0:00:03 > 0:00:04In the next half an hour:
0:00:04 > 0:00:06The North East families struggling to keep warm,
0:00:06 > 0:00:11where the cost of fuel isn't just a burning issue for Mum and Dad.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14The first thing she says to me on a morning -
0:00:14 > 0:00:17"Mammy, can we have toast today, or do we have to have cereal cos
0:00:17 > 0:00:19there's no electric left?"
0:00:19 > 0:00:20A four year old shouldn't know that.
0:00:20 > 0:00:25They shouldn't have to worry about it.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27As we prepare to put the 'exit' into Brexit,
0:00:27 > 0:00:30what's to become of the Europeans who've made this part
0:00:30 > 0:00:31of Britain their home?
0:00:31 > 0:00:33People are sort of scared.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36They just don't know what's going to happen.
0:00:36 > 0:00:44And they might feel a bit more unwelcome since the referendum vote.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46We meet the young County Durham vet determined to bring love,
0:00:46 > 0:00:50care and attention to some of the world's most neglected dogs.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52It's heartbreaking.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54I cry on probably a daily basis, actually, if I'm honest.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57It's the hardest thing I've ever done, but it gives me
0:00:57 > 0:00:58the most amazing sense of fulfilment,
0:00:58 > 0:00:59enjoyment, satisfaction.
0:00:59 > 0:01:04I love it.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08I'm Chris Jackson, and this is Inside Out.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20We've already had the first of this winter's cold snaps,
0:01:20 > 0:01:24but not everyone can just whack up the heat.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28For some families, it's a stark choice between heating or eating.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31One in five North East children live in a home with fuel poverty.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Kirsten O'Brien has been finding out just how tough that can be
0:01:34 > 0:01:42and what help is out there.
0:01:42 > 0:01:43Good morning, Mr Blake.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45I'm appointed to carry out assessments for Employment
0:01:45 > 0:01:46and Support Allowance...
0:01:46 > 0:01:49The stark portrayal of North East families in poverty,
0:01:49 > 0:01:51as told in Ken Loach's 'I, Daniel Blake',
0:01:51 > 0:01:53continues to move audiences.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55I've got about 12 quid in my purse!
0:01:55 > 0:01:57D'you know what, you've created a scene, all right?
0:01:57 > 0:01:58Jesus Christ!
0:01:58 > 0:01:59Who's first in this queue?
0:01:59 > 0:02:00I am.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Do you mind if this young lass signs on first?
0:02:03 > 0:02:04No, no, you carry on.
0:02:04 > 0:02:10This isn't your concern...
0:02:10 > 0:02:12So this is where one of the key scenes in the film
0:02:12 > 0:02:13happened, isn't it?
0:02:13 > 0:02:14Yeah...
0:02:14 > 0:02:17I met Dave Johns, who plays Daniel Blake, at the Western
0:02:17 > 0:02:18food bank in Newcastle.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20It's the busiest food bank in Europe, helping up
0:02:20 > 0:02:22to a thousand people a week.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24I mean, I haven't been back since we did it.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26You've done nothing to be ashamed of.
0:02:26 > 0:02:27You're alone with two kids.
0:02:27 > 0:02:28This is tangible, isn't it?
0:02:28 > 0:02:30You can help out, you can dump something in your
0:02:30 > 0:02:31supermarket in a box.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Fuel poverty, do you think people were aware that was happening?
0:02:34 > 0:02:37There's a scene in the film where Dan helps them
0:02:37 > 0:02:44to heat their home, you know.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48He has, like, little plant pots and little tea lights that he does.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51It takes a while, but it will take the chill off the room.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54And if you just put your hand over there now, you'll feel it.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56If you've got to choose between feeding yourself
0:02:56 > 0:02:58or heating your home, I mean, to have those choices,
0:02:58 > 0:03:00it shouldn't be happening, you know.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02We should be ashamed of ourselves that we're not doing
0:03:02 > 0:03:03something to help, you know.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06100,000 children are living in fuel poverty in the North East.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08That's one in five of our children.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11It's totally unacceptable.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Fuel poverty is the inability to pay for your fuel bills and have
0:03:14 > 0:03:20adequate warmth in the home.
