THE National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children has set up a business board for Newcastle to raise the charity’s profile and help raise funds.

The board, which is made up of a wide range of well known business people from the region, was set up by Janet Richardson, NSPCC corporate fundraising manager for the North East.

She said: “I’m delighted that we have been successful in recruiting such an influential group of people committed to helping us achieve an end to child cruelty.

“Every year thousands of children and young people in the North East are helped by our local services and ChildLine. Services at our centre in Newcastle help children to overcome the devastating effects of abuse.

“They focus on the most vulnerable, helping children who have been affected by sexual abuse, young people in local authority care, and families from minority ethnic communities. The new Business Board will be key to supporting these services and giving children and families here in the North East a brighter future.”

Chairman of the board is Andy Scaife, managing director, Quantum Pharmaceutical, who is joined by Chris Rigg, from Barclays, Andy Bairstow from Nexus and James Allen and Madeleine Griffith from Guerilla Communications.