The newspaper which makes a point of always celebrating women

In the run-up to International Women’s Day, Reach North East supported the Chronicle Sunshine Fund’s Glass Slipper Awards in an afternoon which celebrated inspirational local women.

The annual lunch event was held on Friday, February 28 at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead. It recognised the achievements of North East female community, business and charity leaders in seven categories and was hosted by BBC Newcastle’s Anna Foster, herself an inspirational local woman who led the event with warmth and verve.

Durham University’s associate professor in entrepreneurship, Dr Joanna Berry, gave a considered and thought-provoking keynote speech in which she discussed the importance of being kind in life, in business, as a parent and on social media.

Maria Wardrobe, former director of communications and external relations at National Energy Action — a charity that works to eradicate fuel poverty and campaigns for greater investment in energy efficiency — was recognised in the Lifetime Achievement category for 2020.

Helen Dalby, editor-in-chief for Reach North East and chair of the Sunshine Fund, introduced the event last Friday and presented the Woman in the Community award, which was sponsored by Reach and held open for a public vote on ChronicleLive.

Helen said: “The Glass Slipper Awards give us an opportunity to shine a light on the achievements of inspiring local women — something we’re keen to take every opportunity to do.

“The Awards tap in perfectly to our brand values of being proud of all the fantastic things the North East achieves, and this also gives us a valuable chance to shout about some amazing local women.

“It also raises money to support the vital work of our brilliant Sunshine Fund, a charity which I’m proud to chair and which is very close to the hearts of myself and my team at Reach North East.”

The Sunshine Fund is based in Reach North East’s Newcastle office. It’s a charity which enhances the lives of North East children with disabilities by funding vital, life-changing equipment to meet their specialist needs.

The Sunshine Fund’s charity director Siobhan Sargeant said: “Our 2020 Glass Slipper Awards Ceremony was a fabulous event.

“It’s an honour for The Chronicle Sunshine Fund to host each year, to recognise the achievements of phenomenal women making a real impact in the North East.

“Our winners came from a variety of backgrounds, locations and walks of life but they all shared a real passion for making our region a better place.

“It’s very humbling to share the room with such remarkable ladies, to hear their stories and to celebrate their achievements.”

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