200 Gentoo customers enjoyed some festive family fun as they took their seats at the weekend to watch the Sunderland Empire’s latest annual pantomime, Beauty and the Beast.
The ongoing partnership between Gentoo and the Empire, now in its third year, is a chance for our customers and their families to enjoy what is always a hugely popular annual event at Sunderland’s historic theatre.
Customers who attended the event received a snack box when arriving at the event which was sponsored by Esh Construction, and a gift from ourselves.
Complimentary taxis, sponsored by Equans were also provided for guests, so they didn’t need to worry about transport into the city centre.
The pantomime, starring Emmerdale’s Charlie Hardwick and the popular Miss Rory, is just one way Gentoo gives back to its customers during the festive season through its ‘Your Gentoo Christmas’ campaign. Gentoo will also be delivering more than 150 Christmas dinners to customers across the city as well as running its annual gift donations for customers of all ages.
Vicky Gamblin, Head of Neighbourhoods at Gentoo, said: “It’s a privilege to be involved in the ‘Your Gentoo Christmas’ campaign and help families across Wearside enjoy the festivities. The panto is a great event, and we love watching families enjoy their day out with us.
“With the cost-of-living crisis having a huge impact on a lot of our customers we work with every day, it’s important they can still enjoy some festive family fun. With the help of the Sunderland Empire, Esh Construction and Equans, we’ve hopefully given them a Christmas they’ll never forget.”
Marie Nixon, Sunderland Empire Theatre Director: “It was an absolute joy to be able to welcome Gentoo and so many local families to the Sunderland Empire for a third consecutive year, this time for Beauty and the Beast.
We are incredibly proud of the relationship we have with Gentoo, their initiatives that support our local community are truly inspiring and we endeavour to support them wherever we can. Pantomime is always a magical time of the year enjoyed by patrons young and old and is a great way to introduce little ones to theatre for the first time too. It’s always incredibly heart warming for us to see the joy it brings to local families; it really is what the festive season is all about.”
Kate Marshall-Nixon, Social Value Manager at Esh Construction, said: “Christmas is great time for making new memories and coming together with family and friends. However, it can be a difficult time for many, possibly even more so this year given the rise in the cost of living making it even more difficult for families to afford festive events such as going to the local panto. We work hard to support the local community surrounding our construction projects and are thrilled to team up with Gentoo to support a fantastic family event this festive season.”
