Member Article

Cool corporate gift fridges the gap for Children North East

North East housing association, Karbon Homes, has been given a huge thumbs up by one of the region’s leading children’s charities for coming to the rescue when its school holiday trips looked under threat.

With just a week to go before Children North East launched its summer programme of days out for disadvantaged youngsters, the Newcastle-based charity’s fridge freezer completely conked out.

Staff suddenly had nowhere to keep packed lunches chilled during the hot weather and there was real concern the trips might have to be cancelled.

Thankfully, Karbon Homes spotted the charity’s social media shout-out and immediately organised a brand new fridge freezer to be delivered and installed the very next day. Sean Soulsby, lead practitioner with the charity’s Young People’s Service, said:

“Central to everything we do with our young people is food – mainly because young people love food, but also because it can often be the only time that we know they are having a meal that day.

“On the holiday schemes we like to ensure every young person has something to eat, so the fridge freezer is an essential part of the project for us and the young people.

“When the old one broke it was a nightmare because the summer scheme was looming and we were going to be doing four drop-ins a week as well as the trips but we had nowhere to store the packed lunches. It was a bit of a stressful time.

“We can’t thank Karbon Homes enough – they were so quick to respond, it was fantastic and now the holidays are underway, the young people are enjoying trips to the Farne Islands, Alnwick Garden and this week they’re off to Edinburgh Zoo.”

Working with young people aged nine to 25, the project on Graingerville North in Newcastle’s West End, provides a range of support, from mental health counselling and sexual health drop-ins, to trips out during the school holidays. They also run an allotment project in Benwell that provides produce for the young people’s kitchen.

Paul Moralee, Karbon’s Community Investment Manager, said: “Children North East is a brilliant charity that does so much valuable work in both Newcastle and across Northumberland, and I’m delighted that Karbon has been able to help them out in their hour of need.

“As a local housing association, we are keen to support organisations which make a real difference to the communities within which our residents live, and through this donation we are helping to ensure that Children North East can continue their amazing work.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by pauline holt .