Member Article

Berghaus helps North East Homeless charity take the load this Christmas

North East outdoor brand Berghaus has stepped in to help a local homeless charity, as it supports those in need this Christmas. Following a direct appeal from architect and TV presenter George Clarke, the Sunderland based firm has donated 30 rucksacks to North East Homeless. The packs will be used by the charity’s volunteers to carry food and other essential supplies when they assist people who are living rough on the streets of the region.

Founded by Brian Burridge in 2014, North East Homeless (NEH) operates out of a hub at the Fish Quay in North Shields. As well as running a café, a ‘take what you need, leave what you can’ store, and providing other assistance on site, the charity actively seeks out people living on the streets of the region, checking on their wellbeing and providing direct support when possible.

To reach as many of those in need as possible, NEH volunteers take supplies with them as they head out and the charity was in urgent need of rucksacks capable of holding heavy loads. NEH ambassador George Clarke contacted Berghaus and the company agreed to donate a supply of hard-wearing backpacks, which have been designed for multi-day hikers who carry all of their equipment on the trail. The Berghaus Trailhead packs are proving to be very useful for charity work too, particularly during the lead up to Christmas this year, as NEH is finding that its services are in demand more than ever.

George Clarke comments: “I’m proud to be a patron of North East Homeless. This amazingly generous gift from Berghaus will mean that we have a greater chance of getting food to those who need it most. Thanks Berghaus!”

Brian Burridge adds: “The Berghaus rucksacks will be such an assistance, allowing us to take everything that we need with us for our outreach work. We have gone through so many poor quality bags in the past, so this means so much and will make a big difference.”

Paul Anderton, interim global brand director at Berghaus, comments: “When George got in touch and told us about the great work that North East Homeless does, we were keen to help. And when he explained what the volunteers needed right now, we knew that we could make a useful contribution. Berghaus is a North East company to its roots, so it’s a privilege to be able to do something to assist those who are most in need, in the region that has always defined the character of our business.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Chris Lines .