ENTREPRENEURS have been called upon to make "the dramatic changes" the North East needs to progress by a leading regional business ambassador.
Sir John Hall lay down the challenge to the region's entrepreneurial community at the Entrepreneurs' Forum's annual business awards celebration.
Sir John was honoured at the event with the award for lifetime achievement, receiving a standing ovation for the 300-strong audience.
Offering clues to the winner before revealing their name, his friend Sir Peter Vardy, co-founder of the Forum 12 years ago, described Sir John as “a colossus of North East business”.
Sir Peter, who won the same award last year, added: “Sport or shopping, our winner has been the inspiration behind the icons. Their impact goes beyond the thousands of jobs that their entrepreneurialism has spawned. They have changed the very landscape of the North East, where the physical symbols of their success are embedded in the social fabric of our region and will last for many years to come.
“But their legacy goes beyond just physical buildings. It’s a legacy that shouts ambition, hope, a passion for the North East and the kind of fighting spirit that fills this room tonight.”
The award came in the year that Sir John is celebrating 50 years since establishing his business, Cameron Hall Developments, which developed the Metrocentre.
Acknowledging the contributions of entrepreneurs to the North East, Sir John said: "There's a gene inside you: you want to do things, you want to make change. It's something special we all have as entrepreneurs.
"Receiving this award from my peers, my fellow entrepreneurs, is very humbling indeed and I will treasure it in the years to come. I will take it home to Northumberland."
Sir John said he was "sad at times" because he did not believe the necessary changes the region needed had been made.
"All the money that's been spent on health, education and enterprise, we are making changes, but I don't think we have gone far enough, hard enough.
"I have lived through so many initiatives. But unless we get some stability and strategy for the region I am quite convinced in 50 years' time people will be talking about the same problems."
He told the entrepreneurs in the audience they needed to create a culture of enterprise.
"You are the custodians of enterprise in this area. You need to get out there and mentor. New businesses are starting all the time. If you don't go and help the new starters and we don't get the SMEs to grow and create the jobs we won't make the progress we need to make."
Referring to the benefits promised to Scotland for remaining part of the United Kingdom, he said: "I used to be British. Now I am English and I am North Eastern. I want to hold Cameron to account. I want to be able to say we have a future for our place.
"We need the politicians and leadership who are going to carry this region through. They have not made the dramatic changes which are needed in this area and if the politicians aren't going to do it, the private sector has got to take up the challenge."