The flourishing Sunderland beauty spot at Bunnyhill, and you have helped

The Friends of Bunnyhill group has worked wonders in developing the Bunnyhill area into a very special place for people to visit.

And the group has had a helping hand after taking a share of the money raised through a raffle and silent auction at the Sunderland Echo Business Excellence Awards.

All three causes are the chosen charities of Sunderland City Council who were the headline sponsors of the awards.

Thanks to their help the Bunnyhill campaign can make even more progress.

‘We hope to raise the profile of this urban natural beauty spot’

Gill Binyon, from the Friends of Bunnyhill, said: “Our group formed to improve and protect the Bunnyhill area which is in the Redhill area north of Sunderland.

“We hope to raise the profile of this urban natural beauty spot which is host to wildlife that has historical and scientific interest.”

But this is so much more than just a wildlife haven.

There is work under way to install fencing, steps, walkways, dog waste bins and much more.

Viewing points could also be on the way and overgrown areas will be cut back, and it is all thanks to the army of volunteers who do so much good work.

There’s more to come at Bunnyhill

The aim, said Gill, was ‘to improve and protect the habitat of the local wildlife and enhance local green space’.

The other two charities to benefit from the money raised at the awards were Hope4All Community Interest Company and Downhill Recreational Pond and Community Garden.

The other sponsors who backed the awards were the North East BIC, Chilli Mangoes, Marelli, Wilf Husband, Harrison and Brown, Thompson Waste, Gentoo, Sunderland University, The Stack, BGL, Audi, North East Ambition and Sunderland College.Hundreds of guests attended the awards finale at the Stadium of Light. The audience was told there had been more than 100 entries for the competition.

Sunderland Echo editor Gary Oliver told the audience that the excellent entries were ‘an indication that Sunderland's business future is in safe hands. Give yourselves a round of applause.”

Councillor Kevin Johnston, Cabinet Member for Dynamic City at Sunderland City Council, said he was ‘amazed at how many forward-thinking businesses’ the city had.