PRIMULA HELPS LOCAL CHARITIES CELEBRATE 2021 WITH MUCH NEEDED DONATIONS

After what has been one of the most difficult years the country has ever faced, there were smiles all round as three charities in the North East received a surprise lift to the new year when they were presented with a combined donation of £77,000 by Primula.   

As part of the charitable Kavli Trust, Primula gives all its profits to charities and good causes around the world and each year colleagues in Gateshead can nominate charities close to their hearts from the local area. The Children’s Heart Unit Fund at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital, Great North Air Ambulance and Dunston Hill Primary School in Gateshead were those chosen in 2020 and the donations were appreciated more than ever given the difficulties faced by fundraisers throughout the pandemic.

The Children’s Heart Unit Fund (CHUF), which supports children and families who receive treatment at the Children’s Heart Unit based at the Freeman Hospital and many other hospitals providing care for cardiac patients throughout the North of England, was presented with a cheque for £35,000 that will go towards a brand-new echo machine.

The Great North Air Ambulance Service, which brings pioneering pre-hospital care to the scene, rescuing hundreds of severely injured or ill patients a year, is not NHS-funded and so donations like the £26,000 given by Primula are integral to ensure the service can continue to help save lives.

Finally, Dunston Hill Primary School, which is just three miles away from Primula’s factory in Team Valley, received a fantastic £16,000 which will be put towards the school’s Daily Mile project and will overhaul the outdoor facilities at the school, including the installation of a new sports area.

Primula’s Managing Director, Paul Lewney, said: “2020 was a very difficult year for everyone and being able to help our community and local charities has kept each and every one of us here at Primula going, through what have been tough times for all. To now have the opportunity to deliver such a fantastic gift to three incredibly worthy causes makes all of the hard work and effort given by everyone at Primula throughout the year really worth it.

“We collectively chose these three charities knowing what a difference it will make to lives across the North East and we hope that the donations will help them to continue delivering invaluable work into the future.”