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 our focus on addressing key issues in our area identified by the Vital Signs reporting in employability, food poverty, debt management, homelessness and the environment.
Find out more about Vital Signs visit the Community Foundation website.
In October 2024 we awarded £52,959 to 11 charities across the North.
Here’s more about the most recent grant recipients and the amazing work they do:
Grant awarded £5,000
Community and Voluntary Action Blyth Valley serves, facilitate and benefits, the voluntary sector offering, funding advice, information, support, guidance, training and a range of other services.
The grant will be used to provide funding for rent for a community hub in Blyth town centre.
Visit Community and Voluntary Action Blyth Valley’s website to learn more.
Grant awarded £5,000
Friends Action North East help to support people with learning disabilities and autistic people to make and keep friends.
The grant will be used to deliver employability and training support to learning disabled individuals in Tyne and Wear.
Visit Friends Action North East’s website to learn more.
Grant awarded £5,000
English for All are a charity offering free lessons to refugees and asylum seekers who want to learn English.
The grant will fund a programme of employability support for refugees and asylum seekers in Newcastle.
Visit English for All’s website to learn more.
Grant awarded £5,000
The Tees Valley Women’s Centre provides a one stop shop for women in a non-threatening safe environment, to support women and improve their quality of life by providing one-to-one support, advice, guidance, training and employment opportunities.
The grant will be used to cover core costs for providing employability and debt management support for women in Teesside.
Visit Tees Valley Women’s Centre’s website to learn more.
Grant awarded £5,000
The Hope Foundation provides opportunities for learning, access to technology, careers advice, volunteering opportunities and support. Hope helps many local people to gain skills and qualifications, become volunteers, find employment and made friends.
The grant will be used for employability support to individuals in Middlesbrough.
Visit The Hope Foundation’s website to learn more.
Grant awarded £4,923
The Ouseburn Trust works for a vibrant, diverse and sustainable future for the historic Ouseburn Valley. They offer learning experiences, heritage projects, funding opportunities and regeneration.
The grant will be used to develop a community compost scheme and brownfield gardening sies.
Visit the Ouseburn Trust’s website to learn more.
Grant awarded £4,000
The Meals on Wheels service provides hearty, nutritious food to people who struggle to make meals for themselves. The food is freshly prepared and specially created to provide a balanced diet and suit their service users.
The grant will be used to provide a hot meal delivery service for vulnerable individuals in Penrith.
Visit Meals on Wheels Cumbria’s website to learn more.
Grant awarded £5,000
Ryedale Community Foodbank offers emergency food and some household goods such as toiletries and cleaning products, to people in need in the Ryedale area.
The grant will be used to help cover core costs for the food bank.
Visit Ryedale Community Foodbank’s website to learn more.
Grant awarded £5,000
Rainbow Homes supports LGBTQ+ people in the North East who have fled their homes due to persecution for being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or other members of the LGBTQ community.
The grant will be used for housing and employment support for the LGBTQ+ asylum community across the North East.
Visit Rainbow Home’s North East’s website to learn more.
Grant awarded £4,036
Love Dunston is dedicated to empowering young people and placing them at the heart of their community in Gateshead. They offer an open access youth service with mental health support, guidance and mentorship, daytime clubs, and youth clubs.
The grant will be used to provide essential independent living skills support to young people in Gateshead.
Visit Love Dunston’s website to learn more.
Grant awarded £5,000
Lilyanne’s Wellbeing works together with people in Hartlepool for better mental wellbeing, they offer support through loneliness, mental health, wellbeing walks and homelessness.
The grant will be used to support homeless individuals in Hartlepool.
Visit Lilyanne’s Wellbeing website to learn more.
Our Community Fund grants