0:03:20 > 0:03:25We don't live, we exist day to day.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Jacqui and Michael Turnbull live in Sacriston.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31Michael works as a security guard at Durham University,
0:03:31 > 0:03:35and Jacqui is a student and full-time mum.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38There's been times where we haven't been able to borrow and we've had
0:03:38 > 0:03:40no gas and electric.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43We've had to send the bairns to their Nana's, until we've got
0:03:43 > 0:03:44gas and electric on.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46Are you just sitting in the dark?
0:03:46 > 0:03:47What are you doing?
0:03:47 > 0:03:54Yeah, we just sit in the dark.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56We just basically put blankets on, bring blankets down.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58She normally sits with her dressing gown on.
0:03:58 > 0:03:59I love my dressing gown!
0:03:59 > 0:04:03Overcoat, erm, just to try and keep warm until we get that money.
0:04:03 > 0:04:04Michael, it sounds like you're doing everything
0:04:04 > 0:04:06that you can but, still, somehow, it's not enough.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09It's depressing because it's hard, because you're trying to provide
0:04:09 > 0:04:11for your family and it just gets to the stage where
0:04:12 > 0:04:13you just can't do it.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17It's just the worst feeling, knowing that you can't
0:04:17 > 0:04:19provide for your family and that you've got to go beg
0:04:19 > 0:04:21somebody to provide for you.
0:04:21 > 0:04:22It shouldn't be like that.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25It's like something from the Victorian times.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27Do you think the kids are aware of this?
0:04:27 > 0:04:28Do you think they understand?
0:04:28 > 0:04:30Yes, my little girl definitely does.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33My little boy doesn't, but Daisy does.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36I mean, the first thing she says to me on a morning -
0:04:36 > 0:04:40"Mammy, can we have toast today, or do we have to have cereal cos
0:04:40 > 0:04:41there's no electric left?"
0:04:41 > 0:04:43A four year old shouldn't know that, they shouldn't
0:04:43 > 0:04:48have to worry about it.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50The problem is now so bad that in parts of our region,
0:04:50 > 0:04:54people in cold homes are being routinely issued
0:04:54 > 0:04:56with emergency blankets and heaters, just to get them
0:04:56 > 0:04:58through the winter months.
0:04:58 > 0:05:04And that help is coming from a surprising source.
0:05:04 > 0:05:05We've got children's blankets, little thermal blankets,
0:05:05 > 0:05:07to help keep children warm.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Rather than putting out fires, Cleveland Fire Rescue
0:05:10 > 0:05:13are delivering them.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15It's funded by councils across Teesside and began
0:05:15 > 0:05:22after a four-year-old girl died in a house fire at Loftus.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Her family had been using candles, as their power had been cut off.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28We've come across a lot of residents where, unfortunately,
0:05:28 > 0:05:29they don't have any lights.
0:05:29 > 0:05:39They have candles, they've got no heating in the property.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43We've just received, through Stay Safe and Warm, a referral.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Six people in the property with a four-day-old baby.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48The father's just recently been made redundant from the steel works,
0:05:48 > 0:05:52so we're going round.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55He's got a broken boiler, struggling to afford to get that
0:05:55 > 0:05:57fixed, and also struggling to heat his property up.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59There are incidences of things like toasters being used,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02or the grills on cookers being used to actually heat homes.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04And whilst they may be more cost effective,
0:06:04 > 0:06:05they're certainly not safer.
0:06:05 > 0:06:06Mandy Smith lives in Spennymoor.
0:06:06 > 0:06:11She ran into debt after the man she shared her house with died.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14So will you just talk me through how you survived last year?
0:06:14 > 0:06:15What did you do?
0:06:15 > 0:06:20I put these on.
0:06:27 > 0:06:28And that's how I used to be.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Did your friends know what was going on?
0:06:30 > 0:06:33You know, your neighbours, were they aware of what was happening?
0:06:33 > 0:06:34No.
0:06:34 > 0:06:35I never...
0:06:35 > 0:06:37I don't think they would because a lot of people,
0:06:37 > 0:06:39they won't say anything to their neighbours.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Like I did, kept it to myself.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44People out there who don't understand anybody's situation,
0:06:44 > 0:06:46they call you scroungers, and I didn't want to
0:06:46 > 0:06:51be in that category.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Down the road, in Darlington, the Salvation Army are reaching out
0:06:53 > 0:06:57to people in Mandy's situation.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00We're storing 200 sleeping bags.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02There were 300, but we've gone through 100 already.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Who are they for?
