Member Article

Owen Pugh commits £30k to Community Foundation

A LEADING North East construction firm has cemented its commitment to supporting young people and disadvantaged communities in the region by pledging £30,000 to benefit a number of charitable organisations over the next 12 months.

The Owen Pugh Group, which has its head office in Dudley, North Tyneside and another four sites across the region, has donated the funds to the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland.

Organisations set to benefit from the 2015-16 Owen Pugh Fund include long-term beneficiaries Phoenix Detached Youth Project (PDYP), which works with young people in the Meadowell and Chirton areas of North Shields, and Liberdade, an organisation that provides arts and health initiatives for learning disabled people across Tyne and Wear. Additional projects will then be recommended for support by the Owen Pugh team, after being shortlisted by the Foundation, and funds will be allocated to those that best meet the company’s CSR objectives.

Rob Huggins, Director at Liberdade, is delighted with the funding: “Our primary aim is to enable people with learning disabilities to lead extraordinary lives. The support we have received from the Owen Pugh Fund via the Community Foundation has enabled us to go the extra mile supporting the learning disabled community. We will use the new funds to take groups on residentials and to support our work around social inclusion. This work has now led to us taking on Gosforth Civic Hall which we will run as a truly inclusive community and arts venue from early 2016”.

Owen Pugh first got involved with the Community Foundation in 2007 and since then has donated in excess of £125,000 to help over 40 projects and organisations. In addition, Owen Pugh has continued to support other charitable causes on an ad-hoc basis.

John Dickson, chairman of the Owen Pugh Group, said:

“I am pleased to confirm that Owen Pugh has donated a further £30k to the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, taking the total amount committed over the past seven years to more than £125,000.

“We are a business that recognises the importance of supporting the communities in which we live and work, and, in particular, helping young people to realise their ambitions, whatever their circumstances.

“Seeing the positive impact of our contributions to organisations like Liberdade who carry out such valuable work, really does make it all worthwhile.”

Jon Goodwin, Fund Development Manager at the Community Foundation added: “Owen Pugh is a brilliant example of a local business which cares about the area in which it operates. Corporate philanthropy can have a major impact on the lives of local people and by targeting young people Owen Pugh is ensuring that future generations have a fairer opportunity to live long and fulfilling lives. We would like to thank Owen Pugh for their continued support in helping to improve the lives of people in our region. “

About the Owen Pugh Group The Owen Pugh Group comprises five trading companies operating in the civil engineering industry, undertaking earthmoving and demolition, drainage and groundworks, plant-hire and haulage, quarrying, inert waste and drain cleaning, and CCTV surveys. The group is headquartered in Dudley near Cramlington, with other bases in Blaydon, Stockton-on-Tees and Bassington Lane in Cramlington, as well as Marsden Quarry. The Owen Pugh Group employs 428 people across its sites.

To find out more about the Owen Pugh Group visit www.owenpugh.com.

About the Community Foundation The Community Foundation acts as a hub for individuals, families, businesses, and other charities that want to give to communities, by matching their interests with those seeking funding.

It provides help for children and older people, people affected by disadvantage and ill-health and those seeking education and work, as well as providing grants to support the arts, the environment, community activities and amateur sport.

The Newcastle-based charity, the UK’s biggest Community Foundation, has built an endowment of nearly £58 million from donations to the various funds it holds.

To find out more about the Community Foundation visit www.communityfoundation.org.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Narrative Integrated Communications .