George Clarke, left, and Brian Burridge with some of the donated rucksacks
Outdoors brand Berghaus is helping a charity get essential supplies to homeless people at Christmas.
The Sunderland-based company has donated 30 rucksacks to North East Homeless, which will be used by its volunteers distributing food and other items to those living rough on the streets.
The donation was prompted by an appeal by architect and television presenter George Clarke.
Berghaus said NEH volunteers take supplies with them as they head out, and the charity was in urgent need of rucksacks capable of holding heavy loads. George Clarke, an ambassador for the charity, contacted Berghaus and the company agreed to donate a supply of hard-wearing backpacks, which have been designed for multi-day hikers who carry all of their equipment on the trail.
It said its Trailhead packs are proving to be very useful for charity work too, particularly during the lead up to Christmas this year, as NEH is finding that its services are in demand more than ever.
Paul Anderton, interim global brand director at Berghaus, said: “When George got in touch and told us about the great work that North East Homeless does, we were keen to help.
“And when he explained what the volunteers needed right now, we knew that we could make a useful contribution. Berghaus is a North-East company to its roots, so it’s a privilege to be able to do something to assist those who are most in need, in the region that has always defined the character of our business.”
Brian Burridge founded NEH in 2014. The charity operates from a base at the Fish Quay in North Shields. As well as running a cafe, a ‘take what you need, leave what you can’ store, and providing other help on site, the charity actively seeks out people living on the streets of the region, checking on their wellbeing and providing direct support when possible.
Mr Burridge said: “The Berghaus rucksacks will be such an assistance, allowing us to take everything that we need with us for our outreach work. We have gone through so many poor quality bags in the past, so this means so much and will make a big difference.”
Founded in north-east England in 1966, Berghaus is now part of the Pentland Brands group of companies, which is also a majority shareholder of JD Sports.
George Clarke said: “This amazingly generous gift from Berghaus will mean that we have a greater chance of getting food to those who need it most. Thanks Berghaus!”