0:07:04 > 0:07:07They're for people who have to choose between eating and heating
0:07:07 > 0:07:10the place that they live in.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13And it's cold, and they just can't afford to heat their accommodation.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17It makes me feel sad that in 21st-Century England,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20we have people who are freezing, people who need a sleeping
0:07:20 > 0:07:22bag just to stay alive.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25In Durham, there's a new scheme - organised through the county's
0:07:25 > 0:07:27network of 27 food banks - to provide longer-term
0:07:27 > 0:07:31solutions to fuel poverty.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35It came about because we found that people who were coming to the food
0:07:35 > 0:07:37bank weren't just in crisis for food, they also
0:07:37 > 0:07:41needed money for energy.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44And in some cases, couldn't even cook the food that we gave them
0:07:44 > 0:07:47because they had no gas or electric.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49We are able to put them forward for a voucher,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52so they've then got fuel to be able to heat and cook the food
0:07:53 > 0:07:56that we give them.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58The vouchers ? which only work with pre-payment meters -
0:07:58 > 0:08:04are worth ?49 in the winter and 30 in the summer.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08When they turned around and said, "Look, we can give you ?49
0:08:08 > 0:08:10for your electric," I cried and said, "How do I pay it back?
0:08:10 > 0:08:12I'm not with that company."
0:08:12 > 0:08:13And they explained.
0:08:13 > 0:08:14They said, "No, it's a gift.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18You don't pay it back."
0:08:18 > 0:08:19That heating voucher...
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Oh, that was good, very good.
0:08:21 > 0:08:28And I'd advise anybody out there, anybody,
0:08:28 > 0:08:30if they're struggling, please go and get help.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33But in our region, the scheme just operates in County Durham,
0:08:33 > 0:08:34Redcar and Barrow.
0:08:34 > 0:08:35That's because only one energy supplier, Npower,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38is prepared to fund the vouchers, leaving thousands of
0:08:38 > 0:08:41others out in the cold.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44To really scale it up nationally, it needs more than one power
0:08:44 > 0:08:46company to be doing it, so I think it would be
0:08:46 > 0:08:52fantastic if the other major players got involved.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55So, will others follow suit?
0:08:55 > 0:08:57I've come to swanky St James's in London,
0:08:57 > 0:08:59to the offices of Energy UK, which represents all
0:08:59 > 0:09:04the major energy suppliers.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07Audrey, I've met families that have been really helped by this
0:09:07 > 0:09:08fuel voucher scheme, but only Npower are
0:09:08 > 0:09:11running it, why is that?
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Well, all companies will have different initiatives in place
0:09:14 > 0:09:18to try and help their customers, people that are struggling.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21So, trust funds help to buy new appliances, pay off debts.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23So Npower is doing this scheme on a voluntary basis,
0:09:23 > 0:09:26to help not just its own, but all customers.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29I think there's about 30 across the country now.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32It's something that we should definitely look at because if it
0:09:32 > 0:09:35works, then you want to make sure that as many people as possible
0:09:35 > 0:09:45are getting the help that they need.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48So I'll be encouraging all the members
0:09:48 > 0:09:49in the UK to look at it.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Well, it would seem the industry is prepared to listen, then.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55And perhaps the fuel voucher scheme will be rolled out further.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57But still, across the North East this winter, thousands of children
0:09:57 > 0:09:59will be spending many cold nights in fuel-poor homes.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Have you ever had to face a fuel bill you couldn't pay,
0:10:02 > 0:10:04and what did you do?
0:10:04 > 0:10:05Why not let me know?
0:10:05 > 0:10:06You'll find me on Twitter.
0:10:06 > 0:10:07Or why not email me?
0:10:07 > 0:10:11Details are on the screen now.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15Still to come: The County Durham vet rescuing Sri Lanka's street dogs.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24When Theresa May set out the UK's stall for Brexit last week,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27one group of people here in the North East and Cumbria
0:10:27 > 0:10:28were listening particularly hard.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31Now, our region voted overwhelmingly in favour of leaving,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34but what does that mean for the tens of thousands of Europeans who've
0:10:34 > 0:10:37made this their home?
