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Egger UK Community Fund Donation

Charlotte Straker Project Awarded £1,500 from Egger UK Community Fund

The Charlotte Straker Project is proud to announce it has been awarded £1,500 from the EGGER UK Community Fund in Hexham.

The EGGER Community Fund empowers employees to nominate and vote for local charities that matter most to them, with the highest-voted organisation receiving the top award. The Charlotte Straker Project was nominated by EGGER employee Dan Soulsby, Senior Key Account Manager, and is delighted to have received the greatest number of votes, reflecting the strong support for the charity among EGGER teams.

Andrew Sanderson, Project Director for Delivery Performance at EGGER UK and Chair of the Charity Committee, said “We created the EGGER Community Fund to give our employees a meaningful way to support the local causes that matter most to them. Every organisation we choose for selection has been nominated by our colleagues, reflecting the close connection they feel with charities across our area. We’re delighted to have been able to support the Charlotte Straker Project and the vital work they do in our community.”

The funding will support the charity’s Development Fund, helping to sustain and enhance services at Charlotte Straker House, a residential and nursing home supporting people aged 65 and over. This includes the charity’s free community respite care service, which provides essential support to older people and their families across the area.

Karen Hunter, Plant Administration Team Leader at EGGER UK and Secretary of the Charity Committee, added “Our Charity Committee is made up of volunteering colleagues from each team, and we work to ensure we can maximise the impact of donations from the company.”

Berenice Groves, Chair of Trustees at the Charlotte Straker Project, said: “We are absolutely delighted and extremely grateful to the staff at EGGER Hexham for nominating us, and to everyone who took the time to vote. This generous donation will make a huge difference, enabling us to invest in our Development Fund and continue improving the care, facilities and activities we provide, while ensuring vital respite services remain available to those who need them most.”

The Charlotte Straker Project is a local charity dedicated to providing high-quality residential, nursing, and respite care in a supportive, community-focused environment. Awards such as this play a crucial role in helping the organisation plan for the future and respond to the growing needs of older people.

Pictured left to right: Andy Sanderson (Project Director Delivery Performance and Chair of the Charity Committee, EGGER UK), Berenice Groves (Chair of Trustees, Charlotte Straker Project), Gavin Black (Vice Chair, Charlotte Straker Project), and Dan Soulsby (Senior Key Account Manager, EGGER UK, who nominated the Charlotte Straker Project).

Charwallahs and Chilli Night Raises Over £2,400

Charwallahs and Chilli Night Raises Over £2,400 for Local Charities

Corbridge came alive on Saturday 14th March as nearly 100 guests gathered at Corbridge Parish Hall for the much-anticipated Charwallahs and Chilli Night, co-hosted by Corbridge Youth Initiative and the Charlotte Straker Project.

The evening featured a fantastic performance by the five-piece band The Charwallahs, who delighted the crowd with classic hits, including favourites by The Beatles. Guests also enjoyed a delicious chilli supper prepared by the kitchen team at Charlotte Straker House, while Corbridge Cricket Club ensured the bar was well stocked for the night’s festivities.

The event was a huge success, raising over £2,400, with profits to be split equally between the two local charities.

Berenice Groves, Chair of Trustees at Charlotte Straker House, said “It was wonderful to see our community come together for such a fun and meaningful evening. The support for our project and the Corbridge Youth Initiative has been overwhelming, and we are so grateful to everyone who attended and contributed.”

Chris Nevis from Corbridge Youth Initiative added “Events like this remind us of the strength and generosity of our local community. The funds raised will make a real difference to the young people we support, and we are thrilled to have shared such a memorable evening with the Charlotte Straker Project.”

The Charwallahs and Chilli Night not only celebrated great music, food, and company but also demonstrated the incredible spirit of giving in Corbridge.

A Whistle Stop Century for Nancy

Celebrating 100 Years: A Whistle Stop Century for Nancy

Born on 22nd March 1926, the year of the General Strike, Nancy arrived into a world of flappers, Fair Isle sweaters and modest life expectancies. Within days, Queen Elizabeth II and David Attenborough were also born, suggesting it was a particularly notable year.

One hundred years later, Nancy is still very much setting the pace.

Raised in Yorkshire alongside her twin brother Neville and older brother Peter, Nancy attended the formidable Skellfield Girls’ Boarding School in Ripon before wartime evacuation to Topcliffe, where she became Head Girl. It was an early sign of the leadership and resolve that would define her life.

After the war, she headed to London, living near Marble Arch and working through the era of rationing and the Great Smog, while occasionally indulging in tea at Lyons Corner House. Returning north, she joined the family business and soon demonstrated another talent, public speaking. Entering the National Speaking Competition with the Leeds Young Conservatives, Nancy’s team won first prize.  Their achievement was recorded in the Bodleian Library and proudly preserved in a faded newspaper clipping rediscovered years later.

