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Mark I'Anson is a successful businessman with strong ties to Derwentside,
having founded his business in Consett in 1982. Mark has been an important
supporter of County Durham Foundation for the last four years.
"I originally set up a fund with County Durham Foundation because
I wanted give something back to the Derwentside community which had been so
supportive of my business. Since then the Foundation has done a magnificent
job of identifying and channelling funds to groups in need of help. I do not
believe there is any other way in which an individual could so effectively
target funds to make an equivalent impact."
"As supporters of County Durham Foundation we have been the ones to reap the rewards. Setting up an endowment fund to help people in the area has been our way of remembering people who were close to us, and keep their memory alive through the happiness of others. They have helped us to achieve this aim with little effort or worry on our part. The Foundation looks after our fund, investing wisely and safely so that it continues to yield a good return, even in these uncertain times. Their staff suggests individuals and families in need of support and the decision is ours. The information they provide is so comprehensively and clearly worthwhile that we have been delighted to support every case so far."
"Having been involved with County Durham Foundation since its start we have been amply rewarded by its progress and its impact on our community. Having an endowment fund has provided an opportunity to re-invest wealth created in the region for the benefit of the whole community. It has not only relieved suffering and deprivation but has also helped to energise recipients and enable them to attain goals that may have previously been beyond their grasp. This combination of care and motivation is so important in our community as it encourages social responsibility in us all."
Graeme Wood, John Simpson Greenwell Fund"At meetings with officers of County Durham Foundation we found to our delight and considerable relief that they offered everything we needed. Although we would give them the money, it would be ring fenced within the John Simpson Greenwell Fund and we would retain control through a committee of four people, which included two members of the family. "
"I cannot praise the officers of the Foundation highly enough. At all times they have proved professional, approachable, and above all friends, who have made easy what would otherwise have been a very daunting task for me and all my family."
TKA Tallent Chassis Ltd are a major employer in Newton Aycliffe and as such
they wanted their substantial donation to directly aid that area of the County.
Former Managing Director Bernard Robinson OBE, DL, explains the reasoning
behind their support:
"Our company has had a major business presence in Newton Aycliffe
for a long time, and we take our responsibility to the community very seriously.
We are particularly keen on supporting projects that encourage education and
self-improvement.Since most of our employees live within a ten-mile radius
of Newton Aycliffe we were looking for a way of guaranteeing that the proceeds
from the TKA Tallent Chassis fund were distributed locally. Giving via County
Durham Foundation was the obvious solution to this problem, as well as offering
the benefit of their considerable local knowledge."
The Vardy FoundationThe Vardy Foundation has been a regular supporter of County Durham Foundation
with donations and pledges totalling £200,000. They have long recognised
the role County Durham Foundation plays in ensuring their contributions reach
grass roots projects whilst removing any of the associated administration.
In the words of Sir Peter Vardy, Chairman of Trustees of The Vardy Foundation:
"The Vardy Foundation allocates funds each year to County Durham Foundation,
which then makes grants to specific projects on our behalf. We feel that this
is an excellent way of helping some of the many smaller, but very worthwhile
projects throughout our region without having to incur the heavy administrative
burden of making these individual grants ourselves. County Durham Foundation
has the necessary resource and expertise to target our contributions in the
most effective way for local communities across County Durham and Darlington."