Charity helps more families in need thanks to funding from North East law firm
Parent and Child Together North East (PACTNE) has used a grant from the BHP Law Community Fund to recruit a part-time Family Support Worker.
It means PACTNE can increase its capacity and offer more hands-on support for families across Darlington, the Tees Valley, and the North of England.
Sue Leighton, General Manager for the charity, said: 'BHP Law's support has been timely and transformative. Their contribution through the community fund allowed us to expand our team exactly when we needed it most.
'With their help, we've been able to maintain consistent, high-quality support for families facing extraordinary challenges. They've not just helped us fund a position, they've helped keep families together.'
The new role includes offering one-to-one support sessions, parenting advice, practical family care, emotional well-being support, and crisis response.
The law firm, which has roots dating back to 1835, has also supported the charity by providing expert legal advice and services through its Family Law team.
Since its launched in 2011, the BHP Law Community Fund – managed and distributed by Point North – has awarded more than £19,000 in grants and enriched the lives of more than 9,000 local people.
Kieran Dolaghan, Operations Director at BHP Law, said: 'We're incredibly proud to support PACTNE through the BHP Law Community Fund. Their work doesn't just change outcomes, it transforms lives.
'When families are at risk of breaking down, the support PACTNE offers can mean the difference between crisis and stability, trauma and recovery. We're honoured to be part of that journey.'
Michelle Cooper, Chief Executive of Point North, added: 'PACTNE is a shining example of what happens when local organisations are empowered to do what they do best – walking alongside families during their most difficult times.
'We're delighted that the BHP Law Community Fund could help strengthen this essential service and give more parents and children the chance to thrive in safe, loving homes.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Inspiring 12-year-old boy with autism helping to make difference in North East
An inspirational 12-year-old boy who is autistic is helping to make a difference in his North East community through a heartwarming fundraising challenge. Henry Bourner has raised nearly £1,000 to help fund a new Quiet Room at MAIN, a charity in North Ormesby that supports autistic and neurodivergent children and adults. The charity is aiming to raise £25,000 to build the specialist space, which will offer a calming environment for individuals in distress. Henry Bourner is 'an inspiration' (Image: supplied) Henry, from Middlesbrough, said: "I love learning about roads and postcodes and over the course of three days during the month of August, I am going to walk the length of some of the longest roads in Middlesbrough." His fundraising challenge will see him walk Ladgate Lane from the Bluebell Hotel to Normanby High Street, Marton Road from the Odeon to Miller and Carter, and Linthorpe/Acklam Road from Middlesbrough Railway Station to Cherry Hill Garden Centre. An artist's impression of the Quiet Room (Image: Supplied) So far, he has raised an impressive £985 towards the target. Heather Whyman, chief executive of MAIN, said: "Henry is more than just a fundraiser, he's an inspiration. "As a young autistic person who attends our Thursday Afterschool Club, Henry understands just how important it is to have a space to re-regulate, to breathe, and to feel secure. MAIN CEO Heather Whyman is hoping to transform storeroom to Quiet Room (Image: Dawn McNamara Photography) "And now, he's doing something extraordinary to help others find that same sense of calm. "His energy, compassion and determination are helping us move closer to building the Quiet Room, one step, one donation, one moment at a time." The Quiet Room will be a purpose-built, low-stimulation space designed to help children and young people regulate their emotions in a safe and supportive setting. Pete Stead, trustee chair, and CEO Heather Whyman (Image: Dawn McNamara Photography) It will feature padded walls, a bite-proof and nail-proof floor and door made from Duratex, and a digital skylight that can change colour to create a calming atmosphere. All design and labour services have been donated free of charge, but the charity still needs to raise funds for building materials and other essential costs. So far, MAIN has secured £3,000 from the Tees Foundation, £160 from individual donors, and has been pledged a further £5,500 each from Redcar and Cleveland Council and Middlesbrough Council. MAIN young children and people (Image: supplied) Other supporters include P+HS Architects (£1,500) and Atomix Educational Trust (£250). Ms Whyman said: "With your help, we're creating more than a room, we're creating possibility. "A space where anxiety can ease, senses can settle and young people can find the calm they need. Henry Bourner (Image: Supplied) "Many of the children we support experience sensory overload that can lead to high levels of distress, sometimes resulting in aggression towards themselves or others. "By having access to a dedicated space where they can de-escalate safely and in their own time, we can help prevent crisis situations and better support their continued participation at MAIN." The Quiet Room will be located at the MAIN site on Elizabeth Terrace and has been designed by Pete Stead, director of P+HS Architects and trustee chair of MAIN. Mr Stead said: "This facility will be absolutely amazing for the children and young adults that MAIN support and it's a continued privilege to be involved." READ MORE: Luxury housing scheme in North East takes shape with backing of major fund Anger as council propose speed limit increase on 'dangerous' County Durham road Beloved Darlington butchers hits the market after decades of serving the town MAIN has thanked all supporters, including Henry, and is calling on the wider Teesside community—including individuals and businesses—to back the campaign. Sam Anderson, CEO of Wolviston Group and a supporter of the charity, said: "MAIN creates an environment where every child is valued, and I'm proud to play a small part in helping them continue that mission." Donations to the campaign can be made through MAIN's website at
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announces new rural development investments at Iowa State Fair
