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Sir Graham Wylie CBE

Sir Graham was one of the original founders of The Sage Group Plc. Under Graham’s leadership, Sage (UK) became a market leader in the accounts and payroll software market with almost 1 in 3 of all VAT registered UK businesses using a Sage product by 2003.

Graham “retired” from Sage in 2003 but didn’t rest on his laurels, instead investing in a new IT business called Technology Services Group (TSG), several commercial properties, and U.S. based IT companies.

TSG now provides IT services and support to thousands of small and medium sized businesses throughout the UK and has grown to a turnover of nearly £40m; employing over 400 people in 12 offices around the UK.

In 2004 Graham purchased the Close House estate from Newcastle University and has since developed into one of the top 100 golf resorts in the UK & Ireland. The new development was opened in 2011 by World reknowned golfer, Lee Westwood. Lee has remained as Close House’s attached Tour Professional and has named both courses after himself such is the quality of the golf courses. Close House has the only PGA Academy in the North of England and has hosted the PGA Seniors championship and the EuroPro tour and the British Masters tournaments.

In 2012, Graham embarked on a brand new venture called Speedflex. This exercise machine and concept can be used by anyone – young or old, fit or unfit, male or female – and helps improve the cardiovascular system and fitness of everyone. The intention is to create Speedflex centres throughout the UK but, in time, also Europe as Graham holds the exclusive licence for all of these territories.

In 2016 Graham set up his own charitable foundation to help, educate, support and inspire children who live in the North East of England. The Sir Graham Wylie Foundation helped build the Nordoff Robins Music Therapy Centre, and has supported countless other charities with their child-focused activities.

Graham’s close connection with CHUF is owes to the fact that one of his twin daughters , Keira was born with a serious heart defect, requiring several open heart surgeries in the space of her first two years.

He is now a patron of CHUF and has raised several millions of pounds over the years to help fund the building of an accommodation facility for parents of children going through surgery as well as updating much of the equipment used by the children’s heart unit.

Graham’s contribution to the North East region has been acknowledged by the awards of honorary doctorates at both Newcastle and Northumbria University as well as being honoured by the Queen with a CBE.

Graham is a serial entrepreneur with interests in a number of businesses and for further information on some of his business interests please visit any of these websites.

www.tsg.com
www.speedflex.com
www.closehouse.com
www.riverlogic.com

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Alan Shearer CBE

Alan Shearer become a CHUF patron in 2012 and has been a wonderful supporter of the charity over the years.

Alan is lead analyst on the BBC’s flagship football programme Match of the Day and on the Premier League’s global channel. He has a weekly football column in the Sun newspaper and is an ambassador for Coral.

Alan was named as the Premier League’s first Champion and Ambassador which will see him work closely to promote the charity and community work of the Premier League.
He became a CBE 2017.

One of England’s greatest ever strikers, he is still the Premier League and Newcastle United’s record goalscorer. His career started at Southampton where he scored a hat-trick on his debut. He moved to Blackburn Rovers where his goals helped them to win the Premier League title in the 1994-95 season. A world record £15m transfer fee saw him return to the North-East and Newcastle United where he stayed until he retired in 2006. Alan was capped 63 times for England and scored 30 goals. He was named PFA Player of the year twice.

He now has a highly successful media career working for the BBC, Five Live and the Premier League covering the Premier League and FA Cup. He is an ambassador for Speedflex, a high intensity cardio and resistance training concept and alongside his work for CHUF, he has established the Alan Shearer Foundation which launched on 31 May 2012, which funds the Alan Shearer Disability Centre in Newcastle and has raised over £4 million to date.

Alan is an accomplished 6 handicap golfer and Callaway ambassador and founder member at Close House Golf Club in Newcastle.

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Ant & Dec OBE

Anthony McPartlin, OBE and Declan Donnelly, OBE, known collectively as Ant & Dec, are an English comedy TV Presenting, television producing, acting and former music duo from Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

The duo first met as actors on the children’s television show Byker Grove, during which and in their subsequent pop career they were respectively known as PJ & Duncan – the names of the characters they played on the show. Since then, they have had a very successful career as television presenters, presenting shows such as SMTV Live, CD:UK, Friends Like These, Pop Idol, Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, I’m a celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, PokerFace, Push the Button, Britain’s Got Talent, Red or Black? and Text Santa.  The duo have also presented the annual Brit Awards in 2001, 2015  and 2016. 

Ant and Dec have kindly supported CHUF since 2012 and have been instrumental in raising hundreds of thousands of pounds over the years to support the work of CHUF. 

 “As Patrons of The Children’s Heart Unit Fund we are always honoured to meet the wonderful children and families who benefit from the Children’s Heart Unit Fund. A huge thank you to everyone who has supported and raised funds to date.” (Ant)

  ‘’But that’s not the end, there are many more children who still need your support so please help CHUF in any way you can.’’ (Dec)