To fully benefit our chosen charity, we have decided from Sept 2022 to support two charities for a two year period, splitting any amounts raised equally between them. Our chosen charities for this period are CUREUsher and The Comfrey Project.

CUREUsher is a charity set up by Gateshead woman Jo Milne, when she saw the need to create a dedicated charity for Usher Syndrome in the UK. Jo was born profoundly deaf and was diagnosed with Usher Syndrome 30 years ago. Jo’s story went viral worldwide when a video clip of her hearing for the first time when her cochlear implants were first switched on – watch here

As people with Usher Syndrome experience both hearing and sight loss, Jo’s sight is gradually deteriorating. Usher Syndrome is a rare genetic condition that affects everyone differently and the charity aims to both raise awareness of the condition and fund research to help find a cure.

The Comfrey Project is a Gateshead Charity where refugees and people who are seeking asylum can go to learn new skills, share what they know with others and start to build a better life. They work together to grow crops across their community garden and allotment sites and use nature based activities to improve peoples’ wellbeing.