Tennis courts brought romance. She married Graeme Anderson despite his two years of National Service at sea, and together they embarked on a life characterised by movement, ambition and no small amount of determination.

They lived on Loch Lomond and welcomed their son, then went one better by designing and building their own home in Strathblane. Later came St Albans, twin daughters, and a lively assortment of pets including chipmunks and a golden retriever who was rehomed under cover of darkness to lasting family outrage. Eventually miniature schnauzers became part of the story too.

A move to Derby saw Nancy redecorate a substantial Victorian house from top to bottom while largely single handedly raising three children during Graeme’s frequent overseas work. All this was alongside her role at Reckitt and Colman, long before working motherhood was widely recognised or celebrated.

She transformed overgrown gardens into thriving plots, passed on her formidable horticultural knowledge, and even bred prize miniature schnauzers, sending puppies with memorable names off to new homes.

Later chapters in Northumberland brought birdwatching, gardening clubs, antiques work and time assisting a local architect, along with adventures further afield. Safaris, river cruises and hikes in the Swiss Alps proved that curiosity has no expiry date.

Nancy has witnessed a century of extraordinary change, from post war austerity to the digital age, adapting, contributing and quietly excelling at every turn.

Her story is not one headline moment but a succession of achievements. Leadership, eloquence, resilience, entrepreneurship, motherhood, career, creativity and adventure.

On International Women’s Day, as we celebrate women who shape the world, Nancy’s 100 years stand as a reminder that remarkable lives are often built not in grand gestures, but in determination, adaptability and a refusal to stand still.

A century on from her arrival during national upheaval, Nancy is still, quite magnificently, getting away with it.

Happy 100th Birthday, Nancy.

Pictured: Nancy and Graeme Anderson atop a fell in the Lakes 

Celebrating Nurse Recruitment Success

Charlotte Straker House Celebrates Nurse Recruitment Success

The Charlotte Straker Project is proud to announce the successful recruitment of two new nurses from within its existing team. In a challenging care sector landscape, the home has been able to fill these roles internally, following staff retirement, ensuring continuity of care and avoiding lengthy external recruitment processes.

Both new appointees were already part of the Charlotte Straker House family, making this an especially rewarding achievement. Among them is Kellie, who has worked as a bank nurse with the home over the past year. Despite the irregular nature of bank shifts, Kelly has thrived in the welcoming and supportive environment of Charlotte Straker House and was eager to step into a full-time position.

Sam Willis, Home Manager at Charlotte Straker House, said “We place huge value on our existing team, and it’s wonderful to see our staff secure more hours and full-time roles through internal opportunities. This allows us to avoid lengthy recruitment processes while ensuring our home continues to operate to the highest standards. They are both excellent examples of the talent and dedication already within our home.”

Charlotte Straker House remains committed to supporting career development for its staff and providing outstanding care for its residents, fostering a positive and nurturing environment for both staff and those they care for.

Pictured: Registered Nurse Kellie Collin

Farewell to Long-Serving Nurse

Charlotte Straker House Bids Farewell to Long-Serving Nurse

After an extraordinary 34 years of compassionate care and unwavering dedication Jackie Kellett, nurse and former Deputy Home Manager at Charlotte Straker House, is retiring. For more than three decades Jackie has been a constant reassuring residents, families and colleagues alike. Her career has spanned many changes in care, developments in nursing practice and the evolution of services at Charlotte Straker Jackie has been a vital member of the project since the early days contributing to the home’s remarkable journey within Tynedale community.

Following the closure of NHS services in 1989, local residents led efforts to save the Charlotte Straker building, which reopened in 1992 as a residential care home for the elderly. Over the years, the home has adapted to changing circumstances, including the NHS ending GP beds and palliative care in 2016, the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the reopening of a community respite care bed in 2024. Throughout it all, Jackie’s dedication, leadership, and compassion have remained a constant.

During her time, Jackie took on the role of Deputy Home Manager and has been instrumental in maintaining the home’s high standards, supporting both residents and colleagues alike. While her official retirement is a huge milestone, Jackie will continue to support the home as part of the bank staff, ensuring she will remain a familiar face.

Berenice Groves, Chair of Trustees at the Charlotte Straker Project, said “ Jackie Kellett has been an invaluable part of our team for over three decades and a real character. We are extremely grateful for everything she has contributed and are delighted that she will continue to be part of our family in her bank role, while also enjoying her well-deserved retirement focusing on her own adventures and family.”

Charlotte Straker House continues to uphold its mission of exceptional care by supporting local authority residents with care costs, offering a free community respite bed, fundraising for engaging activities and outings, and maintaining modern, welcoming facilities that truly make the house feel like a home.

Pictured: L-R Trustee Bill Cunningham, Chair Berenice Groves, CEO Steve Adams, Nurse Jackie Kellett, Vice Chair Gavin Black and Home Manager Sam Willis