

Bloodrun Emergency Voluntary Service (EVS), a blood bike charity, that provides a free voluntary courier service to North East NHS hospitals and Trusts, polled in fourth place, and were therefore awarded £1,750.

Ecstatic with £1,500 were The Christmas Dinner Middlesbrough & Teesside, The Chris Cave Foundation and 9th Hartlepool Scout Group.

Amounts of £1,000 also were awarded to 1st Hartlepool Boys Brigade, Catcote School Parents and Friends and Greenlinks.

LilyAnne’s CIC, Middlesbrough Sportability Club, The Crafty Afty Art Group, The Hospital of God at Greatham and 4th Norton Rainbows each were awarded £750 during the ceremony.

Smaller but no less important amounts of £500 were awarded to Age UK Teesside, Norton Grange Housing Community Cooperative, The Sensory Spot CIC and Ayton Angling Association.