Schools North East Patron’s Dinner 2024: A roundup of the evening
At Schools North East, we’re no strangers to arranging a yearly series of events to strengthen the North East education community. Just look at our annual events calendar as proof!
These experiences typically take place in the form of conferences and webinars, however, there is one special night of the year where we do things a liiiiiittle differently.
At our annual Patron’s Dinner, we invite our Partner School community to banish the laptops and notebooks for once, and instead spend a wonderful evening fundraising, celebrating, supporting each other, and yes… having a bit of fun!
Contributions must be recognised and honoured
Yesterday marked our 13th annual Patron’s Dinner event, and while that number may be unlucky for some, the evening was far from unfortunate.
Almost 500 school colleagues joined us at The Grand Hotel in Gosforth to celebrate the amazing community we’re so fortunate to have, and to remember that: WE LEAD NOT PLEAD.
North East schools are triumphant in so many ways despite everything that they’re up against. As just one example, long-term deprivation jolts our region the most, which naturally impacts our schools and the wider community, and yet you’ll find various forms of success in every school, in every area.
So why wouldn’t we celebrate?
Last night was an opportunity to do exactly that, and our guests certainly made the most of the positive atmosphere – as they should have! From weighty, in-depth discussions on the individual progress of schools, to the tinkles of laughter as humorous, personal stories were exchanged, it was amazing to watch so many relationships grow in strength with each conversation.
Motivational guest speaker: Alan Hinkes
At 22:00, we were delighted to welcome our special guest speaker to the stage.
Each year, we aim to have someone brilliant lined up to address the guests and boost morale even further. And who better to do that than the first Briton to climb the world’s highest mountains?
It was fascinating to listen to Alan Hinkes OBE; the guests were in awe as he spoke of various expeditions in the ‘death zone’, and how he’s part of an exclusive club of only 12 people alive who have achieved this feat.
Working in a school can often feel like climbing a mountain(!) and hearing Alan’s captivating stories helped attendees think of different ways to apply this determination and motivation to their own lives.
A dazzling evening for our Partner School members
While we love and appreciate all 1,150 North East schools equally, this event in particular is for Partner School colleagues exclusively. They are part of the voice, part of the movement, after all…
An invite to the famous Patron’s Dinner isn’t the only benefit they receive, either. As well as exclusive opportunities and discounts on all events – or free tickets entirely – members have a critical role in helping us lead the change that the entire community wants and needs to see.
Partner Schools look beyond their own school gates to create an inclusive network led by schools. They continuously demonstrate a commitment towards our mission, and we’re so lucky to have them!
If you’d like to find out more about becoming a Partner School, click here.