Partner Article

Philanthropy in Teesside

When Andy Preston returned to his native Middlesbrough after forging a career as a hedge fund manager in London, two things stood out – the low level of aspiration in the area, and the high number of people who felt passionately about Teesside.

“When I lived in London, I was involved in a charity called Ark which helped disadvantaged individuals and groups in the community,” says Andy. “ So on my return to the North East I decided to set up a pot to encourage the redistribution of wealth.”

Through his determination and the help of other businesspeople in Teesside, the Middlesbrough and Teesside Philanthropic Foundation was born.

“Initially 23 individuals and businesses donated money, and were incredibly happy to do so in the knowledge that they were helping valuable community groups facing the threat of closure.”

Since then, the charity has raised over £140,000 and Andy has even higher aspirations for the future, hoping to raise even more money for the area

As well as supporting pensioner lunch clubs and boxing hall, an integral part of the charity’s work focuses in youth unemployment, a problem which is particularly prevalent in the Teesside area.

“We have begun to work closely with Redcar Council and the University of Teesside to provide businesses with incentives to take on apprentices,” Andy continues.

“We’ve already signed up 10 apprentices, with the hope of enlisting 20 more in the next 12 months.

“These are life-changing opportunities, giving individuals a chance to get into the workplace is a truly positive thing.”

Andy recently headed down to London to speak with politicians and businesspeople about his plans for the charity. At the event, he and others who run similar charitable organisations discussed

“The business plan could be transferred anywhere – all that’s needed is someone with the energy and confidence to build infrastructure to make it a success.

“The more people who hear about the charity, the more support we seem to get. People are patriotic and if we can inspire people to make changes in Middlesbrough, there’s no reason why we cant do the same on a national standard.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .