Ten years, ten charities…
BeaconHouse Events was established in 2014 to establish environments and experiences that brought people and ideas together; creating space for conversations that could change the world. Support for local causes is baked into the culture at BeaconHouse Events and each charity on the list has been chosen by a member of the team because it aligns with core value of the business. These donations sit alongside the business’s ongoing hands on support for local non-profit organisations, including the The Children’s Foundation. Over the past year the team has volunteered to weed and dig at the charity’s inner city young people’s allotment, took to the lanes at a fundraising bowling night and supported a project bringing vital mental health workshops to schools in the region – all to give children and young people in the North East the best start possible.
Co-founder Sarah Thackray said, “Events are ultimately about people, and we would like to mark this milestone year by partnering with charities and community groups who are working hard to raise aspirations and create opportunities for people who live and work in our region. This forms a key part of our ESG strategy which aims to position us as a leading voice when it comes to driving positive change across the event sector, It includes a considered and consistent commitment to support projects focused on health and wellbeing, quality education, and climate action in the North East.
“We have a dedicated pot which will be divided among the charities, and rather than simply donating, we are working with the teams to understand what will be most beneficial to them at this point in their journey.”
Project co-ordinator Rebekah Hutchinson said, “I think I can speak for all the team when I say volunteering and charity support is embedded into the culture – it stems from a shared desire to do something good. Being involved with local community organisations who share our values gives us a sense of purpose; it’s a fulfilling and rewarding experience to share together which boosts our team morale, and it’s a chance to learn new skills to grow personally and professionally.”
Without further ado, our ten chosen charities for 2024 are…
Newcastle Food Bank is an anti-poverty charity that provides emergency food and welfare support for people in the North East. In a bid to stop food waste at our events, we work with the team to redistribute food that would usually go to landfill and see first-hand the dedication and passion of the team behind the charity. With the use of food banks at an all-time high in our region we agreed it was important to support Newcastle Food Bank to deliver their vital work supporting people experiencing financial hardship right here on our doorstep.
2. North East Rewilding Network
The North East Rewilding Network champions the rewilding and restoration of ecosystems in the region so nature can take care of itself. While we might be orange on the outside, we’re green through and through and we unanimously agreed that supporting a project that promotes nature’s recovery and climate solutions while empowering communities aligned perfectly with our environmental aims for BeaconHouse Events.
3. Rise
Rise works in schools and colleges across Newcastle and Gateshead to support children and young people (aged 5-18) with their emotional wellbeing and mental health. They work with parents, teachers and education professionals to help young people feel more in control and more resilient in managing their wellbeing and mental health. Working in a fast-paced environment with high burnout rates, the mental health of our colleagues is always front of mind for us. Recently the whole BeaconHouse team was trained in mental health first aid which equipped us with the knowledge, awareness, and tools to promote health and wellbeing and have each other’s backs. Our brilliant project co-ordinator Rebekah a champion for mental health within the business put forward Rise as a charity close to her heart and we couldn’t agree more.
Creativity with purpose underpins every event that we bring to life and we believe that everyone should have access to, and get the benefit of, engaging with the arts. North Tyneside Arts Studio provides a safe, supportive environment where people can discover how creativity can support their mental health and personal recovery. Their community has a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and diagnoses, but their common experiences of living with mental health issues help to build the tools and social connections that empower people to achieve long-term change. Our resident artist and project co-ordinator Alice put forward their work for consideration and we are thrilled to support their work.
Our neigh-bours in the Ouseburn Valley recently launched an appeal to help save the inner city stables after facing a critical funding gap which meant the vital community resource was under threat of closing due to a perfect storm of financial challenges. Stepney Bank Stables operates a valued youth programme just around the corner from our home in Hoults Yard so as part of our commitment to making our local area a vibrant place to grow up we wanted to safeguard the organisation’s future and contribute to the welfare of the horses who rely on the stables for care and shelter.
6. Groundwork North East and Cumbria
Our co-founder and sustainability champion Sarah sits on the board of trustees for Groundwork NE and recently we have partnered with the organisation to ethically offset our carbon impact by opting to donate our carbon credit equivalent for 2023’s events programme. The donation went towards supporting the charity to deliver its nature-based Solutions portfolio of environmental community initiatives. The work that the team at Groundwork is doing is inspirational and aligns completely with our values and vision for the region. This donation as part of our 10-year campaign is just one part of a much larger relationship we have with the charity, including volunteering on-site with the team in the coming months.
7. FareShare
FareShare is the UK’s national network of charitable food re-distributors, made up of 18 independent organisations. We work with clients across the UK and as part of our ongoing efforts to combat food waste in the events industry and make positive change in the sector, we want to support a national charity working to find solutions to the issue. FareShare delivers a range of projects including school breakfast clubs, older people’s lunch clubs, homeless shelters, and community cafes. Every week they provide enough food to create almost a million meals for vulnerable people.
We are always striving to be the G.O.A.T when it comes to events, so when we heard about the opportunity to sponsor Sonny the micro-goat at Ouseburn Farm we jumped at the chance! Ouseburn Farm sits nestled in the Ouseburn Valley, just ten minutes along the road from Hoults Yard providing visitors with the opportunity to learn about the origins of food and care for nature through engagement with farm life. As a team that is actively looking to create events that are accessible to everyone, we were particularly drawn to the fact that the centre is also a care farm with a placement programme for adults with learning disabilities, difficulties, and ASD (autistic spectrum disorder), where people can learn new skills and connect with nature. Fingers crossed Sonny can visit us soon!
9. Curious Arts
Curious Arts is a North East-based charity championing and developing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual + arts, artists and communities across the North East of England and beyond. Creating inclusive spaces where everyone feels comfortable to attend and participate is high on our agenda for every event we create and when we heard that Curious Arts offered training to organisations and venues so they can feel confident to create safe, inclusive, and welcoming environments for LGBTQIA+ people, we knew we had to support them as part of this campaign.
10. Rainbow Trust
Last but by no means least is the Rainbow Trust, a national charity supporting families who have a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness. As a family-oriented organisation, we resonated with the work the team at the Rainbow Trust is doing to support over 86,000 children with life-threatening conditions across the UK. We hope that our small contribution will make a difference to families who have a seriously ill child.
To speak to the team about our campaign to celebrate ten years in business email info@beaconhouse-events.co.uk
Posted on July 25, 2024