DARLINGTON NEWS
Beanies agrees Greek deal
OFFICE MOVE HELPS RAISE FOSTERING AWARENESS
Relationships – Unity Foster Care has already helped bring together 391 children , young people and parents in Yorkshire and Tees Valley since being founded in 2015 .
An independent fostering agency has expanded into a new office in Darlington as part of efforts to change the lives of more local children in need .
Unity Foster Care says its move to a new home at Business Central plays an important role in raising the visibility of the organisation and underlines the urgent need for new foster carers to come forward .
Founded in 2015 in Leeds , the agency has already helped bring together 391 children , young people and parents in Yorkshire and Tees Valley . Now , digital marketing manager Amy Styran says the time is right to raise the profile of its crucial work .
She said : “ There ’ s an ongoing need to attract new people to the role but there are many myths and misconceptions about who
can and can ’ t become a foster carer . We ’ re passionate about breaking down those barriers .
“ Our move to the heart of the community at Business Central opens up so many new opportunities for us to raise awareness of the benefits and opportunities involved so more brilliant matches can be found for children and carers .
“ Opening your home to a child can mean giving that child a chance at life that they might otherwise never have had . There are very few roles you can do that will give you the same level of reward .”
Unity works to match foster carers with children in care ranging in age from newborn to 17 . Its team of 25 works closely with families and local authorities throughout the fostering relationship .
A Darlington-based coffee brand has partnered with an international producer as it aims to more than double turnover in the next three years .
Beanies Flavour Coffee has agreed terms with Greek flavour coffee producer Cafetex SA in a move that forms a strategic partnership between two similarly focused companies , creating a number of synergies across a range of products within their chosen markets .
The company has grown from its origins in Newton Aycliffe and Darlington and now has its main manufacturing base and offices in Faverdale North , Darlington , where it flavours and packs more than 40 flavours of instant coffee .
New café urges businesspeople to ‘ pay it forward ’
An event attended by business owners saw the launch of the Karma Café at Age UK North Yorkshire and Darlington ’ s Café Refresh .
The venue is open on weekdays from 8am to 10am and embodies the “ paying it forward ” idea , meaning anyone buying a coffee , for example , can also buy a second drink for an older person coming into the centre that day .
The café , run by a team of full-time staff and award-winning kitchen volunteers , can also cater for business lunches , either on-site or at the client ’ s place of choice . It recently won a catering contract with nearby HM Treasury .
Ideas wanted for wind farm
The new chair of the committee that reviews applications to the benefits fund linked to a Darlington wind farm , Cllr Lorraine Tostevin , is calling on more local charities and community groups to send in their ideas .
The fund was set up by County Durhamheadquartered Banks Renewables as part of the development of the six-turbine scheme , which sits to the north-east of Barmpton .
Anyone interested in applying for funding from Moor House wind farm fund should contact the County Durham & Darlington Community Foundation on 0191 378 6342 or via fundmanager @ bankscommunityfund . org . uk to check if their group or project is eligible .
Co-living development draws interest from relocating civil servants
A luxury co-living development is already attracting interest from young professionals relocating to work at Darlington Economic Campus .
The finishing touches to the innovative high-end scheme have just been completed by bespoke painting and decorating company S Nicholson & Sons , which specialises in older and heritage properties .
Darlington-based developers Ben Quaintrell and Olly Lawson say the upmarket concept – popular in many UK cities – is already attracting interest from many of the hundreds of civil servants drawn to the town by the economic campus , which includes HM Treasury , the Department for International Trade and the Department for Levelling Up , Housing and Communities .
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