0:10:37 > 0:10:39We asked Peter Barron - the former Editor of
0:10:39 > 0:10:41the Northern Echo - to go behind the
0:10:41 > 0:10:42headlines to find out.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49This is the council estate where I grew up.
0:10:49 > 0:10:54This is South Bank, a suburb of Middlesbrough.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56My dad worked at Dorman Long, just over there.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58But it's the collapse of those traditional industries
0:10:58 > 0:11:02in the North East such as steel and the impact that that's had
0:11:02 > 0:11:06on local communities that's been put forward as one of the reasons ehy
0:11:06 > 0:11:09on local communities that's been put forward as one of the reasons why
0:11:09 > 0:11:11Britain voted to leave the EU.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15SHE SPEAKS POLISH
0:11:15 > 0:11:16But what does that mean for Europeans building
0:11:16 > 0:11:18a new life in the North East?
0:11:18 > 0:11:22Magda moved here from Poland 12 years ago.
0:11:22 > 0:11:27She's a reporter for an internet news service based in Newcastle.
0:11:27 > 0:11:35Today's topic: Brexit.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37She said because the life in Poland was very hard,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40it was very difficult to make a living in Poland.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42The children, they speak better English than Polish.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45And she was just saying that she's sort of scared that
0:11:45 > 0:11:48if she would have to go back to Poland, it would be very
0:11:48 > 0:11:49difficult for her kids.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53People are sort of scared.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55They just don't know what's going to happen.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57Have you come across examples where people have
0:11:57 > 0:11:58been treated badly because of Brexit?
0:11:58 > 0:11:59Yes.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02A Polish lady who was on the bus just after the Brexit,
0:12:02 > 0:12:04and somebody heard her speaking Polish and they set
0:12:04 > 0:12:06her hair on fire.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09What's your experience with Polish migrants?
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Ian Fitzgerald is carrying out research into the rise in hate crime
0:12:12 > 0:12:16against Poles since the Brexit vote.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18People were losing their jobs and people then started to blame
0:12:18 > 0:12:25Polish people in work.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28You know, and what Brexit has done, it has allowed some of this
0:12:28 > 0:12:30to really come out in the open.
0:12:30 > 0:12:31I mean, it's very sad.
0:12:31 > 0:12:32Polish people bring the UK money.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35They pay taxes, they work.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37Others say the biggest concern is the uncertainty
0:12:37 > 0:12:40about their right to stay.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Last week, Theresa May confirmed there'll be no guarantees
0:12:42 > 0:12:45before negotiations.
0:12:45 > 0:12:52I'm worried about Polish people who recently came to this country.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55Because some of them, obviously, they start a new life.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58They look for the new perspectives in life.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01They found a job, they're renting a flat.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05And now they don't know what's going to happen to them.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Where do you consider home to be now?
0:13:08 > 0:13:11I would definitely say England - in particular, Newcastle -
0:13:11 > 0:13:13because this is where I've got my family, my
0:13:13 > 0:13:16friends, my businesses.
0:13:16 > 0:13:21And this is where I hope to stay for the rest of my life.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24Magda is one of around 50,000 people living in the North East born
0:13:24 > 0:13:30in another country inside the EU.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32That's fewer than 2% of the population.
0:13:32 > 0:13:38That includes thousands who've moved
0:13:38 > 0:13:41here from Romania in the ten years since it joined the EU.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Among them, Mihai Firescu, a junior doctor at James Cook
0:13:43 > 0:13:44Hospital in Middlesbrough.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46Have you enjoyed it here?
0:13:46 > 0:13:47Oh, yeah, yeah!
0:13:47 > 0:13:48People are lovely.
0:13:48 > 0:13:55Everybody calls you 'love', don't they?
0:13:55 > 0:13:58You go in a Starbucks and they're like, "How are you, love?
0:13:58 > 0:13:59Are you OK?"
0:13:59 > 0:14:00Everybody calls you 'pet' as well.
0:14:00 > 0:14:01That's a new one!
0:14:01 > 0:14:02Erm, the Geordie lasses are amazing.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04Are they?
0:14:04 > 0:14:04Yeah, just incredible.
