We're passionate about the North-East.

You may have spotted that this week has seen the return of Passionate People, Passionate Places and we’re so proud to be part of the regional pride campaign. Celebrating all things local, Passionate People, Passionate places highlights the best of the region, recognising some of the greatest parts of North East life, as well as the people and places that make it so special.

The launch saw Chronicle live, The Chronicle and The Journal working alongside NGI, encouraging people and businesses in the region to become part of the campaign by sharing what they love most about the North East. We are particularly proud to be a charity that supports the children and families who need us right here in the region and being able to witness first-hand the support and generosity of its people.

Our main focus is improving the lives of children living with disabilities locally. We support babies, children and young adults up until their 19th birthday who live in Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and County Durham, by funding equipment that is not provided by the NHS, local authority or any other source.

We are delighted to be part of this campaign. As a charity working across the region with community groups, schools and healthcare teams we know that there is a huge amount of need in the North East for our Sunshine kids and families.” Says our family Co-ordinator, Rachel Kaczmar.

“We have the privilege of seeing the monumental positive impact the equipment we fund has on our sunshine kids' lives; but conversely, we hear about the very great need and sometimes desperate situations that families can be in before they get the equipment they need. It's more important than ever that we let families know that if their child needs specialist equipment that we are here to help.”

The Chronicle Sunshine Fund was founded in 1928 by King George V who donated £15 to take disadvantaged children to the coast when he officially opened the Tyne Bridge. Fast forward to 2020 we have seen our humble charity go through many changes from the team growing to what is it today to very recently the introduction of a new application process, removing barriers for families who desperately need equipment. What has

always remained however is our ethos of helping children locally and raising as much money as we can to support them.

We receive no statutory funding and so we rely solely on the support and generosity of local organisations and individuals to raise £450,000 annually through donations, events and community giving. In 2018 we recorded a 35% increase in application submissions from families and organisations meaning that we need your support now more than ever in order to help every child with a disability in the North East who has applied for our support.

We are proud to say that we are not means tested as we believe regardless of a family's financial situation or income, every child with a disability, has the right to have access life changing equipment they so desperately need right here in the North-East.

Katie x