Bringing opportunity home

There was a palpable sense of pride, passion and possibility yesterday (December 8), as more than 100 North Easterners, adopted Geordies and returning expats filled the Great Hall of Northumbria University’s Grade II-listed Sutherland Building – a striking reminder of the era when the North East helped power the Industrial Revolution. 

That same spirit of ingenuity and future-focused ambition underpinned the Community Foundation’s first-ever Homecoming Summit, a flagship event within the wider North East Roots initiative, designed to bring together the region’s global diaspora and the leaders shaping its next chapter.

Part of a four-day programme celebrating the North East’s worldwide community, the summit built on Homecoming events held in Blyth and Sunderland, each aimed at strengthening the ties between those who care deeply about the region – wherever they now live – and the organisations working to expand opportunity for young people and their families. 

At the heart of this mission is the North East Roots Fund, established to mobilise philanthropic giving, professional expertise and global networks behind a shared vision of a thriving, competitive and opportunity-rich region.

Sponsored by Newcastle Building Society, Develop North, Northumbrian Water, Arts Council England, Naylors Gavin Black, Sir James Knott Trust and The Watson Family Charitable Trust – and delivered in partnership with multi-platform publisher NET – the summit spotlighted the people, businesses and developments that are driving momentum across the North East, providing a forum to explore how expats and regional leaders can work together to attract investment, amplify the region’s story and “bring opportunity home”.

After an opening video featuring messages from North East mayor Kim McGuinness, Sunderland-born TV architect and newly appointed Northumbria University chancellor George Clarke and Hairy Biker Si King – who last year launched PROPA! at Sunderland’s hugely popular Sheepfolds Stables – the summit began with remarks from Dan Monnery, pro-vice chancellor for external affairs at Northumbria University; Jen Hartley, assistant director of capital investment and growth at Newcastle City Council; and John Hollingsworth, chief philanthropy officer at Community Foundation North East.

Together, they set the tone for a day centred on connection, collaboration and growing confidence in the region’s future.

Setting out the vision behind the campaign, John, pictured below, said: “Over the past couple of years, the North East Roots initiative has sought to inspire those who live or work primarily outside the region but retain a passion for this place to give back on some level and rally behind our communities. 

“The North East Roots Fund is already helping to build pathways to opportunity for younger generations by improving access to the emerging opportunities of the region.

“Homecoming is about taking the reach and impact of that initiative to a new level by expanding our network in the UK and overseas and bringing more opportunity home.”

John Hollingsworth, chief philanthropy officer at Community Foundation North East

Featuring two panel discussions – hosted by NET and Bdaily editor-in-chief Steven Hugill – the summit set out to examine how the North East can harness its growing network, build on its cultural and economic strengths and create new pathways of opportunity for the generations to come.

The first panel, Bringing Opportunity Home: inward investment, global reach and inclusive economic development, explored how the region has evolved into a thriving commercial landscape, driven by a close-knit business community, rapidly strengthening industry clusters and a renewed confidence about its future trajectory.

Audience members heard from Phil Witcherley, director of economic growth and innovation at the North East Combined Authority; Paul Jennings, managing director of global marine insurer NorthStandard; Jackie Fitzgerald, residential asset manager at Develop North and founder of Homes or Houses; and Nick Harrison, chief executive of social mobility charity Sutton Trust.

Pictured, from left, Nick Harrison, Jackie Fitzgerald, Paul Jennings and Phil Witcherley

Panellists highlighted how the North East’s industrial heritage is helping power its next phase of growth – from clean energy and offshore wind to the recently announced £30 billion AI Growth Zone, advanced manufacturing and space – and how the region’s global networks can act as a powerful bridge for investment, talent and advocacy.

The discussion ranged from the opportunities unlocked by devolution and the new local growth plan to the rising interest from international investors, the role of transport and innovation in driving progress, and the urgent need to address educational inequalities so that young people can access the jobs of the future.

What emerged was a shared conviction that the region is on the cusp of major growth – but realising it will depend on ensuring local people have the skills and opportunities to thrive.

Paul, speaking about NorthStandard, which now employs more than 350 people at its Tyneside headquarters and nearly 700 worldwide, providing protection and indemnity cover for one-in-five commercial ocean-going vessels across the globe, said: “Our success is built on the people of the North East. 

“Their passion, pride and ability to serve clients exceptionally well has shaped our global growth. 

