November 3, 2025

Harrison Foundation Donation Transforms Lives Across the North East

This week, Harrison Foundation trustee Daniel Harrison MBE visited The Sunshine Fund in Newcastle to see first-hand how the Foundation’s £27,000 donation earlier this year has transformed lives across the North East.

For over eight years, the Harrison Foundation has supported The Sunshine Fund’s work to provide adapted and specialist equipment for children and young people living with disabilities in the North East, enriching their quality of life in ways that aren’t covered by the NHS or local authorities.

The Sunshine Fund’s vision is for a North East where every disabled child has the support, dignity and independence they deserve. Daniel’s visit offered an insight into how the Foundation’s contribution has helped make this vision a reality. The Sunshine Fund team shared a detailed presentation demonstrating the impact of the donation and the numbers tell a powerful story.

Thanks to the Harrison Foundation’s support, 30 equipment applications have been fulfilled, directly benefiting 29 individual children and one primary school, supporting a total of 472 pupils. The funded items span a wide range of needs, including ten mobility aids helping children move independently and safely, ten sensory and play items offering comfort, stimulation and learning, six IT and communication tools improving accessibility and education, and four living aids enabling greater comfort and daily independence.

Twenty-five of these items were funded exclusively by the Harrison Foundation. Among the many stories shared with Daniel was that of Ezra, a five-year-old from Gateshead whose family received a Special Tomato Jogger buggy. His mum told the Sunshine Fund, “We received the buggy on Monday and it’s fantastic! Ezra was smiling constantly and it’s given us a safe little space to get him out and about.”

Another young recipient, Charlie, aged eight, loves his new sensory bundle, including a weighted blanket that helps him relax and sleep better. And at Bridgewater Primary School in Newcastle, 472 pupils now benefit from a £1,500 sensory equipment bundle that enhances inclusion and learning for children with additional needs.

Speaking about the visit, Daniel Harrison MBE said:

“It’s incredibly moving to see the real difference our partnership with The Sunshine Fund is making for children and families in our region. We’ve been working with the Sunshine Fund team for eight years on many different projects and the joy on the faces of the children they support truly brings the Harrison Foundation’s mission to life, which is about creating opportunity for everyone and removing barriers, regardless of circumstance.”

The Harrison Foundation remains deeply committed to supporting community initiatives that create lasting impact. As Daniel’s visit showed, the partnership with The Sunshine Fund is more than a donation, it’s a shared mission to build brighter futures for North East families, together.