Northern Rock Foundation

The world’s biggest wooden treehouse, a visitor centre for Britain’s oldest floating warship and a first-rate cricket facility are among seven projects from across the region winning a share of £2.3 million for ambitious arts, sports and heritage schemes from the Northern Rock Foundation.

The Foundation’s ‘Buildings to Inspire and Delight’ fund, launched in December 2002, will go to support projects in Northumberland, County Durham, Teesside and Tyne and Wear. 33 organisations applied for funding, and 9 were shortlisted. The winning schemes are:

• The Bowes Museum, Durham – £500,000 towards substantial restoration of this Grade 1 listed building which houses an outstanding collection of European fine and decorative arts.
• Theatre Royal, Newcastle – £400,000 towards extending and improving this nationally renowned facility through the development of the neighbouring building to provide space for larger international productions and improved access for disabled people.
• Experience Northumberland at Woodhorn – £390,000 towards redeveloping the ancient monuments of the Colliery Museum and creating an eye-catching new building to house the County records, Archives and Local Study Services.
• Newcastle Playhouse – £300,000 towards redeveloping performance space, support facilities and enhancing the visual impact of the building which is home to Northern Stage, the region’s only major producing theatre company.
• The Alnwick Garden – £250,000 towards building the world’s biggest wooden treehouse ‘featuring rope suspended bridges, platforms and walkways’ providing entertainment and education space for 300 visiting children and adults at a time.
• HMS Trincomalee, Teesside – £242,150 towards creating a museum and visitor centre for one of the oldest surviving British warships, located at Hartlepool’s historic quay.
• Chester-le-Street Youth Development Trust, Durham – £236,000 towards building a world-class indoor cricket facility on the Riverside site where there will be an activities and education programme targeting young people and disabled people.

The Chair of the Northern Rock Foundation’s Trustees, Richard Harbottle, said: “We are delighted to be supporting these exciting projects, which clearly show the talent and vision of cultural organisations in our region. The Northern Rock Foundation is committed to supporting this kind of work as a major contribution to improving people’s quality of life in the North East and Cumbria and to raising the profile of the region nationally and internationally.”

In addition to the £2.3 million committed this year, the Trustees agreed to further funding which they will allocate in March 2004. The Foundation will announce details of this scheme later in the year.
Notes to editors:
The Northern Rock Foundation is an independent grant-making organisation formed in 1997, when the Northern Rock Building Society converted to a plc. The Foundation’s grants budget is now one of the largest in the country. Its primary objective is to help improve the conditions of those most disadvantaged in society. It supports causes in Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Durham and Teesside.

Website: www.nr-foundation.org.uk
Press contacts for winning projects:

The Bowes Museum
Rachel Scott. Tel: 01833 694 600
Email: rachel.scott@bowesmuseum.org.uk

The Theatre Royal, Newcastle
Greg Miller. Tel: 0191 232 0997
Email: greg.miller@newcastle.gov.uk

Experience Northumberland at Woodhorn
Colin Mitchell, Wansbeck District Council.
Tel: 01670 843 443
Email: c.mitchell@wansbeck.gov.uk

Newcastle Playhouse
Chris Collett, Northern Stage. Tel: 0191 245 0501
Email: chrisc@northernstage.com

The Alnwick Garden
James McDonald, Citigate Dewe Rogerson.
Tel: 0207 282 2921
Email: james.mcdonald@citigatedr.co.uk

H.M.S. Trincomalee Trust
Bryn Hughes. Tel: 01429 223 193
Email: office@hms-trincomalee.co.uk

Riverside Cricket Academy
Ian Simon, Chester-le-Street Youth Development Trust.
Tel: 0191 389 0986
Email: IanSimon@chester-le-street.gov.uk