“Visitors often come here with outdated perceptions, but once they’re here they are often amazed by what they find, and quite a few even decide to move here and work with us. 

“That shift in perception is a real driver of opportunity.”

The sentiment was supported by Jackie, who added: “For years I pitched my heart out about the North East to anyone who would listen, and now people are finally waking up to it.

“The story is so simple now – the opportunity is so strong, and what’s different is how tangible it has become. 

“Investors can see exactly what’s happening here, and the speed of change is incredible.

“It’s an unbelievably exciting time for the region.”

The second panel – Culture as a Bridge to Opportunity: Highlighting the North East’s creative industries and considering our regional brand – examined how the region’s culture, inimitable storytelling and rapidly expanding creative landscape can help drive economic regeneration and reshape how the North East is perceived nationally and globally.

The discussion brought together insights from Alison Gwynn, chief executive of North East Screen; Malcolm Gerrie, television executive and film producer, who produced The Tube in Newcastle from 1982-87 for Channel 4 by Tyne Tees Television; Magnus Willis, founder of marketing consultancy Sparkler; Claire Malcolm, chief executive of New Writing North; and Roisin Currie, chief executive of Greggs.

Pictured, from left, Roisin Currie, Claire Malcolm, Magnus Willis, Malcolm Gerrie, Alison Gwynn and Steven Hugill

Focusing on the North East’s flourishing screen and creative sectors, the panellists emphasised the critical role of culture as soft power – projecting the region’s identity, drawing investment, supporting talent retention and opening doors for young people, who no longer need to leave the region to pursue their dreams.

The panellists explored the surge in film and TV production, the transformative potential of new studio facilities across the region, the importance of literacy and storytelling to regional pride and the need for a clearer, more confident narrative about who the North East is and what it stands for.

Alison, who is from Jarrow and has done so much to revitalise the TV and film industry in the North East, said: “Devolution is letting us take control of our own destiny and gives us the opportunity to show what we can do.

“Less than five years ago, less television was made in this region than anywhere else in the UK – less than half a per cent – which meant people either had to leave or give up on their dreams.

“But by working together with partners like the BBC and building the skills, companies and support the industry needs, we’ve grown the sector by 131 per cent, and 2026 is set to be our busiest year yet.

“To make that momentum sustainable, we now need the infrastructure, because productions will come, but they’ll stay longer when the studios and facilities are in place.”

For Magnus, if the region is to truly achieve its potential, it must confront outdated perceptions head-on and communicate a clearer, more confident story about who the North East is and what it stands for.

He added: “Among people who haven’t been here, there’s still a sense that the North East is distant, cold or lacking the cultural energy they expect – but the moment they come here, they’re amazed by what they find.

“To shift those perceptions, we need a clearer sense of our brand – what we call ourselves, who we’re speaking to and how we stand apart from places like Manchester or Leeds.

“It’s not just about what we say, but how we say it; we need to own the fact that this is a great part of the world, and then get on and do the things that show it.”

That sense of pride and self-belief was reinforced by Roisin, who reminded the room that Greggs’ success – with annual sales surpassing £2 billion for the first time in 2024 – is inseparable from its North East roots.

She said: “Greggs is successful because it was born and raised in the North East – and that’s a fact. 

“We could never become a LondonPLC; we would lose the heart of who we are.

“The grit, the hard work, the no-nonsense humbleness of this region shaped the business, but so did its ambition – that real belief in what else people here can do.”

Rob Williamson, chief executive of Community Foundation North East, closed the event by grounding the day in the values behind the North East Roots initiative. 

He reminded attendees that the region’s future depends not only on economic growth but on a renewed culture of giving – and that by uniting philanthropy, business and community, the North East can truly “bring opportunity home”.

Rob said: “Our vision is for the North East to have thriving, generous and inclusive communities, and we need the region’s economy to thrive to address long-term challenges and create opportunities so that the benefits reach everyone.

“But we also need generosity to grow alongside that rising economy, because our potential is as big as our ambition.”

The celebrations continued into the evening at Newcastle’s Boiler Shop, where the Homecoming Awards and Showcase brought together rising and established North East talent, with special awards presented by mayor McGuinness.

A full report on the summit and the wider Homecoming programme will be featured in the next issue of N Magazine.

Photography by Charlotte Beeckmans of The Bigger Picture Agency Ltd

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