Point North welcomes Avison Young to Northern Lights match fund
Point North is delighted to welcome Avison Young to the ‘Northern Lights’ match fund, supporting the Lumiere Durham 2025 and helping to brighten lives throughout County Durham all year round.
What is the Northern Lights match fund?
To mark our 30th anniversary, we launched the Northern Lights match fund to strengthen our support for Lumiere Durham by offering businesses a unique opportunity to maximise their social impact and invest in the region’s cultural scene.
For every pound donated by businesses, Point North contributes an additional 50p (increased to £1) on selected partnerships.
Avison Young is a global commercial real estate advisors who share a commitment to making great places for people.
Built on the belief that commercial real estate isn’t just about the buildings and the square footage and the occupancies, Avison Young, at its best is about spaces and places that improve lives and help businesses thrive; for the employees, citizens and communities that make impact matter.
This year, Avison Young is supporting the Lumiere Production Trainees, providing young people with paid, hands-on experience in the creative industries.
The Marketing Trainee will work alongside the Artichoke Communications team to promote the event, while the Production Trainee will help Lumiere Producers and technical teams to install the artworks.
How does the Northern Lights match fund make a difference?
Working with Artichoke, the match fund unlocks additional funding for the year round Lumiere Learning & Participation programme.
The Learning and Participation activities are integrated into the artistic programme of Lumiere Durham and offers a chance for local people to take part in the arts and to develop their creative skills.
In 2023, more than 1,800 local people across 18 community groups, 15 schools, six libraries and three prisons took part in Learning & Participation projects, working with artists to create Lumiere artworks.
Over 300 local volunteers and eight young trainees helped bring Lumiere Durham 2023 to life, developing valuable skills and improving wellbeing.
One of the young people who took part in the Learning & Participation programme shared: “It made me really happy knowing that I had contributed to the Lumiere because I’ve gone to it multiple times over the years with my family; it was really special knowing I had a hand in it.”
Barry Crichton, Principal & Managing Director, Manchester, said: “We’ve supported the Lumiere Durham over the years through Northern Lights Match Fund. Because at Avison Young, we believe in creating social value in the communities we serve. It’s great to be part of a programme that delivers lasting benefit to the North East.”
Michelle Cooper, CEO at Point North said: “As we embark on celebrating our 30th anniversary, we are immensely proud to continue our longstanding partnership with Lumiere, a festival that brings magic, light and togetherness to our communities.
“Everyone should have the opportunity to experience and take part in arts and culture, and Lumiere embodies this by making world-class art accessible to all. It’s thanks to support from businesses like Avison Young who have donated through the Northern Lights match fund we can continue to enrich lives across County Durham and the wider North East.”
Interested in maximising your charitable giving?
At Point North, we help individuals, families and businesses structure their charitable giving so it reflects their values and delivers the greatest possible impact.
Get in touch with us to learn more about the different ways we can maximise your charitable giving.
