A SUNDERLAND charity boss who has raised in excess of £6m for good causes across Wearside has been honoured by HM The King.
Viv Watts, chief executive of Hope 4 Kidz, has spent almost 50 years raising money for individuals and community groups along with specialist equipment for hospitals.
And now she has been awarded an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List for Services to Charity and Community.
“I can’t believe it,” she said. “It’s just such an honour. I never did any of this for the thanks, so to be awarded such a special honour by HM the King is just beyond anything I could ever have imagined.”
Viv, from North Hylton, began helping others in 1977 when her sister-in-law suggested she used party plan events to raise funds for care homes in Tyne and Wear.
This led to a fashion show in 1981 at the Mecca Ballroom for the Grindon Hall Appeal- raising funds for a residential unit to support special needs adults to live independently.
“Over 1500 people attended,” she said, “”and that was the start of a series of larger fundraising events, because I realised what a difference they and I could make in the community.”
Since then, Viv has held black tie balls, sporting dinners, golf days, themed events, ladies’ luncheons, networking events, afternoon tea and shopping events and even organised a concert – headlined by Ronan Keating – for 10,000 people.
With the help of volunteers she has also raised funds for a CT Scanner and a Paediatric scanner for Sunderland Royal Hospital, supported STEM Cell Appeal for Cancer Research and funded respite holidays for children with special needs.
In 2007, she co-founded Hope 4 Kidz alongside the late Brian Dodds, to support children with special needs with equipment, education, respite and the relief of poverty.
Every year since, she has run Christmas Appeals for toys and selection boxes and for chocolate eggs at Easter, which she and her team distribute to hospitals, special needs units, areas of poverty, young carers, and refuges across the county.
Having supported Amber’s Law, now Amber’s Legacy for more than six years, Viv is now a trustee of the cervical cancer screening campaign group.
And, despite having a stroke in 2023, she has since completed the Coronation Garden at Pennywell community Centre.
“The stroke teams at Sunderland Royal Hospital saved my life, ” she said “and made me realise I still had more to give to the community.
“The Coronation Garden is one of the best projects I’ve ever been involved with as it brought together children from three schools, students from Springboard, ESPA and many volunteers to create the most beautiful flower and vegetable garden.
“The vegetables are then used to create meals for those on low incomes – it’s a sustainable project which will benefit the community for years to come,” she said.
On being told of her award, Viv Watts OBE, said, “I have been very fortunate in life and this is my way of giving something back.
“It is my wish to keep showing children that there is always hope, even on the darkest of days.”