A successful businessman who was brought up on the streets of Newcastle’s west end has returned to his roots to help kids living in his old stamping grounds at Christmas.
LA Taxis director, Rob Armstrong, from Ponteland, who is also a director of leading recruitment agency; MTrec Recruitment has a special place in his heart for the streets and places where he grew up in. Indeed, for the last 10 years he has visited Cowgate Nursery School every Christmas to donate a selection box to every child in the school and his most recent donation saw him paying for the hire of two reindeers for a children’s party.
The children’s party at Kenton Park Leisure Centre celebrated the centre’s 30th year of helping the community and Rob was one of the first people to use their facilities in his younger days. As well as the reindeer, the party had funfair rides, bouncy castles, Santa’s grotto and a magic show to entertain more than 200 children.
Leisure centre manager, Bobby Richardson was delighted with the kind-hearted donation from Rob.
“Rob does a lot of things for our community throughout the year that go unheard. For example, he’s replaced a bicycle that was stolen from a disabled lad, helped a family with a respite holiday in a caravan and supplied an iPad for a youngster with severe sensory difficulties. With his help at the party, he’s really brought Christmas into our community.”
Perhaps Rob’s biggest contribution to the area is the £0.5million he’s helped to raise for Hadrian School’s new Rebound Therapy Centre where trampolines are used to overcome physical, perceptual and communication disabilities for severely disabled youngsters.
“ I’m now lucky enough to be able to give to good causes in the area where I was brought up. I never lose sight of the fact that times for me were very tough and we could have done with someone helping us out. The people of Newcastle’s west end are the salt of the earth and anything I can do to help them, especially at Christmas, I will.”