After the buzz and brilliance of the Business with Impact Dinner in March earlier this year, we’re delighted to announce the next instalment is coming to Newcastle on 09 October 2025.
The first dinner wasn’t just a gathering of interesting people, it was a joyful, powerful reminder of what happens when passionate people come together over good food and even better ideas. Hosted at Newcastle’s Magic Hat Café in partnership with Venture Zero and sponsored by North East accountancy firm and certified BCorp, Blu Sky, the evening brought together 30 business leaders, change makers, and curious minds to explore how business can be a force for good…and we had a laugh while doing it.
October’s dinner will build on that energy that we created, designed to bring together curious minds, bold ideas, and the people driving change across our region. Expect more thought-provoking lightning talks, more delicious food, and more of the real conversations that make this event so special.
Looking back at the dinner in March, we covered topics from intergenerational gardening and unexpected green memoirs (thank you Charlie Hoult!) to youth empowerment and construction analytics, the topics were diverse and got us all thinking about what being a ‘good’ business really means in 2025.
Guests heard from businesses including Ward Hadaway, Maverex, Northern Latitude, Venture Zero, BeaconHouse, Opencast, Gray Fox Consulting, Better Places, Connection Heroes, Genee Consulting and Blu Sky – all sharing how they’re making a difference in their sectors. Jess, one of the co-founders of Magic Hat Café, closed the lightening talks by sharing the story behind Magic Hat, Newcastle’s first and only coffee shop and kitchen dedicated to challenging UK food waste.
A standout moment of the night came from Charlie Hoult who revealed his 1991 book ‘Living Green’, written after cycling across the UK to meet eco-warriors (who people at the time dubbed “Martians”!) in a testament to how far we’ve come in normalising sustainable living in the past 30 years.
BeaconHouse Events co-founder and director Sarah Thackray summarised the evening saying, “It’s always inspiring to see the incredible work happening across the region, but even more so to see people genuinely connecting and collaborating because of it. That’s what this event was all about, real conversation, real purpose, and really good food.”
We saw fantastic feedback from guests, with one delegate sharing, “This was the best networking style event I’ve ever been to. I love the format of lightning talks; the food was amazing and the purpose felt real and genuine. It was such a welcoming environment, I seriously cannot fault a thing.”
Another added, “North East business impact is growing and the inspiring people working in this space are the kinds of people you’ll do great work with – and also have a lot of fun!”
Now to look forward to the next, we’re only just getting started and can’t wait to build on this, so if you missed the first dinner don’t worry, tickets are already on sale for October and you can buy them now using the link below. We’ll be keeping the event small and mighty, we want to fill the room with the right people and give everyone a platform – so when they’re gone, they’re gone! We’re currently on the lookout for a sponsor for the next instalment, so if your organisation wants to be part of something brilliant, fun, and genuinely meaningful, we’d love to hear from you.
Book your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/business-with-impact-dinner-tickets-
Business has power. Join the community that’s using it for good, with tasty food and a good natter at the same time.
If you would like to speak to the team at BeaconHouse Events about organising your own event with purpose, email info@beaconhouse-events.co.uk or call 0191 691 3456.