Home Business Events Hundreds of North East Women To Celebrate Women in Philanthropy

Hundreds of North East Women To Celebrate Women in Philanthropy

Three hundred of the North East’s female movers and shakers of the business world will attend a prestigious Women in Philanthropy event on International Women’s Day 2018.

The region’s premier women-only network event, organised annually by Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, will be held at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Stephenson Quarter, Newcastle, on Friday 2 March from 11.45am until 2.30pm.

Fran Perrin, Founder and Director of the Indigo Trust, is the key speaker. She will share her insights and experiences as a philanthropist and highlight how she is using her wealth to do good around the globe, as well as outlining the challenges she has overcome with the help of others.

She will be joined by Laura Seebohm, Operational Director at regional charity Changing Lives, which is supporting victims of Operational Sanctuary and ongoing work to prevent tackle sexual exploitation of vulnerable young women.


The Women in Philanthropy event – which was set up by Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland more than a decade ago – is an eagerly anticipated and well-established event in the calendar of North East business women. Around 300 female leaders from across the region’s most high profile businesses attend the networking event every year.

The event will raise funds for the Community Foundation’s Women’s Fund, which was established in 1999 by Dame Margaret Barbour to support women in our region, and also support a special soon-to-be announced Changing Lives project.

Sandra King, from the Community Foundation, said: “We’ve been hosting this event for over 10 years now and it is attended by around 300 leading corporate and professional women from across the North East business scene.

“As part of this year’s fundraising event, Changing Lives will pitch for a £3-4,000 project and guests will be given the chance to donate and make the project happen. It’s an exciting element of our annual event and gives attendees the experience of being a philanthropist and do something amazing right on their doorstep.”

Fran Perrin, Founder of the Indigo Trust and Co-founder of 360 Giving, said: “I inherited wealth and was very lucky to have that happen. At that age – I was 19, 20 – you don’t really know what you are going to do in life, let alone philanthropy, but there was a very strong family tradition that you give back. And I wanted to do that.

“The idea of giving something back is very important to me, and I’m delighted and honoured to be invited to speak about my experiences in front of so many high profile businesswomen. I’m very much looking forward to meeting, speaking with and even inspiring people at the Women in Philanthropy event in March.”

Tickets cost £45 or £450 for a table of 10 and include a two course lunch and coffee. To book individual tickets or to book a table, please telephone 0191 222 0945 or email [email protected]