Northern Rock Foundation

Northern Rock Foundation’s Trustees have awarded 22 grants totalling £1,716,006 in their most recent funding round.

Announcing the grants, Alastair Balls, Chairman of the Foundation said: “The recession means there is a greater demand on the services of charities that work with disadvantaged people. The Foundation has always placed a great emphasis on helping people who are homeless, vulnerable, or living in poverty, and those who are victims of abuse or discrimination. The organisations funded in this round are working creatively and effectively to help people living in difficult circumstances in the North East and Cumbria to overcome barriers and improve their lives.”

The Depaul Trust will receive the largest grant in this round – £123,930 over three years to help homeless and other vulnerable young people on Tyneside through a mentoring scheme. Mentors at the Trust range in age from 18 to 60, and work one to one with young people, helping them to find somewhere to live, get into training or jobs and to build positive social links.

£177,423 will go towards projects in Gateshead and Berwick upon Tweed that help vulnerable older people to claim their full benefit and pension entitlements. Many older people do not claim all the benefits for which they are eligible because they do not have the right information or because they are put off by the process of applying. Age Concern Gateshead will receive £106,500 and Berwick upon Tweed Citizens Advice Bureau will receive £70,923 to provide dedicated advice and support.

People experiencing mental health problems will be helped by grants totalling £115,403 to local Mind charities. Mind in Gateshead will receive £62,903 and Middlesbrough Mind £52,500 to maintain and expand their organisations’ services and support.

Victim Support will receive £107,736 for its domestic violence protection project in Newcastle. The project provides independent advocacy and support to victims of domestic abuse. The Foundation’s grant will allow the organisation to support more victims by employing an additional member of staff.

The Trustees have also made grants under their fund for culture and heritage projects that improve quality of life in the region. Three of the region’s leading cultural venues will receive grants under the culture fund. The Great North Museum will receive £90,000 towards special exhibitions over three years. Northern Stage will receive £90,000 towards its programme celebrating the theatre’s 40 th birthday. And Newcastle Theatre Royal will receive £87,000 towards a new project, ‘Seconds Out’, that will link the worlds of boxing and contemporary dance.

In 2009, the Foundation plans to make grants and other investments totalling over £11 million.

Northern Rock Foundation is a charity and company limited by guarantee with an independent Board of Trustees that makes all decisions on governance, finance and policy. The Foundation aims to tackle disadvantage and improve quality of life in North East England and Cumbria. To do this, it invests money, time and expertise in charitable activities using several tools including grants, loans, training, research and demonstration projects. The Foundation’s work is delivered by a professional staff team of 13 based in Newcastle upon Tyne.

The Foundation was established when Northern Rock demutualised in 1997. Up to December 2007, the bank gave, by covenant, 5% of its annual pre-tax profits to the Foundation, totalling more than £190 million. The Foundation will receive a minimum of £15m a year in 2008, 2009 and 2010 from Northern Rock, as part of the arrangement under which the bank was taken into temporary public ownership. Maintaining this arrangement is a condition of any sale of the bank in that period. The Government has asked the bank’s board to identify a viable long-term future for the Foundation.

Grants to tackle disadvantage:

Grants for culture and heritage: