Appeal edges closer to target with donations from Chinese community and UNISON

Donations from the North East’s Chinese community and trade union UNISON have seen Newcastle’s Citylife Line appeal jump closer to its initial £30,000 target.

Chinese New Year celebrations at Stowell Street, Newcastle

The appeal was launched to provide funds to support organisations helping the most vulnerable residents in the city shielding from coronavirus during the lockdown.

The city’s Chinese community has played a vital role with a donation of £10,000. This has been coordinated by local business and community leader Sin Hung Ng MBE.

In addition to the financial support pledged to the city, Shunde Province in China has provided a donation of more than 2000 items of PPE organised by Sin Hung.

Sin Hung was born in Hong Kong and moved to the UK in 1968. His keen passion for business and a strong entrepreneurial vision led him to start the travel agency Happy Travel which is based in Newcastle and specialises in tours of China.

Sin Hung has been an active member of the local British Chinese community and has been president of the Newcastle Wah Sun Chinese Association for 30 years.

In this role, he has helped establish a retirement home for the Chinese elderly – the first of its kind in the North East and helped organise events and engagement for Chinese communities in their local areas. In 1992 he became Newcastle University’s first governor of Chinese origin.

Since the outbreak of coronavirus Sin Hung has rallied the British Chinese community across the UK to raise funds and support the battle against the virus. Over £100,000 worth of money and PPE contributions have been made to the NHS from the UK’s British Chinese community.

A further £3,000 has been pledged Johnny Qi, the Chairman of the British Chinese Entrepreneurs Association, whose logistic business is based in Gateshead.

The Newcastle branch of trade union UNISON has further helped boost the total with a £2,500 donation of its own. UNISON is the country’s largest trade union, representing full-time and part-time staff who provide public services in both the public and private sectors.

Cllr Nick Forbes, Leader of Newcastle City Council, said: “These are incredibly generous donations which will make a huge difference in the citywide efforts to tackle coronavirus.

“The Chinese community in Newcastle is vast and on behalf of the council I would like to thank everyone involved for helping in this common cause. The links between Newcastle, China, and its residents in our city are significant and it is very special to be able to count on these global relationships at such difficult times.

“I would also like to express my thanks to UNISON, who play an important role in representing a large number of workers throughout Newcastle. Their donation will help a great number of individuals and families get through this crisis.

“Coronavirus will have an impact on every corner of Newcastle and it is vital we continue to bring all our communities together to overcome this hidden enemy.”

The Citylife Line appeal was launched with an initial £30,000 target to allow people to donate to charities directly involved in the citywide effort to support residents through the impacts of coronavirus.

The funds raised are being coordinated by Connected Voice, a charitable organisation at the heart of Newcastle’s voluntary and community sector to purchase essential provisions and offer support to residents in lockdown.

Read more about Citylife Line here and if you are able to make a donation you can do so here.

More information on the international links between Newcastle and China is available on the council’s website here.