We provide grants to local charities and community groups across the North East, Cumbria and North Yorkshire through the Newcastle Building Society Community Fund.
We are continuing to focus on key issues in our communities that have been raised in the Vital Signs report such as employability, food poverty, debt management, homelessness and the environment.
Find out more about Vital Signs, visit the Community Foundation website.
In June 2025 we awarded £68,250 to 14 charities across the North.
Here’s more about the most recent grant recipients and the amazing work they do:
Grant awarded - £5,000
Cleveland Housing Advice Centre (CHAC) offers advice, support and representation in welfare, housing, debt and issues like evictions and poverty.
The grant will support the centre’s everyday running costs to deliver its debt advice and achieve its main objective to make a positive, lasting effect on the lives of those it serves.
Visit the Cleveland Housing Advice Centre website to learn more.
Grant awarded - £4,325
West View Advice and Resource Centre (WVARC) provide free, independent advice to individuals and their families. Their support covers a variety of areas such as benefits, debt, housing, employment and energy.
The funding will be used to deliver four ‘Making the Most of Your Money’ workshops over a 12-month period. The sessions aim to improve financial confidence and budgeting skills for individuals on low incomes.
Visit the West View Advice & Resource Centre Limited website to learn more.
Grant awarded - £5,000
North Tyneside Carers' Centre provide general carer support service in North Tyneside supporting both young and adult carers. Their team supports carers with everything from advocacy to mental health through one-to-one sessions and peer support groups. They also provide specialist training and information sessions to help make life easier for carers and the person they care for.
This grant will be used towards the salary of a benefits and financial wellbeing worker in North Tyneside. The worker will help carers improve their financial wellbeing and increase their income over the coming year.
Visit the North Tyneside Carers' Centre website to learn more.
Grant awarded - £5,000
My Big Career believes that every individual from different backgrounds should have the opportunity to follow their educational or employment goals. They strive for a stronger society where all areas of life are more fairly represented.
This grant will be used to provide personalised career guidance and workplace experiences to students aged 11-18 across the North East. My Big Career will provide early years support to 15 schools in areas where people face many challenges.
Visit the My Big Career website to learn more.
Grant awarded - £5,000
Mortal Fools is a multi-award-winning theatre, drama, and creative learning company based in Northumberland - working with children and young people using drama and creative interventions to support their wellbeing and personal development.
This grant will be used towards project costs for the 'Future Ready' employability programme, working with young people aged 16+ from Ashington and surrounding areas. The programme will use creative practice to support employability, transferable skills and workplace readiness in young people who face disadvantage.
Visit the Mortal Fools website to learn more.
Grant awarded - £5,000
The Recruitment Junction helps people who have been convicted of crimes find paid jobs in the North East. They work to lower unemployment in the area and help decrease the number of people recommitting crimes across the country.
This grant will be used to contribute towards staffing costs for the Job Finders programme, supporting people with convictions in Tyne & Wear, Northumberland, and County Durham.
Visit the Recruitment Junction website to learn more.
Grant awarded - £5,000
Smart Works Newcastle supports women who face barriers with getting employment. Without its support many women would lack correct clothing, skills and confidence. Helping women by giving them support and advice for the often daunting experience of job interviews.
This grant will be towards the core costs of delivering employability support for women in Newcastle.
Visit the Smart Works Newcastle website to learn more.
Grant awarded - £4,840
The Low Mill Outdoor Centre, is driven to the development of people through outdoor adventure and learning. They provide adventurous outdoor activities in the Yorkshire Dales which helps to drive the development of people through opportunities and skills for work.
This grant will be used towards creating an interactive Nature Room which will act as an all-weather learning and information hub at the centre in North Yorkshire. The Nature Room will allow centre visitors of all ages and abilities to learn about the environment.
Visit the Low Mill Outdoor Education Centre website to learn more.
Grant awarded - £4,575
The association delivers community activities for the benefit of residents and groups in Spennymoor, Tudhoe and surrounding areas. All of its activities aim to improve lives by offering accessible and affordable opportunities for health and wellbeing, social and financial inclusion, support for youth, education including adult learning, and intergenerational activities.
This grant will be used towards creating a community pantry, to offer struggling families and residents on low income access to free and affordable food surplus. This also includes fruit and vegetables from Fareshare's community allotment, feeding family parcels, preloved clothes, books and toys.
Visit the Spennymoor Youth and Community Association website to learn more.
Grant awarded - £5,000
They are passionate about creating a community where no one faces food insecurity. They work together to offer food and practical support to individuals and families experiencing financial challenges.
The grant will help the food bank cover costs for staff and training for volunteers. It will also support the cost for food, delivery vans, utilities and heating for households in fuel poverty.
Visit the West Northumberland Food Bank website to learn more.
Grant awarded - £4,500
Contact supports people with mental health problems and/or their carers. People come to them mainly on referral from GPs, social prescribers and community mental health teams, as well as self-referrals.
Funding will be used to start Contact Morpeth Food Connect Share Scheme - a new project to address food insecurity. The project will reallocate spare food from local businesses, retailers, and farms to individuals and families in need as a result of experiencing mental ill health, social isolation, and/or economic hardship.
Visit the Contact website to learn more.
Grant awarded - £5,000
Doorways offers help, support and food to people in Middlesbrough who are facing difficult times. This includes homeless individuals, people with insecure housing, elderly people, those with low incomes, veterans and students. From their central location in Middlesbrough, they offer hot meals and a place to take a shower or bath.
This grant will be used towards the core costs and weekly shopping for the charity’s food supplies.
Visit the Doorways Middlesbrough website to learn more.
Grant awarded - £5,000
The People’s Kitchen offers 'friendship and food' to homeless, vulnerable and disadvantaged people in Newcastle. They run sessions over six days per week, every week, offering hot meals in its city centre building and a mobile kitchen. The People's Kitchen arranges clothing, bedding and showering facilities. They also signpost and deliver the 'Your Future' programme that gives clients access to professional services for health and welfare, legal advice, education, training and employment. This improves their quality of life and supports people in moving towards independent living.
This grant will be used towards buying food, which will be used to prepare meals for homeless and vulnerable people in Newcastle.
Visit the People's Kitchen website to learn more.
Our Community Fund grants
