Senior staff members gifts and hospitality 2023 / 24

See below for a record of gifts and hospitality offered to Council staff for 2023/24.

The following staff members were offered gifts and hospitality:

Jonathan Tew

Jonathan Tew (Chief Executive) accepted the following gifts / hospitality:

2 tickets to Pink concert

  • Provided by: SAFC
  • Date accepted: 25 May 2022
  • Value: Estimated value more than £25

Jonathan Tew also declined the following gifts / hospitality:

Sunderland Story - Gala evening at Sunderland Empire

  • Provided by: SAFC
  • Date: 18 April 2023
  • Value: Declined

Heather Chambers

Heather Chambers (Principal Pensions Manager) accepted the following gifts / hospitality:

Meal at a restaurant

Evening meal and drinks following TWPF training event.  The hospitality was accepted and provided to all members of Pensions Committee and the Local Pension Board who were attending the training event.

  • Provided by: Aberdeen Investments Ltd (trading as Abrdn), 1 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2LL
  • Date accepted: 11 March 2024
  • Value: Approximately £40

Paul McCann

Paul McCann (Principal Governance and Funding Manager) accepted the following gifts / hospitality:

Meal at restaurant with the manager

Fund Manager - no direct relationship although manager does manage a portfolio with Border to Coast which the Fund invests in.

  • Provided by: Ninety One
  • Date accepted: 17 April 2023
  • Value: Approximately £25

Meal at restaurant with HarbourVest

HarbourVest are one of the Private Equity managers for the Tyne and Wear Penson Fund. Officers were attending the LGC conference in Leeds and HarbourVest offered to take Â鶹ÊÓƵ reps out for meal the evening before.

  • Provided by: HarbourVest, 33 Jermyn Street, London, SW1Y 6DN
  • Date accepted: 13 September 2023
  • Value: Approximately £25

Meal at a restaurant

Evening meal and drinks following TWPF training event.  The hospitality was accepted and provided to all members of Pensions Committee and the Local Pension Board who were attending the training event.

  • Provided by: Aberdeen Investments Ltd (trading as Abrdn), 1 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2LL
  • Date accepted: 7 March 2024
  • Value: Approximately £40

Meal at a restaurant

Evening meal and drinks. A fund manager with a long-standing relationship with the Fund took a small number out for a meal and drinks.  It should be noted that the manager has no current mandates with the Fund.

  • Provided by: HSBC, 1 Canada Square, London
  • Date accepted: Unknown
  • Value: Approximately £40

Vicki Pattinson

Vicki Pattinson (Director of Adult Social Services and Commissioning) accepted the following gifts / hospitality:

Working event which was accepted including dinner

  • Provided by: Ashbrookes Associates, Ashbrook House, Farlington, York, YO61 1NL
  • Date accepted: 25 April 2023
  • Value: Up to £75

Nicola Robason

Nicola Robason (Director of Governance and Corporate Affairs) accepted the following gifts / hospitality:

Best of South Tyneside Awards - hosted at South Shields Football Club

Invite from Leader of the Council - Director attending as part of the representatives from Â鶹ÊÓƵ at the Awards ceremony.

  • Provided by: Leader
  • Date accepted: 18 April 2023
  • Value: Estimated value more than £25

Neil Sellstrom

Neil Sellstrom (Principal Investment Manager - Loans and Investments) accepted the following gifts / hospitality:

Meal at restaurant with HarbourVest

HarbourVest are one of the Private Equity managers for the Tyne and Wear Penson Fund. Officers were attending the LGC conference in Leeds and HarbourVest offered to take Â鶹ÊÓƵ reps out for meal the evening before.

  • Provided by: HarbourVest, 33 Jermyn Street, London, SW1Y 6DN
  • Date accepted: 18 September 2023
  • Value: Approximately £25

Meal at a restaurant

Evening meal and drinks following TWPF training event.  The hospitality was accepted and provided to all members of Pensions Committee and the Local Pension Board who were attending the training event.

  • Provided by: Aberdeen Investments Ltd (trading as Abrdn), 1 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2LL
  • Date accepted: 8 March 2024
  • Value: Approximately £40

Rory Sherwood-Parkin

Rory Sherwood-Parkin (Corporate Lead - Policy and Insight) accepted the following gifts / hospitality:

Meal at a restaurant

Meal at a restaurant in Bournemouth where we were both attending the Local Government Association Annual Conference.

  • Provided by: Barbara Nash, Director of Regional Affairs, Virgin Media, 161 Hammersmith Road, Hammersmith, London, W6 8BS.
  • Date accepted: 7 July 2023
  • Value: Approximately £45

Andrew Whittaker

Andrew Whittaker (Corporate Lead - Town Centres and Foreshores) accepted the following gifts / hospitality:

Meal at a restaurant

Meals prepared by a new Chef who won the NECTA NE Chef of the Year competition in 2023. Supporting local food producers and networking.

  • Provided by: Food and Drink North East, The Core, Bath Lane, Newcastle, NE45TF
  • Date accepted: 4 March 2024
  • Value: Between £25 and £45

Helen Wilson

Helen Wilson (Senior Governance Officer) accepted the following gifts / hospitality:

Meal at a restaurant

Evening meal and drinks following TWPF training event.  The hospitality was accepted and provided to all members of Pensions Committee and the Local Pension Board who were attending the training event.

  • Provided by: Aberdeen Investments Ltd (trading as Abrdn), 1 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2LL
  • Date accepted: 12 March 2024
  • Value: Approximately £40

Elizabeth Vollans 

Elizabeth Vollans (Principal Governance and Funding Manager) accepted the following gifts / hospitality:

Meal at a restaurant 

Evening meal and drinks following a TWPF training event. The hospitality was accepted and provided to all members of Pensions Committee and the Local Pension Board who were attending the training event.

  • Provided by: Aberdeen Investments Ltd (trading as Abrdn), 1 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2LL
  • Date accepted: 19 March 2024
  • Value: Approximately £40