0:14:04 > 0:14:05They're so much fun!
0:14:05 > 0:14:07And do you feel accepted?
0:14:07 > 0:14:08Oh, yeah.
0:14:08 > 0:14:09Oh, yeah, definitely.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11And has that changed at all since the vote in June?
0:14:11 > 0:14:12No.
0:14:12 > 0:14:13No, not really.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16All my British friends, basically, are a bit embarrassed talking
0:14:16 > 0:14:17about it when they see me.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19My family are really concerned about me being here
0:14:19 > 0:14:23because of Brexit now.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25They think that I'm alienated from the society, but it's
0:14:25 > 0:14:31totally not the case.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Well, his family back home in Romania may be worried about him,
0:14:34 > 0:14:36but as far as Mihai Firescu is concerned, it's just
0:14:36 > 0:14:38business as usual.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41Saving lives here in the North East of England.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45And, of course, not forgetting those Geordie girls!
0:14:45 > 0:14:48Mihai is one of 13,000 EU-born nationals to move
0:14:48 > 0:14:51here in the last five years.
0:14:51 > 0:14:56That's an increase of 35%.
0:14:58 > 0:14:59Hello.
0:14:59 > 0:15:00How are you?
0:15:00 > 0:15:01Hello.
0:15:01 > 0:15:02Very well, very well.
0:15:02 > 0:15:03And you?
0:15:03 > 0:15:04Come in.
0:15:04 > 0:15:05Thank you very much.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07Can I just ask, what are you cooking here?
0:15:07 > 0:15:08Ah, it's the Polish sausages.
0:15:08 > 0:15:09They are the best ones.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Meet Lukasz and Dominika, from Poland, a married
0:15:11 > 0:15:15couple with a real taste for life in Darlington.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19They moved here eleven years ago and both have good jobs.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21When you're starting being so involved in the community
0:15:21 > 0:15:26and you love it here, you start meeting new people.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30I was awarded 'Outstanding Pole' in England, Wales and North Ireland.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33So, basically, that award was because of my involvement
0:15:33 > 0:15:38in the work which I am doing for the local community.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40And I couldn't help noticing that there are other Polish
0:15:40 > 0:15:41delicacies on the table.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44So tell me, what have we got here?
0:15:44 > 0:15:47On this plate, we've got, like, Polish and English biscuits.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Actually, it's like us living in England.
0:15:49 > 0:15:50Integrated.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52Yes.
0:15:52 > 0:15:52Living side by side.
0:15:52 > 0:15:53Yes.
0:15:53 > 0:15:54I love it!
0:15:54 > 0:15:56I know, they are a really delicious mixture.
0:15:56 > 0:15:57And what about these sweets?
0:15:57 > 0:15:58Can I try this one?
0:15:58 > 0:15:59Of course you can...
0:15:59 > 0:16:01But not before the sausage!
0:16:01 > 0:16:02Thank you.
0:16:02 > 0:16:03Merry Christmas!
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Tonight, Dominika and Lukasz are out with the Round Table,
0:16:05 > 0:16:09helping collect money for good causes across Darlington.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12When you knock on the doors, are people ever sort
0:16:12 > 0:16:13of surprised that you're Polish?
0:16:13 > 0:16:17Not really.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19They don't really, you know, never mention about that, you know.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21I feel like a part of the community.
0:16:21 > 0:16:26And there was even a warm message from some Brexit voters
0:16:26 > 0:16:29for Lukasz and Dominika, and people like them.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31It was more of a protest against our political
0:16:31 > 0:16:36system at the minute.
0:16:36 > 0:16:37The MPs, Parliament, everything.
0:16:37 > 0:16:38Just...
0:16:38 > 0:16:39You don't know who to trust.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42And I have no problems with people in Europe transferring
0:16:42 > 0:16:44between the countries because I think that's a good thing,
0:16:44 > 0:16:46because if they're coming to work, they're coming to work.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48It doesn't matter where you're from.
0:16:48 > 0:16:49Merry Christmas!
0:16:49 > 0:16:50Merry Christmas!
0:16:50 > 0:16:51Well, what a lovely couple!
0:16:51 > 0:16:54It seems to me that Lukasz and Dominika are the perfect example
0:16:54 > 0:16:57of people from an EU country who've come to a place like Darlington,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00made it their home, got so involved in the local community.
