For day 10 of #12DaysOfHCE, we’ve decided to mix it up a little!

Inspire South Tyneside is the umbrella body for the voluntary and community sectors across South Tyneside, working alongside communities, the local authority, and statutory partners such as health services to facilitate the development of a vibrant, strong, and sustainable local third sector.

Our donation of £500 will help support their three areas of specialty: Volunteering and Communities, Health, and Funding.

In addition to representing the views of the sector at strategic bodies and groups, Inspire also provides support and development opportunities for voluntary, community and social enterprise groups in the local area, and offers a range of support and advice for charities hoping to receive more funding.

In the run up to Christmas, Inspire has been working in partnership with the Local Authority and the VCSE sector in South Tyneside to identify and put into place Warm Spaces as a response to the cost of living crisis.

Warm spaces are free public places where residents can go to get warm, save money on their heating costs, avoid social isolation, and receive support and advice. There has been a fantastic response, with a number of organisations and venues pledging their support to residents this winter. Inspire has also worked to establish a bursary scheme to ensure that local community organisations providing warm spaces can have a contribution toward their costs.

Sustainability manager Sophie Henderson said: “While the work that individual charities do on the ground is spectacular, a lot of it simply would not be possible without organisations such as Inspire South Tyneside. Howard Civil Engineering is pleased to present £500 to Inspire South Tyneside to help them support the selfless efforts of charities, volunteers, and community groups across the borough this Christmas.”

Charlotte Harrison, CEO at Inspire, expressed the charity's thanks, saying the donation is "very kind" and is a "much needed contribution toward our work on supporting volunteering and the capacity of VCSE organisations in South Tyneside as they help to support residents over the Christmas and New Year period ."

Throughout December, Howard Civil Engineering is spreading festive cheer by donating £5,000 to a variety of charities and community groups across the north of England! We have chosen 12 different causes to help this festive period and we will be documenting these throughout the month using the hashtag #12DaysOfHCE.