BLAYDON-BASED Hanover Dairies this week celebrated the company’s recent charity initiative having sent four families with severely ill children on an all-expenses paid holiday to Center Parcs, Whinfell Forest, Penrith, Cumbria.

The initiative was the concept of entrepreneur Trevor Hanover, owner of Hanover Dairies, and the company’s managing director Tony Baldwin, as part of the fundraising work undertaken with children’s charity, The Rainbow Trust. The four families from the region enjoyed a week vacation at Center Parcs and were also presented with £1,000 spending money as part of the package.

Mr Hanover, a patron of The Rainbow Trust, said: “Families with ill children are not always able to experience a normal family holiday. We wanted to provide an opportunity to alleviate some of the pressures on the children, as well as family members, who provide care on a 24-hour basis for their children.

“The holiday experience has been a huge success and we aim to send more families with severely ill children on a summer holiday next year. If any individual or other businesses, would like to get involved in helping sponsor these activities, please get in touch with Hanover Dairies.”

One of the companies involved with sponsorship this year was Cramlington-based Green Mountain Travel. The luxury coach company transported the individual families to and from Center Parcs.

The Tate family from Darlington was one of the families to enjoy a week break. Amy Tate, mum to three-year-old Jake, who received a kidney transplant earlier this year said: “The holiday allowed us to take Jake and our other two children to a safe, friendly and secure environment and spend quality time together as a family. We’re extremely grateful to Trevor Hanover and the Hanover Dairies team for sponsoring the holiday experience.”

Trevor Hanover became involved with The Rainbow Trust in 2008 and has since raised more than £204,000 through his charity fundraising events. In 2016, he was named a “Point of Light” by 10 Downing Street for his voluntary work for The Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity.

Hanover Dairies was formed in 1976 by Mr Hanover and has since become one of the largest doorstep milk distributors in the UK. The company employs more than 50 people and has 20 distribution centres throughout the North-East, North-West and Scotland. The company operates as far as Lancashire and up to Glasgow.

Mr Hanover started his business enterprise with a single milk round in Gateshead and has continually developed his business portfolio. Hanover Dairies now supplies milk to 200 doorstep delivery rounds, local businesses, shops, as well as delivering milk to more than 1,000 schools for children.