A TYNEDALE businessman has been recognised by the Prime Minister for providing sustainable funding to projects in the North-East.

Graham Wylie CBE, who launched his the Graham Wylie Foundation in 2015, was made the latest recipient of the PM's Points of Light Award which recognsies volunteers making a change in their community and inspiring others.

A successful businessman, Mr Wylie personally meets the running, administration and staffing costs of the charity and devotes his time to running the charity on an entirely voluntary basis. This allows 100 per cent of donations to be channelled into funding organisations, equipment and buildings to improve services for vulnerable children and young people across the region.

He recently provided a national charity Nordoff Robbins with a building to become the first music centre outside of London to use music therapy to support isolated groups of children.

In a personal letter to Mr Wylie, Prime Minister Theresa May said: “By setting up the Graham Wylie Foundation, you have created a remarkable charitable platform which helps inspire and educate children across the North-East.

"By providing funding for equipment, buildings, staff and assets, you are helping to improve services for vulnerable children and young people across the region for years to come.”

Mr Wylie said: "It is an honour to receive a Point of Light Award from the Prime Minister – this will continue to inspire me to make my charitable foundation bigger and better and help, educate and inspire the children of the North-East of England.

"Our first two projects, The Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy Centre and the Mercy Project’ at St Marys’s Cathedral are up and running and we continue to fund-raise to create more projects of a similar nature. This award will help with our ambitions.”