We all have our chosen charities and causes and the following are some with which we are involved:

As we lost one of our staff to breast cancer last year, we have been particularly involved with breast cancer research funding and last year's "Wear it Pink" day was celebrated in the office in style with staff members adorned in all shades of pink. We organised a raffle and prize competition which involved guessing how many pairs of shoes the female members of staff possessed between them. We raised a modest amount to contribute to donations.

Continuing the cancer theme we have supported a number of local people in their efforts to raise money for cancer charities by way of company donations.

The Sage Gateshead Fund-Raising Concert in support of Macmillan Cancer Support & Tynedale Community Hospice raised over £13,000.

Having tragically lost her mother as well as our member of staff to cancer in 2008 Patricia organised a fund-raising concert in their memory to support Macmillan Cancer Support and Tynedale Community Hospice. This took place in Hall 1 at The Sage Gateshead on Sunday 27 September 2009 and the wonderful line-up included world-class opera singers RITA CULLIS (Soprano), JOHN HUDSON (Tenor), GRAEME DANBY (Bass Baritone), and VALERIE REID (Mezzo Soprano), accompanied by DEREK HARRIS in a varied and exciting programme.

This concert was organised with the support of George F White ( www.georgefwhite.co.uk ).

This was a wonderful and successful event and, having raised the amazing sum of £13,456, cheques were presented to the two charities on November 27th

We are fortunate in being able to live and work in Tynedale and in order to give something back to the community Patricia has recently become actively involved in the Hexham Abbey Restoration Fund as Treasurer.

Hexham Abbey is currently raising money for the development of a Visitor and Heritage Centre and we have enjoyed supporting the fund-raising Gala Dinners in the Abbey by taking guests and offering pledges for auction. Patricia advertises in the monthly Abbey News and Views and can also be found serving Parish breakfasts in her monthly rota slot.

The annual Hexham Abbey Music Festival attracts visitors from all over the country. As well as being keen attendees of many of the Festival concerts we advertise in the programme.

Also on the music front, Hexham and District Music Society offers a wonderfully varied annual programme and we were delighted to be able to sponsor a concert by the world-renowned soprano Dame Emma Kirkby last season, as well as supporting the Hexham Orpheus Choir.

As a card-carrying member of CAMRA, Patricia supports the annual Tynedale Beer Festival in June by way of sponsorship. This weekend-long community event brings thousands of visitors into the area and raises funds for local charities, as well as being great fun! We were a major sponsor for the festival in 2009.

The practice first started in Warden and we still support that parish by way of advertisement in the Stanegate magazine. We also regularly advertise in the Hexhamshire magazine, and local annual show programmes such as those for Slaley Show and Hexham Point to Point.

Due to family circumstances Patricia is a "sleeping" member of the Rotary Club of Hexham at present, but when commitments permit she hopes once more to be actively involved in their community-based fund-raising activities. For the time being, our contribution is limited to an annual advertisement in the Christmas Chronicle!

Hexham is fortunate in its local Business Forum and we participate in regular meetings and events in support. We feel strongly that we need to work together in the current economic climate to make the best of the situation we face, and in this way emerge a stronger force.

We frequently receive requests for support from clients for fund-raising activities they are organising and respond when we can. One such request recently involved a client and his son in abseiling down the Baltic in Newcastle, and another sent a teenager on a World Challenge expedition to Kyrgyzstan! Another youngster (who turned 18 a day before the race) ran the London Marathon to raise funds for the Haven, a respite care centre for breast cancer sufferers, and through her sterling efforts raised a magnificent £247,000!

Closer to home we try to make sure people working here can achieve a good home/work balance. For instance we have a number of staff who work non-standard hours to juggle their children's needs, aged parents, university charity work and other commitments.

Two of our staff members took part in the Great North Run last year to raise money for spinal injuries and the British Heart Foundation. Another staff member has extra time off to support her Guiding commitments.

We support Spinabifida and Hydrocephalus charities in their annual balloon race. Spinabifida is close to Patricia's heart as she has two friends from her university days who are sufferers. Where we can we also support Muscular Dystrophy and the Freeman Heart Unit, because we have several clients with grandchildren who suffer from related diseases.