The team from K2, the developers of the mammoth £450m SeAH Wind monopile manufacturing facility at Teesworks, recently met The Link Charitable Trust at a Redcar & Cleveland Ambassador networking event and were immediately drawn into supporting the small organisation in their Christmas fundraising appeal.

The Link Charitable Trust, based in Redcar’s The Palace Hub, support the over 60’s, care leavers, children, and families as well as those suffering from emotional wellbeing and mental health issues. At the initial meeting, the Trust expressed the time-critical plight of needing to fulfil initial requests for more than 260 hampers from local people in need, fully aware that they anticipated the demand to exceed 500 in the lead up to the festive period.

K2 Construction Management, part of K2 Consultancy, has recently opened an office in Middlesbrough setting up a new regional team. K2 engaged with its scheme partners on the 90acre site for additional support to help meet the appeals of local people and families in need.

As well as cash donations from the local and national organisations, the current 200 on-site employees personally donated Christmas gifts, food items and other goodies to help make festive hampers.

K2 Senior Project Manager Glenn Forbes said: “The financial and energy crisis coupled with the extremely cold weather this winter is undoubtedly going to be a difficult and worrying time for many. As soon as we heard of the great work The Link Charitable Trust do in our local area, we knew we wanted to jump straight in to see how we could help.

“The project we’re delivering for SeAH is game-changing for our region and we want to ensure that our presence here, coupled with setting up our permanent northern base, will make a huge impact on local people’s lives through employment and community engagement.

“My genuine and heartfelt thanks go out to our unbelievable project partners and their employees for their incredible generosity. We just hope that these small gifts can go some way to ease any financial pressures and bring a little smile to those who need it most, people right here on our doorstep.”

Hannah Moloney, Business Manager from The Link Charitable Trust added: “We are incredibly grateful for the wonderful support and kindness we have received from all the businesses involved in this fundraising appeal. The way everyone has come together in such a short space of time shows wonderful community spirit.

“This year more than ever is a struggle for so many people and the money which has been raised alongside the gifts donated will allow some of the most vulnerable people in our community to have a happier Christmas. The amount raised exceeded the target for the Christmas hamper appeal and so will allow us to replenish our food bank over the winter months including providing blankets and winter warmers for the homeless. Any leftover funds will go towards the group activities we provide.

“It is these acts of kindness that allow us to continue with our work.”

K2 Construction Management and The Link Charity Trust would like to express its sincerest thanks to the following businesses and their employees for their amazing donations; Ashton Smith Associates, Barrier Architectural Group, Bauer Technologies, BMSL, Construction CDM Services, Keller, MGL Group’s Rainton Construction, Midas Cladding, Park Electrical Distributors, SeAH, SES Engineering, Severfield, SsangYong and Wilson James.