0:17:00 > 0:17:05They consider themselves lucky to live in a place like Darlington.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09I actually think Darlington is pretty lucky that they live here.
0:17:09 > 0:17:19SPANISH MUSIC
0:17:21 > 0:17:28Angel started this shop just three weeks before the Brexit vote.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30TRANSLATION: I think people need to discover products specific
0:17:30 > 0:17:34to each country and I think England is open to that.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37I think England is the best, and we could bring even
0:17:37 > 0:17:42more produce to the UK.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45Angel is relaxed about the impact of Brexit, but his partner says
0:17:45 > 0:17:47there have been downsides for a business that
0:17:47 > 0:17:57imports all its products.
0:17:57 > 0:18:03Before opening the shop, the value of the pound was very
0:18:03 > 0:18:04high and, after Brexit, the pound was lower.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Has that had a big impact, then?
0:18:06 > 0:18:07Big impact in the pound, yes.
0:18:07 > 0:18:08?5, it's fine.
0:18:08 > 0:18:09Thank you.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11Thank you.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14Newcastle gave me the opportunity to start up and grow this business.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16This is my home town now.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19And it's likely to remain that way.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22But we Brits are demanding controls on the numbers of EU
0:18:22 > 0:18:24citizens moving here.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27And in her big speech last week, that's what the Prime Minister
0:18:27 > 0:18:29said she has in store.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32It's been fascinating talking to so many people who've
0:18:32 > 0:18:35settled in the North East from European countries.
0:18:35 > 0:18:36A lot of it's been heart-warming.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40Some of it sad.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44Some of it a little bit disturbing at times.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47But I'll just leave with an appreciation of just how
0:18:47 > 0:18:50much these people bring to the North East in
0:18:50 > 0:18:53so many different ways.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58We're a nation of dog lovers, but one young North East vet
0:18:58 > 0:19:02decided her skills would be of much more use in a country where the dogs
0:19:02 > 0:19:04really have no-one to love them.
0:19:04 > 0:19:10At just 26, Janey Lowes left her home here in Barnard Castle
0:19:10 > 0:19:12for Sri Lanka, to care for their desperately
0:19:12 > 0:19:13neglected street dogs.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17She's made a real impact over there and here at home.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27There are about three million street dogs,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30but because there's so many dogs, there's also a lot of sick dogs.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35Dogs in states that I never thought was possible.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38Two years ago, Janey Lowes left her Barnard Castle home behind
0:19:38 > 0:19:42to bring her skills as a vet to Sri Lanka's street dogs.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45These dogs have no-one.
0:19:45 > 0:19:51You know, they have not a soul in the world to look out for them.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53She'd holidayed on the island, but decided she had
0:19:53 > 0:19:55to do something to help.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57They could end up dying, potentially, from a
0:19:57 > 0:20:00tiny wound this big.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03No vets in place to treat these street animals.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07I feel like all of these dogs are my dogs and I'm the only one
0:20:07 > 0:20:09to look after them really.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11So she has names for all of them.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13Badger was in a real state.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16He had really bad skin and he'd started to chew his foot off,
0:20:16 > 0:20:20but it was filled with maggots, it was a bit grotty.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22He actually hated us right at the start and wouldn't
0:20:22 > 0:20:24come close to us at all.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28Treating dogs out on the street is a challenge.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30Badge!
0:20:30 > 0:20:33When Badger is spotted again, he's still wearing his bandage.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36The signs are looking good.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40On a daily basis, we sort of get in a tuktuk and go out on the roads
0:20:40 > 0:20:47and see what we can see, if there'se any problems.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50and see what we can see, if there's any problems.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52A lot of dogs with mange, so we treat them.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55We see a lot of dogs that have been hit by cars.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57We get them in and treat them as well.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00I'm trying to fix animals that are almost beyond fixing,
0:21:00 > 0:21:01with very little equipment.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03We don't have X-ray, we don't have ultrasound,
0:21:03 > 0:21:06we don't have gas anaesthetic.
0:21:06 > 0:21:11We have to sort of piece everything together and try and make it work.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13We're at the hospital, so come on in.
