Thursday, 23 May 2013

News & Events at the Beacon Centre

Mum’s Day a winner with Cara!

Cara Flukes, aged 10, won her Mum a great prize for Mother’s Day by entering a competition through her school, Christchurch Primary. Children at schools across North Shields were invited by the Beacon Centre to draw a picture of their Mums, which were then displayed in the shopping centre.

Cara’s Mum, Cassandra Elizabeth Cooper, won the prize of £100 holiday vouchers at Dawson & Sanderson, a makeover at Boots, afternoon tea at Barista, Mother’s day goodies from the Card Factory, perfume from Wilkinson, and a bouquet of flowers from the Beacon Centre management.

Beacon Centre Manager Chris Wilson said: “We had hundreds of entries and I was helped in the judging by John Fleet, the town centre manager. It was hard to choose, but we felt that Cara’s drawing stood out, so awarded the prize to her mum!”

Mum Cassandra said, “I had no idea that Cara had done this, so was very surprised and delighted to win this lovely prize. We’re looking forward to a family holiday in Scotland with the voucher from Dawson & Sanderson!”

Photo - Toni Robson – manager at Dawson & Sanderson, Cara Flukes, aged 10, Cassandra Cooper and Chris Wilson, manager at the Beacon Shopping Centre.

Students showcase their artistic talents

FINE art students based in North Shields have put together an exhibition to showcase their artwork as part of their course. The HND Fine Art students from The Creative Studios at Queen Alexandra Campus in North Shields, have put together a unique exhibition in the former Nexus shop within the Beacon Shopping Centre in North Shields. Work by first year students is open to the public from Friday, March 15, until Tuesday, March 26, Monday to Saturday from 10am to 3pm.

Art and design teacher, Dr John O’Rourke, said: “The art work showcased at these exhibition sessions is of a very high standard; the students put all of their creative talent to the test and produced some amazing pieces or art. We are delighted to have been able to utilise the space within the Beacon Shopping Centre, the venue provided an excellent back drop to the featured displays. Having the opportunity to share these works with the general public is a fantastic experience for the students. We hope to be able to continue with exhibitions such as these in the future. I would particularly like to thank the owners of the shopping centre for allowing us to make use of the space.”

Chris Wilson, centre manager at the Beacon Centre said: “The students have produced some excellent work, and we are delighted to be able to host the show this year. There has been a lot of interest from our shoppers and we look forward to the next show starting on March 15.”

Have a Heart on Valentine’s Day with the British Heart Foundation!

The Beacon Centre joined forces with the British Heart Foundation shop in the centre to raise money for the charity, whilst making Valentine’s Day special for hundreds of shoppers in the shopping centre. The two sons of BHF shop manager Susan Dinning, Adam Dinning and Jamie Baker, volunteered to give out 240 red roses, provided by the shopping centre, to passing shoppers whilst collecting for the charity.

Susan said, “There were some delighted people in the centre, who got a free red rose and went on their way with a smile on their face. It was great to cheer people up, and we also raised £81 for the British Heart Foundation, which is more than we normally collect. Thanks to my two boys for taking the time to dress up smart and help out!”

Beacon Centre Manager Chris Wilson said: “It’s excellent that we have been able to celebrate Valentine’s Day and raise money for a worthy cause at the same time. BHF wanted to collect on the day, so we thought we could add to the experience with our roses, and BHF found some willing volunteers. It’s a great result that they raised so much from the event!”

Photo - Chris Wilson, Manager of the Beacon Centre, Adam Dinning, shopper Marie McMahon, BHF Volunteer Ann Brown, and Jamie Baker.

Great Help for Heroes from North Shields shoppers!

The Rotary Club of North Shields went out collecting in aid of Help for Heroes over the holiday period, with shoppers donating over £3,610 to help the popular charity.

Members of the Rotary Club and Help for Heroes volunteers took turns to man the grotto in the Beacon Centre during December, and hundreds of children came to visit Santa in his Christmas. Entry to see Santa was free of charge, and donations totalling over £1,400 went towards the overall figure. Collections were also made at the Tesco store in North Shields.

Michael Atkinson, president of The Rotary Club of North Shields, said, “We are very excited to have raised this amount, which is well in excess of previous years. We are aware that these are difficult times, but shoppers have shown that they are able to show great generosity, for which we are very grateful.”

Joyce Roberts heads up the volunteer group locally for Help for Heroes. She commented, “This is a fantastic effort by the Rotary Club of North Shields, and we would like to extend our thanks to the residents of North Shields.”

One of Help for Heroes’ projects at the moment is a new Personnel Recovery Centre in Catterick, which serves the North East and other areas. The programme of educational, cultural and leisure activities, led by Help for Heroes specialists, helps to get the wounded, injured and sick back out doing what they enjoy most.

Beacon Centre Manager Chris Wilson said: “It’s excellent that we can be part of such a great initiative. This has been good for both of us, in that we have had Santa at the shopping centre over Christmas, and our shoppers have been able to give the Rotary and Help for Heroes a boost in their collections.”

Photo attached. Chris Wilson, Manager of the Beacon Centre, Joyce Roberts from Help for Heroes, and Michael Atkinson, President of the Rotary Club of North Shields, with their cheque for £3,610.97

See Santa for Free at the Beacon Centre!

Olivia Spears, aged 3, from North Shields, was one of the first to visit Santa, to tell him she wants a tea set and trolley for Christmas

Santa arrived at the Beacon Centre on Saturday courtesy of the North Shields Rotary Club and with the help of Poundland, who opened at the centre last month.

Hundreds of children came to visit Santa in his Christmas display just inside the Northumberland Square entrance to the shopping centre, and were rewarded with new toys and games donated by Poundland. Mums and Dads were treated to festive mince pies from Greggs. Entry to see Santa is completely free of charge.

Santa will be back for the Victorian Markets next weekend from 10am on both Saturday and Sunday.

Centre Manager Chris Wilson said: “Christmas really has started now, with the centre extremely busy this last weekend, and a good turnout of shoppers bringing the kids to see Santa in his grotto.” He added, “I think that people are determined to have a good Christmas despite the economy, and our shops are all ready for them, with great offers and choice for gifts, food and a lot more!”

James Lennox spent the day at the shopping centre in his role as Vice-President of the North Shields Rotary Club. He said, “We are raising funds for the Help for Heroes campaign this year, which is a very worthy cause. Shoppers have been generous and they seemed delighted with the gift they received from Santa.”

Spooky Fun in North Shields

Hallowe’en loving families enjoyed a day of FREE fun at the Beacon Centre on Saturday. A werewolf, witch, Count Dracula, Frankenstein and a guitar-playing skeleton were spotted during the day, as well as lots of children with scary face-painted masks.

Centre Manager Chris Wilson said: “Halloween is always one of our favourite times of the year, so we thought we’d do something completely free for all the family to enjoy.

“There was lots of entertainment and variety for our shoppers, and the face painter was very popular and did not stop all day. Many of our retailers dressed up as well, so it was an enjoyable and busy day for the shopping centre.”

Located in the heart of North Shields, the Beacon Shopping Centre offers a wide range of outlets, with 42 retail units, including Boots, Wilkinson’s, New Look and a newly opened Poundland - many stores are open 7 days a week, including bank holidays.

Photos attached. Jack Hall aged 5 and brother Ben aged 3 from North Shields joins in the spooky fun with Witch Ingrid and Warey the Werewolf

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