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins presented the steer Snoop Dog at the Governor's Charity Steer Show during the Iowa State Fair Aug. 9, 2025. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch) U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins came to the Iowa State Fair Saturday to compete in the Governor's Charity Steer Show — and to announce $152 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture investments for Iowa rural development projects. Before heading to the Livestock Pavillion to show the steer Snoop Dog, Rollins announced that 19 projects in Iowa would receive funding through USDA Rural Development grant and loan programs. The announcement was made at a news conference where she was joined by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and state Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. Approved projects include a $37 million loan for the Guthrie County Hospital in Guthrie Center to expand and renovate its facility, a $5 million grant and $39 million loan for the City of Emmetsburg to replace its wastewater treatment facility, and a $27.7 million loan to the Southern Sioux County Rural Water System for the building of new wells, a treatment plant and transmission lines in Plymouth and Sioux Counties. 'This unprecedented, coordinated rural development project will help boost the rural economies, develop rural infrastructure and encourage private investments,' Rollins said. Reynolds celebrated the investment and thanked Rollins for working closely with Iowa, saying 'during this time of uncertainty in the ag economy, I'm so grateful to have a partner that we can rely on.' She said the new investments will make a difference in rural Iowa communities. Reynolds said when she visited the Guthrie County Hospital in May, where she signed a law aimed at expanding medical training opportunities and rural health care access, the hospital CEO had told her about how much of a difference the USDA funding would make in helping the facility continue to provide health care in their community. Rollins said the investment is part of a larger effort from President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress aimed at 'putting farmers first again,' which she said is also being done through new international trade agreements, investments in farm safety net programs and agriculture components of the budget reconciliation bill passed. Though much of the focus on discussing the 'big, beautiful bill' has surrounded the cuts and changes to public assistance programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Rollins said the bill 'protected two million family farms from the death tax,' increased reference prices and extended clean fuel production tax credits. 'Most of the mainstream media focused on, 'Oh, these horrible cuts that are going to cause death and destruction across the world' — which, of course, none of that was true,' Rollins said. 'In fact, we were investing more money, Congress was, into our agriculture sector and putting farmers first.' Some agriculture policy advocates have said the budget reconciliation bill, which cuts SNAP funding while increasing spending on farm subsidies, will further consolidate the agriculture industry and benefit wealthy farmers. It's the second event Reynolds and Rollins have held together this week. On Monday, the Iowa governor was in Washington, D.C. for a news conference where Rollins signed six waivers approving restrictions on purchases of certain food items through the SNAP. Rollins approved Iowa's waiver to limit unhealthy foods available to buy through SNAP in May. USDA also approved an Iowa waiver to implement an summer eating program for kids, called Healthy Kids Iowa, earlier in the year. The demonstration project, providing a box of food valued at $40 each month for families in need through 264 access points across the state, is an alternative to the SUN Bucks program, also known as Summer EBT, that provides $120 per child each month during the summer to eligible families that can be used at retailers accepting SNAP. Both of these efforts are aimed at reducing unhealthy eating habits, the governor said, though hunger advocates have argued these steps make it more difficult for Iowans to access food assistance. Rollins also spoke on her announcement in July for the USDA to restructure and consolidate parts of the agency, in part by relocating some of USDA workforce outside of Washington, D.C. to five regional hubs in North Carolina, Missouri, Indiana, Colorado and Utah. The list has 'no Iowa, but there are more announcements coming,' Rollins said. She said Iowa is well represented at the USDA, with many agency employees in the state and several Iowans in USDA leadership positions. 'The bottom line is moving the power out of Washington, returning the government to the people, and having people that are better able to serve our constituents, who are closer to them,' Rollins said. 'So that is the bigger (arch), but more news coming in the days to come.' Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Woman Buys Lottery Ticket After Praying for a Win. By the Time She Made It Back to Her Car, She Was Stunned
'I was shaking when I signed the ticket," the lucky winner told the South Carolina Education LotteryNEED TO KNOW A woman in South Carolina got exactly what she was hoping for when she "prayed for a lottery win" 'I was shaking when I signed the ticket. It's a dream come true," the lucky winner told the South Carolina Education Lottery The woman told lottery officials she has already cashed out the ticket and used some of her earnings to donate to charityCan you manifest a lottery win? According to this South Carolina woman, the answer is yes. One woman from the Midlands of South Carolina said that her "miracle" occurred after she purchased a $20 scratch-off ticket from a gas station she'd never been to before. 'I was riding down the road, and I prayed for a lottery win. And that's exactly what I got," she told the South Carolina Education Lottery in a Friday, Aug. 1, press release. The woman purchased the lottery ticket at the City Fuel & Food gas station on Bush River Rd. in Columbia — and she immediately decided to test her luck by scratching each section on the ticket, only to be surprised by a "MONEYBAG' symbol and "2MIL." That's right, she ended up winning a $2 million lottery prize. After seeing what was on her ticket, the woman told lottery officials she walked out of the store and sat in her car, completely stunned. 'I was shaking when I signed the ticket. It's a dream come true," she told lottery officials. City Fuel & Food Inc. in Columbia received a commission of $20,000 for selling the claimed ticket, while the woman has already cashed in her ticket and used some of her winnings to donate to her favorite charities. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The odds of winning the top prize in the $2 million are 1 in 1,536,000. According to the South Carolina Education Lottery, only one more $2 million prize remains. Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