0:21:13 > 0:21:14She's built up a real team.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17This is Charminda, our tuktuk driver.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20And has a big dream.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24So it's not very exciting at the moment.
0:21:24 > 0:21:25It's just a small primary school.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28But one day, we have really big dreams for this place.
0:21:28 > 0:21:34So it's going to be a fully-equipped clinic,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37So it's going to be a fully-equipped clinic, with X-ray, ultrasound, etc.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39So, Malaka was a builder, but he's a dog lover.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Malaka, how long have you worked with us?
0:21:41 > 0:21:43One and a half years.
0:21:43 > 0:21:44Yeah, one and a half years.
0:21:44 > 0:21:45He's been our rock.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48There isn't such a thing as a vet nurse in Sri Lanka.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50My aim was to make Malaka the first vet nurse.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53We supplement those guys by bringing in UK and Australian volunteers
0:21:53 > 0:21:55as well, so mostly vets and vet nurses.
0:21:55 > 0:22:00But they come in for anywhere between two weeks and six months.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02It's not just about treating sick dogs, but reducing their numbers.
0:22:02 > 0:22:07Neutering clinics are great.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10On those, we neuter about 250 dogs in four days, between four vets.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12We've really noticed it in the last year,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15there are so many less puppies on the street.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18So we feel like we're really having an impact there.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21There's no shortage of street dogs needing attention.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23Rosie was paralysed by a car and was taken
0:22:23 > 0:22:26in by a kind local family.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30But charging for treatment in a poor country is difficult,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33so Janey has to return to the UK to make ends meet.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36Clever girl!
0:22:36 > 0:22:41You're feeling very sorry for yourself, aren't you?
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Sri Lanka is cheap to live, but I did 18 months with no salary,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47so I've had to come back, earn a little bit of money,
0:22:47 > 0:22:51then I'm going straight back there to spend it all again!
0:22:51 > 0:22:53It's a chance to use proper equipment again.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56She's doing shifts at her old vets practice in County Durham,
0:22:56 > 0:22:59who are behind her all the way.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03Janey's set up a charity to secure the future of the Sri Lanka project.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05Colleagues and friends are helping to organise a fundraising ball.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08And in a few spare moments, she can spend quality
0:23:08 > 0:23:13time with her own dog, Finn.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16It is absolutely heartbreaking to leave him behind.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19I know he's being really well cared for with my mum,
0:23:20 > 0:23:21but he is my sidekick.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23He's been my sidekick for the last 11 years.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26If he knew what I was doing, he'd be proud, so that's
0:23:26 > 0:23:28what keeps me going when he's not with me.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32Come on!
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Back in warmer Sri Lankan waters, Rosie is getting hydrotherapy
0:23:35 > 0:23:37and Janey has managed to get some movement into her
0:23:37 > 0:23:42paralysed back legs.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Badger's bandage didn't stop his wound from becoming infected again,
0:23:45 > 0:23:49but he's learned to trust Janey and the team.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52He's very food-orientated, so we could bribe him with anything.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55So we stood there with some buns from the bakery while we picked
0:23:55 > 0:23:58maggots out of his wound, and he just let us do it
0:23:58 > 0:24:00like this, so he was great.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05We make a point of returning dogs back to the streets.
0:24:05 > 0:24:06They are missing healthcare, they're missing affection,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08but they're not missing freedom.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10And actually, that's the one thing they've got in life,
0:24:10 > 0:24:14and I endeavour to make sure they have that.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17You know, I do not believe in putting them in a shelter.
0:24:17 > 0:24:18It's like prison to them.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22So we treat them, we put them back.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Some locals are curious as to why you'd help a street dog at all.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27Sri Lankan people are lovely, but there are people
0:24:27 > 0:24:31who would see dogs as vermin, so we do see a lot of cruelty,
0:24:31 > 0:24:33extreme cruelty as well.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36You'll have boiling water thrown over you.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38You'll have all sorts of things thrown at you,
0:24:38 > 0:24:44and it's just brutal.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46They just don't understand because they've never been taught,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49and that's something we would love to change as well.
