Tyne and Wear - Just an hour challenges 2006
February – Design Engineering Challenge 2006
Volunteers worked with small groups of Year 8 students from secondary and special needs schools to design and create an everyday device to assist a young person with special needs to live independently. This could involve a mechanical device, a computer programme, an environmental project or a brick construction. The experience enabled volunteers and students to explore and learn concepts of design based on the needs of young disabled people. Schools from all over the region took part in the launch of the challenge held at Newcastle University. 53 hours donated.
March - World Book Day Event
In association with Seven Stories, Centre for Children’s Books in Newcastle, Business in the Community is hosted an event to profile story writing, publishing and illustration as a career opportunity for young people. The event was intended to support literacy programmes for Year 7 students and promote reading as an enjoyable learning opportunity. Volunteers from businesses worked with students to look at the work of writers, publishers and illustrators. 12 hours donated.
March – Laing Art Gallery
The challenge was to assist the Museums Services Manager at the Laing Art Gallery to clear a store room of archive materials (mostly exhibition catalogues, some dating from as far back as the 19th Century), box them up, label the boxes with the contents. 70 hours donated.
May – Leonard Cheshire Challenge
We supported the Leonard Cheshire Kielder challenge weekend, which ran from Friday 26 May until Sunday 28 May. Volunteers were given Friday as part of their Just an Hour entitlement but gave up the rest of their weekend. Volunteers were buddied with a disabled person and a Leonard Cheshire member of staff to participate in activities such as climbing, abseiling, canoeing, kayaking, archery and orienteering. 32 hours donated.
May/June - Feng Shui Garden at Christchurch School, North Shields
The children at the school required help to transform a neglected piece of land within the school grounds into a quiet garden they could share with the residents of neighbouring sheltered housing accommodation. Tasks included landscaping the site, creating a pond and planting up of the site. Teams from various parts of the business paid several visits to the school to complete the project. 125 hours donated.
June - The Watch Tower, Cullercoats
Remove and clean the five metal grilles, clean the rust off them and repaint. Whilst the grilles were removed, the team cleaned up the window frames, masked the windows, undercoated and gloss painted the frames. When dry, the metal grilles were refitted to the respective windows. 58 hours donated.
June – Washington Wildlife Trust
A project to carry out reed planting at Washington Wildfowl and Wetlands. Volunteers planted reeds along a newly constructed stream channel at the Washington site as part of a major refurbishment. 43 hours donated.
Grants awarded by employee committee to Grass Roots projects through funds administered by the Community Foundations.
Grants awarded from the Community Fund
December 06
Killingworth Young Peoples Club - football equipment - £120
Broadway FC - under 13s junior football equipment - £100
The Angelou Centre - IT equipment - £540
Grosvenor Community - pre-school rent - £750
Friends of Sunderland Minister - £250
August 06
324 Squadron Air Training Corp - £255
Newcastle upon Tyne YMCA - £250
St. James’s Church Centre - £500
North Benwell Black Residents Support Group - £144
Bellingham Football Club - £200
Prudhoe Party Treat - £250
Royal Mencap Society - £100
May 06
John Boste Youth Centre, Newcastle - £250
Newcastle Womens FC - £300
Pegswood Social Welfare Centre - £250
Newcastle Toy and Leisure Libraries - £300
Deptford & Millfield Community Assoc., Sunderland - £500
Berwick Community Development Trust - £250
February 06
Tyne Rowing Club - £250
Chopwell Youth Club - £304
Grants awarded from the Environment Fund
August 06
Wesley Memorial Methodist Church - £500
Friends of Carlisle Park - £500
May 06
Aspire Community Garden - £1,000
February 06
Scotswood Natural Community Garden - £1,060
St. Aidan’s XL Club - £923