Lighthouse Charity North East dinner raises £27,650 as charity marks 70 years

The Lighthouse Charity's North East region has raised more than £27,650 for construction workers and their families at its annual dinner, held at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead in the week of the charity's 70th anniversary.

Guests raised £13,825.23 on the night through a live auction, raffle, wine and water wall and photo booth, the charity said. An anonymous donor then matched that sum, doubling the total.

Sarah Sidey, Chair of the North East Region, said: "It was simply amazing that one person, who remains anonymous, was prepared to donate £13,825.23 to match fund the money raised at the dinner."

The money will go towards the emotional, physical and financial wellbeing of construction workers and their families, according to the charity.

The evening

The dinner also recognised people working to improve wellbeing and mental health awareness in the region's construction community. Special awards went to Ray Elliott and Sam Warner of the charity's #MakeItVisible team for raising awareness, sharing their lived experience and helping others find support.

Carney Consultancy, Esh Construction and Bowmer + Kirkland sponsored the event. The North East committee that organised it included Sarah Sidey, Angela Carney, Catriona Lingwood, Laura Brown, Gary Brannighan, Nick Redpath, Sarah O'Mahoney and Debbie Flynn.

Carney Consultancy describes itself as a long-term supporter of the charity, with its managing director Angela Carney serving on the North East board. Esh Construction launched a campaign in 2023 with the charity to roll out more than 450 transparent hard hats on its sites, each designed to carry a QR code linking to the charity's support services, according to Esh Group.

Sidey said: "It really demonstrates what can be achieved when our industry comes together behind a common cause."

Tyneside origins

The charity traces its beginnings to the North East. According to its own account, its founders were attending a Ministry of Public Buildings and Works exhibition on Tyneside when they made their founding pledge under St Mary's Lighthouse in Whitley Bay, and it has supported the construction community since 1956. The dinner announcement says the North East region started the charity's journey in September 1956.

Today the charity provides 24/7 support to the construction community across the UK and Ireland, including a free and confidential helpline, live web chat and text service.

Rising demand

The charity said demand for its services is growing alongside awareness of them. In the North East, it has supported hundreds of people this year through counselling, financial assistance, wellbeing support and complex case management.

Nationally, its 2025 Impact Report recorded support for 6,712 families, including emergency food shops and housing support, with charitable and leveraged support rising to £6.3m. It funded 8,714 counselling sessions in 2025, 51% more than the previous year, and responded to 94 critical incidents, up 42% on 2024.

Sarah Bolton, CEO of the Lighthouse Charity, said when the report was published that the charity had supported 17% more families in 2025 than the year before and reached more people through its #MakeItVisible initiative and Critical Incident Response Service.

The pace has continued into 2026. The charity's current appeal page says it has supported 51% more people this year than in 2025, with £4.3m spent on charitable support up to July alone and 7,429 conversations held by its counsellors so far this year.