0:24:49 > 0:24:5260% of puppies born on the street don't survive to adulthood.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55These two limp and weak puppies were covered in fleas and lice,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58but with treatment and TLC, Holly and Bertie have grown up none
0:24:58 > 0:25:05the wiser of how they beat the odds.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08But Janey's love of dogs is put to the very worst test.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12Back home, Finn has developed cancer.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15We thought we might get a good few months out of him,
0:25:15 > 0:25:17but we actually only got about three weeks.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20After the three weeks, he started to bleed from the liver
0:25:20 > 0:25:22tumour and I decided it wasn't really fair.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26So it was very tough.
0:25:26 > 0:25:27Yeah.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30He's, erm...
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Just now, with everything that I'm going to do,
0:25:33 > 0:25:39it's just to make him proud.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41The fundraising was now even more important.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Enjoy your night.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Thank you so, so much for coming, thank you for making the effort.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50And, yeah, have fun, and we'll speak to you a little bit later on.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52Thank you!
0:25:52 > 0:26:02APPLAUSE.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06I set 'We Care' up in 2014 after witnessing the plight of these
0:26:06 > 0:26:07street dogs over here.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Since then, it has grown massively.
0:26:09 > 0:26:10We now have over 20 staff members.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Saving one dog will not change the world, but for that one dog,
0:26:13 > 0:26:15the world will be forever changed.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17I think she's a very determined, very conscientious young woman,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20and very gutsy to go out there and do that.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Young people are prepared to give up so much of their life
0:26:22 > 0:26:25in order to go away from their family, their friends.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29They're giving up a heck of a lot of their life in order to do
0:26:29 > 0:26:30something on behalf of animals.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34I think it's a fantastic thing.
0:26:34 > 0:26:35You should care about dogs everywhere.
0:26:35 > 0:26:41It's not exclusive to where you're from.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49On Tyneside, donations of much-needed equipment are piling up,
0:26:49 > 0:26:53but that is a financial headache.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55It is amazing to have all this stuff.
0:26:55 > 0:27:02So we'e got ultrasound in there, we've got gas anesthetic.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04So that will be the second gas anesthetic in Sri Lanka,
0:27:04 > 0:27:06it'll be the first scanner in Sri Lanka.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09However, we ve got it stuck in England because it costs us
0:27:09 > 0:27:12about ?2,500 to ship it over there.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Now back in Sri Lanka, the clinic is starting to take shape.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Doodle just had an amputation a few days ago.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21Hey, Doods!
0:27:21 > 0:27:23But funds don't yet stretch to shipping that donated
0:27:23 > 0:27:27equipment from the UK.
0:27:27 > 0:27:32This is the theatre, so this is my home.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35So all you need from a surgical theatre is a clean area,
0:27:35 > 0:27:37so that's all we have here.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39One day, we will have all the mod cons.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41They're all in the container in the UK.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43But we'll set up, ready to go when those do arrive.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45Ambition and determination know no bounds and Finn
0:27:45 > 0:27:46would be proud of her.
0:27:46 > 0:27:57Janey has been named 'Vet of the Year' in the Animal Hero Awards.
0:27:57 > 0:27:58And her patients continue to thrive.
0:27:58 > 0:27:59Rosie is improving.
0:27:59 > 0:28:00She's walking again.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03She's not doing it all the time, she does get a little bit lazy
0:28:03 > 0:28:07and drag her bum around from time to time when it's a bit faster but,
0:28:07 > 0:28:09yeah, she's so much better than she was.
0:28:09 > 0:28:09Badger has been transformed.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13Badger!
0:28:13 > 0:28:16It's the hardest thing I've ever done, but it gives me
0:28:16 > 0:28:17the most amazing sense of fulfillment,
0:28:17 > 0:28:20enjoyment, satisfaction.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23I love it!
0:28:23 > 0:28:25It's the dogs that have spurred me on.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29Seeing the dogs in that state, I think, I have to be bloody good.
0:28:29 > 0:28:30I have to be the best I can be.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35She's quite an inspiration!
0:28:35 > 0:28:38If you want to know more about Janey and her work,
0:28:38 > 0:28:39then check out our Facebook page.
0:28:39 > 0:28:44But what have we got in store next week?
0:28:44 > 0:28:46The Lake District farmers who say they're being cold-shouldered
0:28:46 > 0:28:52by their landlord, the National Trust.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54I'll see you next Monday.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56Till then, from Barnard Castle, goodnight.