Newcastle Building Society has donated almost £50,000, from the Newcastle Building Society Community Fund at the Community Foundation North East, to help people in the region build skills and find work.
Over the last 18 months we’ve donated to ten local charities. Each one is using the funding to help people learn new skills, overcome barriers to work, and move into jobs.
Here are some of the charities we’ve supported.
The Recruitment Junction
The Recruitment Junction received a £5,000 grant to grow its Job Finder programme.
It’s one of the few charities in the UK that helps people leaving prison find work. It’s also the charity of its kind in the North East, helping people across Northumberland and Tyne and Wear.
Supporting second chances
The Recruitment Junction has a much higher success rate than national schemes. In the last five years, it has helped over 800 people into paid work, with two-thirds still in work after six months
The charity will use its grant to open a new office in County Durham, where demand for its services is high. Its work helps people rebuild their lives after prison, support their families, and reduce reoffending.
Adderstone Group has partnered with The Recruitment Junction for the past 5 years. Ian Baggett, Founder-CEO, said: “We’ve recruited labour and skilled tradespeople via The Recruitment Junction from 2020 right up to now. They find us well-vetted lads, who hold their own on site with any of our other workers. We would definitely recommend this as a reliable recruitment pathway.”
MyBigCareer
MyBigCareer received £5,000 to help fund employability workshops in schools.
The charity introduces young people to the world of work through classroom activities, one-to-one career coaching, and visits to local employers.
One student who took part in a workshop said:
"My Career Coach gave me advice that I will carry through my whole career with me."
MyBigCareer’s activity in the North East has quickly grown. The charity now works with over 20 schools to support thousands of children across the region.
The grant will help MyBigCareer reach more students, so even more young people can access careers information and be inspired about their futures.
The Hope Foundation
The Hope Foundation is using a £5,000 grant to employ a careers adviser for its Hope2Work programme.
Hope2Work helps people in Middlesbrough who have been out of work for a long time, as well as refugees and asylum seekers. Service users benefit from one-to-one employment support and guidance, including help with writing a CV, preparing for interviews, and access to IT.
Our Middlesbrough branch colleagues also volunteer running mock interviews.
Jabar Hussain Ibrahim used Hope2Work
"The Hope Foundation has been with me step-by-step through the job application process. The careers adviser has provided me with so much employment support and I now feel more confident that I'll soon find a job that I love. I’m more hopeful for my future thanks to the charity."
The £5,000 grant will help The Hope Foundation keep offering this hands-on and local support, helping people in need move into work or training.
Download the press release (PDF, 217kB).
