Skip to main content
Newcastle Building Society - Home

We're sorry, but our website is not compatible with the browser you are using.

To get the best experience we would strongly advise using a more recent and compatible browser such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge or iOS Safari.

Much-loved Newcastle charity dress for success

Date published: 24 August 2023

Read time: 2 minutes

A lady and a child stood behind a table with some plant pots and plants. The lady is smiling at the camera and the young girl is reaching across to grab some soil and plant pots.

The Percy Hedley Foundation is using a £3,000 grant from the Newcastle Building Society Community Fund to buy new branded uniforms for its adult learners.

The Percy Hedley Foundation is a disability charity in the North East that supports people with complex learning difficulties, disabilities, and additional communication needs, through care, education, and learning opportunities.

As part of its work, the Foundation runs an employability programme, Hedley’s Horizons, which helps its service users develop new teamwork and life skills through activities, such as gardening, arts and crafts, cookery, and volunteering.

The Foundation has used the £3,000 grant to buy branded uniforms for Hedley’s Horizons users. This will help give the users more visibility when they are out working on their projects and create a sense of togetherness and purpose within the group.

Patricia Boynton, trusts and foundations fundraiser at the Percy Hedley Foundation, says: “Hedley’s Horizons is all about giving people with disabilities the chance to learn new lifeskills, work as a team and develop confidence in themselves and what they can do.

“The uniforms have created a real sense of belonging among our students, as well as helping them to separate their work life from their home life.

“With lots of other budget priorities to cover, this would have remained just a nice idea without Newcastle Building Society’s contribution and we’re really pleased with the impact that their generous support has had.”

Download the press release (PDF, 109kB).

Image caption: Jill Wilson, our Head of IT Service Management, with some Hedley’s Horizons users at one of their gardening sessions.

You may also be interested in

Three people stood outside St Martin's Centre Partnership, holding cups of tea and posing for the camera

Latest News

arrow_forward
The Operations Manager at Full Circle Food Project showing two Newcastle Building Society colleagues around the centre's community garden.

Community grants

arrow_forward
A group of ladies enjoying afternoon tea at Age UK North Yorkshire & Darlington

Community Foundation

arrow_forward