Children North East/Events

Children North East organises a number of events each year to raise vital funds and raise awareness of the work that we do, and so do members of the public. This page details the events planned for 2008 which are organised by us or by people raising money for us. More will be added as details are finalised, so please keep coming back for details.

If you would like to organise an event in aid of Children North East, we would be delighted to hear from you and we would, of course, enter the details on our website.

Tel: 0191 256 2444 or

E-mail: enquiries@children-ne.org

If you have read our history page on this website then you will know that Children North East's origins began with taking children for a trip down the Tyne on a steamer. Well we have organised event which celebrates our history and this is your chance to have a great night out on a River Tyne Party Cruise.

Supported by River Escapes who have adopted us as their charity we are holding a party night on Friday 25 April 2008. The three-hour cruise begins on Newcastle's Quayside where you will board one of the party boats. Following a trip under the Millennium Bridge, which will be specially opened for the event, you wil sail down the Tyne to Tynemouth then back again whilst enjoying a delicious on-board buffet meal. Entertainment for the evening will be supplied by Natalie Dean who will help you swing the night away with her extensive show-stopping repertoir and then you will be able to dance the night away to the on-board disco.

The evening will be filled with lots of opportunities to raise money and win prizes the top prize of the evening being an opportunity to Roll the Dice and win a luxury cruise to the value of £10,000 sponsored by

If you would like more information or to join us please book now by contacting Carol Taylor or call us on 0191 256 2444.

Our 2008 Golf Tournament will once again be held at the challenging and beautiful course at Close House Country Club, Heddon on the Wall, Northumberland.

In 2007 26 teams joined us for this fun competition which raised in the region of £5000 for Children North East.

If you would like to join us team entry for a team of 4 is £280 just contact Catrina Flynn or call 0191 256 2444.

Children North East has a limited number of guaranteed entries for the 2008 Edinburgh Marathon. The ballot for this event has now closed so this may be your only chance to take part in this event which is growing in popularity each year. The Edinburgh Marathon is, like all marathons, a challenging event but the challenge will undoubtably be made easier by the breathtaking beauty of the scenery as you run around Scotland's historic capital city.

To take up one of our guaranteed places please contact Catrina Flynn or call 0191 256 2444.

Have you ever had the urge to abseil of the Tyne Bridge well here is your opportunity. We will be taking part in an abseil off the bridge on Sunday 8th June. Will you dare to take the challenge? If you would like to take part then contact Carol Taylor or call 0191 256 2444. Minimum sponsorship required is £100 and £30 deposit is required.

The 2008 Sandcastle Challenge will be held once again at Sandhaven Beach, South Shields on Friday 4th July 2008. The theme for this year's event is "A Trip to the Seaside" so if you are an architect, engineer, designer or construction professional and would like to become involved then just contact us for more details. Also if you are a teacher at a North East Primary School and you would like to have your school involved in the challenge then just contact Catrina Flynn or ring 0191 256 2444.

The images below were taken at the 2007 Sandcastle Challenge and despite a really wet day everyone had a great time with the theme of "What Did The Romans Ever Do For Us?"

The 2008 Sandcastle Ball will be on Friday 11th July at the Newcastle Marriott Gosforth Park Hotel. Once again we are expecting it to be a night of good food, laughter and dancing.

We will be holding lots of fundraising events during the night with opportunities to win fabulous prizes and our musical entertainment for the evening will be provided once again by the fantastic Watts 'n Whiffin Big Band.

During the evening we will, of course, be presenting the coveted Sandcastle Challenge Trophy to the professional who has been judged the overall winner of the Sandcastle Challenge.

For further information or to book tickets please contact Catrina Flynn or call 0191 256 2444. The Sandcastle Ball is often over-subscribed so book quickly to reserve your place.

The Rotary Club of Windermere Family Charity Walk - 21st September

Children North East are delighted to be associated with The Rotary Club of Windermere Family Charity Walk. Why not take part in one of the three walks, 3.5 miles, 5 miles or 10 miles and raise money for Children North East. The walks are designed to make an outdoor event in the beautiful Lake District enjoyable for everyone, from family groups to individual ramblers. For more details about the walks and to download registration forms please visit www.windermere-walk.org .

BUPA Great North Run

The 2008 Great North Run will be on Sunday 5th October. If you would like to take part in the Great North Run and can pledge to raise a minimum of £250 in sponsorship then we would love to have you on our team as we do have a limited number of guaranteed places. Contact Catrina Flynn or call 0191 256 2444 (a £40 non-refundable deposit will be required). We would also love to hear from you if you have your own place and would like to raise money for Children North East.

Do you have an adventerous spirit? Do you like cycling, trekking, kayaking or rafting? If so then Children North East has just the thing for you. We are proud to be working with Global Adventure Challenges to provide international fundraising events which will raise much needed funds to help us with our work. Global Adventure Challenges will provide you with the perfect Challenge in destinations such as Borneo, South Africa, Grand Canyon, China, Peru, Canada, Zambia, Turkey and Everest!

This is a fantastic opportunity to raise funds for us and at the same time fulfil many personal ambitions. So go on, challenge yourself. Click on the logo and rise to the Challenge or call Catrina Flynn at Children North East on 0191 256 2444 we would be delighted to send you details.

The Giving Tree

Thank you to all the companies, groups, churches, schools and individuals who supported our 2007 Giving Tree Appeal. Thanks to your generosity we were able to provide Christmas Gifts and Food Parcels to all the children, young people and families we work with who required help this Christmas and we also raised a lot of money through donations. To take part in the 2008 Giving Tree call 0191 256 2444.

Children North East would like to thank the following for all their help with the 2007 Giving Tree Appeal along with the numerous people who volunteered to help collect, sort and distribute the gifts.

Words of a dad living in temporary accommodation

Due to problems me and my partner had with drugs, us and the kids were evicted a few months ago. When we were in the homeless unit we was worried sick about Christmas and presents. It wasn't the bairns faults and they were going to get nothing. We couldn't believe it when the worker from the out of school club knocked on the door with a heap of parcels for the bairns all wrapped up and everything and a box of food. She told us it had been donated from lots of people in companies. Thank you - none of what's happened to us is the bairns fault. Thank you for helping and not judging us"

From Jack aged 8 - "Thanks for my football stuff and pens. When I play football I will wear my new strip especially the pads. I have drawn some nice pictures with the pens."

From Programme Manager at All Saints Centre, South Shields - "Staff have distributed the gifts from the donors to Children North East. Parents have been surprised and delighted; they never expected such kindness from members of the public; I only wish the donors could have personally witnessed their reactions and heard their words of thanks."

From Mia aged 5 - "I loved my princess outfit and the crown and the glass shoes. It made me pretty"

Barclays Premier League Creating Chances

Children North East were delighted to be chosen as one of the charities to benefit from the Premier League's Creating Chances Campaign. On Friday 5th October Newcastle United Stars Charles N'Zogbia and Habib Beye paid a visit to the Out of School Club at Hill Court temporary accommodation. The club, which is run by our Newcastle Supporting Families project is just about to be given a makeover so when the players came along they not only met the children and staff from the Club they also met the architect responsible for the designs of the new club. Charles and Habib saw the club, played games with the children and happily posed for lots of photos and autographs.

Then it was off across the road to St James' Park (just a stones throw away) where the players, assisted by the clubs chefs, made pizzas and fruit salad and served it up to the children in the Gallowgate Suite. The children and their parents were then taken on a tour of the stadium and were then presented with a cheque for £2000 which will be used to help buy equipment for the new look Out of School Club.