Community Corner may have already won the TSB Community Partner Award at this year’s Pride of the North East Awards – but now they are revolutionising Christmas for 80 South Tyneside children.

As part of its Christmas Wishes campaign, Community Corner asked for people in South Tyneside to nominate local children that they thought deserved an extra special gift this Christmas. 

The organisation identified 80 nominations for children across South Tyneside who have either been poorly, lost loved ones, been extra brave or done something for their local community.

A blind teenager from South Shields was amongst the 80 and got the Christmas present of a lifetime as he received a wearable camera to help him regain his independence.

Finlay Bulmer, 17, was given an OrCam MyEye, which assists people who have lost their sight or are visually impaired by using artificial intelligence to do everyday tasks.

The teenager became blind suddenly two years ago and was diagnosed with Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy, a condition which usually appears in people as young adults.

Finlay’s mum Lynn said the technology, which he will attach to a pair of glasses, would be life changing for her son.

She said: “It has been an emotional evening. Seeing him lose his sight was the most horrendous thing.

“The device will go onto the side of Finlay’s glasses and it will be able to identity people and help him with independence, he will be able to go to the toilet on his own and his mum won’t have to take him.

“It will read letters to him – it can do everything. It’s going to be massive for him, it will change his life.”

Finlay’s device was presented to him as part of an evening of Christmas celebration at Jarrow Civic Hall where 80 children from South Tyneside received gifts.

To support the fantastic work being done by Community Corner, local bank, TSB donated £10,000 to enable them to continue to support the local community.

TSB also supported their Christmas Wishes campaign by donating gifts and helping to organise the event by wrapping presents and helping to organise Santa’s special visit.

Cheryl McDonald, who founded Community Corner with her mother Lynne Davis four years ago, said: “These are our people in our community and they matter.

“It’s very difficult to get funding if you’re not a charity and there were a lot people who needed help and we have been able to do it.

“TSB are our sponsors and they have been amazing with their support for us. They donated £10,000 to help us keep running so we can help even more people.

“We decided to get together to do Christmas Wishes and provide some happiness to the children of South Tyneside.

“TSB’s motto is ‘people helping people’ and we share that view, it’s really important and it’s what we do.”

Bev Gibson, area director for TSB in North East England and Cumbria, said: “Community Corner are TSB's Pride of the North East community winners for 2018, they are a mother and daughter double act who are completely funded through donations in the local community.

“They are completely selfless women who give everything to help children and families who need extra support in the South Tyneside area.

“That’s what TSB do, we're all about people helping people, so I’m really proud to have been there.”

Community Corner won the TSB Community Partner Award at this year’s Pride of the North East Awards. For more stories like this visit tsb.co.uk/local-pride