Newcastle-based independent chartered accountancy and business advisory firm UNW has announced Maggie's Newcastle, a dedicated cancer support charity, as its chosen Charity of the Year for 2021/2022
Located in the grounds of the Freeman Hospital, Maggie’s Newcastle offers free practical, emotional, and social support to people affected by any form of cancer, as well as their families and friends. The aim of Maggie’s is to empower people to live with, through, and beyond cancer by bringing together professional help and communities of support. Built in 2013, the Newcastle centre is designed to be a warm and welcoming space with qualified experts on hand to offer free support and guidance for people across the North East and Cumbria. The team consists of NHStrained Cancer Support Specialists with expert knowledge about cancer and treatment, as well as psychologists and a benefits advisor for those who need help accessing financial support. Through its employee-led Charity Committee, UNW regularly raises funds for a wide variety of organisations; recent beneficiaries have included Gosforth-based Smile for Life and Caring Hands, a charity that supports elderly and disabled people in Newcastle. The announcement of the new Charity of the Year follows on from a hugely successful partnership with MS Research and Relief Fund, for whom the firm raised over £16,000 across two years. Maggie’s Newcastle, one of 24 Maggie’s cancer support centres across the UK, relies on voluntary donations to continue offering its unique, high quality programme of support. Anne Hallowell, Audit and Assurance partner at UNW, said: “We are delighted that our colleagues have chosen to support Maggie’s Newcastle as UNW’s latest charity of the year. We are not only aware of the amazing work the charity does, but we have been able to witness first-hand the level of support and advice they have provided some of our colleagues and their families in the past. “Over the years, our fundraising activities have made a huge difference to a wide range of local charitable organisations. We are all extremely excited about supporting Maggie’s over the next 12 months, with both fundraising and voluntary activities.” Karen Verrill, centre head at Maggie’s Newcastle said: “We are delighted to be working with the team at UNW this year and had the opportunity to meet some of the wonderful people who work there recently at our virtual launch event. “From bake sales to cycle challenge events and Go Outrageously Orange days, we have a wide range of fundraising opportunities for companies to choose from. We’re hoping even more companies will choose us as their charity partner in the coming years to help us raise much-needed funds for our Maggie’s centre at the Freeman Hospital.”
