Coffee, cake and inspiring conversation: Paddock Stile Manor raises money for Connor Brown Trust

Paddock Stile Manor Dementia Care Home in Houghton-le-Spring are always looking at new ways they can support the local community, and Activities Coordinator Adele has a particular passion for fundraising. The team’s recent efforts raised £341 for the Connor Brown Trust, and Connor’s father Simon Brown was invited into the home to tell us a little bit more about the amazing work the charity does.

Following the tragic death of their son Connor Brown in February 2019, Simon and Tania Brown have dedicated themselves to trying to change the future of young people in Sunderland and beyond. Connor Brown was on a night out with friends when he lost his life to a knife attack, and his loss was deeply felt by the community.

The Connor Brown Trust works with local authorities to educate young people on the effects of knife crime and help lead them back onto the right path - it also fundraises for the implementation of bleed kits in public areas. Bleed kits contain specialised equipment for treating catastrophic blood-loss injuries.

The money that Paddock Stile Manor raised is enough to buy 3 of the smaller bleed kits, or it may go towards the replacement of certain contents of the kits such as the seal and gauze which have a shelf-life. Either way, it could save lives in all sorts of incidents!

“Although we started raising funds for bleedkits after losing our son to a violent crime, they are for any catastrophic bleed. We don’t gain any funds when we implement the kits, we just want to save people’s lives. The more kits we put out, the more lives we could save” said Simon.

Activities Coordinator Adele organised a raffle to raise these vital funds, with top prizes being a barbecue and a meat voucher for the local butchers! There was an impressive assortment of different cakes and plenty of refreshments.

Aside from the members of the team who wished to attend the talk, there were also several key people from the local Houghton-le-Spring community in attendance. There were team members from the big supermarkets and community nurses who work closely with many local schools.

Learning about what the charity does with Simon was both educational and inspiring. One particularly incredible annual project that the charity began in 2024 at Sunderland College is the Youth Training Detective Programme. Local schools nominate students who may benefit from additional support, and help them understand the serious impact knife crime has on the local community.

“They sit in an igloo-style cinema screen and watch the footage from the night Connor lost his life and listen to the 999 calls. The Detective Inspector asks them how they feel and what they think, before Tania and I walk in and the room goes silent” explained Simon.

Throughout the week, they learn from specialists and investigate Connor’s murder, with the hope that there may be one less family who have to face grief from violent crime.

Home Manager Julie ended the day by saying: “We have all been so moved by the talk this afternoon that Deputy Manager Mel and I have decided to buy a bleed kit to be kept in the home. We also plan on working with the charity more in the future, raising funds for them at least twice a year.”

A huge thank you to Simon for coming in to the home and sharing Connor’s story and the work of the charity with us, and another thank you to Adele, Julie, Mel and the whole care team for raising funds for a cause which is truly so important.

If you’re interested in finding out more about Paddock Stile Manor Care Home, you can find more info on their website page here. If you’re interested in a career where you’ll feel part of the local community and make a difference within and beyond the home, then look no further than our careers page.