Charity
Village fete
We recently raised £420 for childhood bereavement charity Winston 
Wish, after turning NCFE HQ into a village fete!
As well as a Mad Hatter's tea party we also tried our hand at face painting and even had a coconut shy.Fantsatic prizes were won in the raffle and there was a lovely selection of homemade cakes, biscuits and preserves on offer.
The money raised will The money raised will go towards offering practical support and guidance to families, professionals and anyone concerned about a grieving child.
Norweg
ian Constitutional Day- dress down day
We recently had a 'dress down for £1 day' to celebrate Norwegian Constitutional Day (and our Norwegian ICT Programming Officer's last day) and, more importantly, to raise money for Parkinson's UK. As well getting in the charity spirit we also celebrated all things Norwegian with a waffle bake-off and a Norwegian themed-quiz.
Sport Relief
As part of our ongoing commitment to 'giving something back' we recently held a fundraising day to raise money for Sport Relief. 'Dress down' was the start of the events and there was a variety of spectacular, sporty outfits paraded in the office. We also held our own version of A Question of Sport with sports quizzes and challenges bringing in money (and laughs) all day. Alongside this excitement, an array of delicious cakes were on sale and went down a treat! At the end of the events we crossed the finish line with our heads held high after raising a grand total of £100.
Marie Curie daffodil appeal
Ten members of NCFE staff got into the giving spirit by donating their time to the Marie Curie Great Daffodil Appeal.
Our volunteers sold Marie Curie daffodils in the local shopping centre as part of the appeal which runs throughout the month of March.
Money raised from the appeal will provide more free nursing care for people with a terminal illness in their own home and the charity's hospices.
To find out more click here
Haiti appeal day
We recently held a fundraising day to raise money for those affected by the Haiti earthquake. Throughout the day staff took part in activities such as a limbo contest (pictured), arts and crafts and an 'Ebay Friday auction'. We also brought in tasty treats for a cake sale and had our very own NCFE charity shop so staff could clear their unwanted clutter while raising funds. The appeal raised a fantastic £366.44 for the Red Cross.
WaterAid
WaterAid is an international charity with a mission to overcome poverty by enabling the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. For Christmas 2009 we made a charitable donation to WaterAid instead of sending Christmas cards.
KIVA
As part of our ongoing commitment to 'giving something back' we've recently started working with KIVA, a micro lending company who make loans to entrepreneurs starting their own businesses to work themselves out of poverty.
We're doing this because we want to help to build other profitable and sustainable organisations throughout the world, in areas and with people who perhaps aren't as lucky as we are. We also wanted to create something that was sustainable and not just a one-off.
Each team at NCFE has the ability to invest in a real person who is looking to achieve economic independence and improve life for themselves, their family, and their community.
Daniel Muriithi (pictured) is a married 43-year-old businessman who our Research and Product Development team have invested in. He operates a transport business, transporting primary-school children to and from home.
Daniel is using his loan to improve his car to provide a better service and to build and stock a small shop for his wife. Less than 2 months after borrowing money through KIVA he's already repaid a fantastic 87% of his loan!
Find out more about how the teams at NCFE have invested their money on KIVA's website.
Research and Product Development team
Centre Support team
Business Development team
Finance and Admin team
ICT team
The National Blood Service recognises our achievements
For the last 3 years we've been donating blood at our Head Office through the National Blood Service's mobile sessions and have recently reached a milestone of 181 units of blood!
Rebecca Sangwine, NCFE's Centre Support Assistant, has been responsible for organising these blood bus sessions and has given everyone at NCFE an opportunity to do something amazing.
We're delighted to tell you that this was recently recognised by the National Blood Service (NBS) as a significant achievement and Rebecca was invited to represent NCFE at a corporate recognition ceremony at Lumley Castle!
Great North Run
We had a number of super-fit staff running the BUPA Great North Run this year. Charities which staff raised money for include RNIB and the Percy Hedley Foundation, a North East school for children with cerebral palsy and autism.
Young Enterprise Programme
The Young Enterprise Programme is the country's leading business and enterprise education charity. It offers a range of programmes, based on the principle of Learning by Doing, which brings volunteers from business into the classroom to work with teachers and students. Others use games, hands on activities and role play to develop skills and capabilities for business and enterprise.
We've had over a dozen staff donate their time to visit schools across the region and offer their services in helping children to understand the world of work.
Operation Christmas Child
In the spirit of Christmas, NCFE volunteers put together over 40 boxes for the Operation Christmas Child initiative. The boxes, which are being donated to Romania, were filled with presents suitable for boys and girls and will help those living in a deprived area to enjoy Christmas.
Page author Vicky Osmond victoriaosmond@ncfe.org.uk May 2010