The judging panel for the North East Charity Awards, including VONNE's outgoing CEO Jane Hartley, have announced this year's shortlist:
Outstanding individual contribution to charity: Stewart Bailey; Carol Briggs; Ivan Hollingsworth.
Uniquely North East award: Blyth Star Enterprises; The Children’s Foundation; Foundation of Light, MFC Foundation and Newcastle United Foundation.
Outstanding social enterprise award: TTE Technical Training Group; Urban Mushrooms; YMCA North Tyneside.
Charity leader of the year: Graham Burt - Sunderland Carers Centre; Catrina McHugh - Open Clasp; Joanne Smith - Fighting All Cancers Together (FACT).
Small charity of the year: Hart Gables LGBT; Mortal Fools; North East Homeless (NEH).
Volunteer of the year: Mark Allison; Mary Frankland; Tony Larkin.
Young charity champion of the year: Joshua Conlon, Brendan Hoar & Sam Ward-Hardy; Jack Ramsay; Charlotte Sands.
North East charity of the year: Fighting All Cancers Together (FACT); MFC Foundation; St Oswald’s Hospice.
Outstanding charity support by large companies: AkzoNobel Ashington; Northumbrian Water; Virgin Money.
Outstanding charity support by small-to-medium companies: Diamond Group; Hanover Dairies; Warren Access.
The winners will be announced at the ceremony at Hardwick Hall on Thursday 11 October.