Wilton Universal Group has launched a charity fund to support local organisations with employees able to nominate worthy causes. The Teesside-based engineering services company will donate £10,000 a year to local charities, Community Interest Groups (CICs), social enterprises and sports clubs. Employees working for Wilton Engineering, Universal Coatings and Port Clarence Logistics, which are based at the Group’s 110-acre Port Clarence and Haverton Hill Offshore Base, can submit a nomination and each quarter £2,500 will be split between several good causes. To receive a complimentary copy of BUSINESSiQ magazine free in the post, register HERE A committee has been established to select from the nominations, and the donations are to be used to support activities and projects at the charities and organisations, including the purchase of equipment. Among the first donations is £400 for the North East Jujitsu Kobudo Association, which has clubs in Thornaby and Billingham and was nominated by Universal Coating’s Jamie Murphy. The money will be used to replace old training equipment. Another successful recipient from this quarter’s fund is Stockton-based Autism Matters & The Angels Project, which is transforming a garage into a workshop for adults with autism so they can carry out working in the community and develop their interpersonal skills. Other groups receiving donations from the fund include Tryin’ HQ in Hartlepool, and Daisy Chain in Stockton. Read next: Transport Secretary's praise after visit to Cummins at Darlington Government's exports champion is VIP guest at Echo's Level Up event ​ How are North East businesses handling huge tech advances like AI? A pair of football teams will be able to buy kit and equipment with their donations, Hartlepool Pools Youth Football Club and St Francis FC’s Under 10s, which is purchasing training and playing kits with branding in memory of Universal Coating’s late director Paul Johnson. Juliet Lawson, Wilton Universal Group charity fund committee member, said: “Among our 350 employees we have many that are highly active in their local communities, and we want to help them to continue to make a difference with the charities, social groups and clubs they support. “We were really pleased with the reaction we had from colleagues with the number of nominations we received for the first quarter and look forward to supporting the hard work and dedication of local charities and organisations across our area.”