BT Volunteers win £3,700 for North East community groups
BT has rewarded six community groups in the North East with awards totalling £3,700 in recognition of the vital benefits they bring to local people.
The grants have been awarded through the company’s employee recognition scheme, the BT People Awards. The scheme recognises and rewards BT’s volunteering heroes, who offer their time and skills to help people in their local communities, by providing grants to organisations in which they are involved.
Annfield Plain Community Centre in Stanley beat off national competition to win £1000 in the Digital Champion category of the awards while St Peter’s Church in Wallsend achieved second place and £700 in the Arts and Heritage category.
BT employee Mary Thompson who volunteers at the Annfield Plain centre and nominated them for the BT People Award, said: “Only a year ago this centre was facing closure so it’s fantastic to celebrate the fact we continue to provide a valuable service to local people with a £1000 boost to our funds.
“We have some fantastic ideas of how we can use this money to give the maximum benefit to both existing and new visitors and I can’t wait to help those ideas become a reality.”
Rector, Father David Sudron from St Peters Church, said: “This money is a welcome boost to our fundraising efforts to install a beautiful stained glass window in the church, replacing one which was destroyed many years ago.
“We are now £700 closer to hitting our £27,000 target which will enable us to make this valuable addition to the church which will be enjoyed by both the congregation and wider local community.”
Stepney Bank Stables won a Bronze award and £500 in the Diversity category while North Shields School of Boxing, Riverside Netball Club in North Shields and Cullercoats Football Club were all recognised in the BT Sport People Award category. Each club won a £500 sports voucher which can go towards new equipment and kit. A detailed list of the winning groups is below.
Farooq Hakim, BT’s North East regional director, said: “The People Awards acknowledges the time and commitment that BT people in the North East are giving to the local community groups for which they volunteer.”
Four hundred and fifty one applications were received for this round of grants and 84 applicants received awards totalling £50,980.
Applications were submitted by BT people from all over the world including Peru, India and Belgium. These included a wide range of community organisations from football clubs to police cadets to red squirrel protection, illustrating the wide variety of activities in which BT people are involved.
For more information and to see a complete list of the latest award recipients please visit: www.btpeopleawards.co.uk or see what BT can do to help charities by visiting: www.bt.com/charityportfolio.
ENDS
For further information please contact the regional BT regional press office on 0800 085 0660.
The North East winners are:
- Riverside Netball Club, North Shields, NE31 2TB £500
- North Shields Amateur Boxing Club, North Shields, NE30 1DE £500
- Stepney Banks, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 2NP £500
- Cullercoats Football Club, Links Avenue, Cullercoats, NE30 3DH £500
- Annfield Plain Community Centre, Fairview Terrace, Stanley £1000
- St Peters Church Wallsend, NE28 7LH £700
