You may have plans to develop a new social enterprise, bid for a new contract in a new area, develop and market a new training programme, build a partnership with a like minded charity or completely remodel your service. We are particularly interested in helping organisations to explore possible opportunities for social investment.

With the Foundation’s support you will be able to develop these ideas and make them happen.

The Fresh Ideas Fund will provide up to £50,000 to fund a feasibility study, pay for expert specialist advice and / or cover start-up costs.

Successful applicants will also receive expert help and guidance from a specialist business advisor.

If you are interesting in finding out more about this great opportunity visit the Fresh Ideas web page here.

Northern Rock Foundation and Big Society Capital have announced their intention to create a £11.5m social investment fund for the north east of England to support the development and expansion of voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises. This will be the first regional fund of its kind to be set up with Big Society Capital support.

Big Society Capital has committed, – in principle- , to invest £4.5m initially in the fund and Northern Rock Foundation has committed, – in principle- , to invest £3m, subject to completion of negotiations. A North East Social Investment Company will be set up to champion the development of social investment in the region and to oversee the running of the fund during its life, supported by a further £1.5m contribution from the Foundation.

Alastair Balls, Chairman of Northern Rock Foundation, said “The North East Social Investment Company , and its first social investment fund, are being  set up to provide an innovative regional strategic solution to developing the market for social investment in the north east and reducing disadvantage, deprivation and social need in north east communities. This is an opportunity to create a seismic shift in the funding landscape of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector (VCSE) in the region.”

Nick O’Donohoe, Chief Executive of Big Society Capital, said “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Northern Rock Foundation to set up an independent, sustainable and long lasting social investment facility that will catalyse enterprise, innovation and growth in the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector in the North East.”

The proposal for the Fund has been led by Northern Rock Foundation. It has been developed from analysis of the demand for social investment by PwC and also by regional expert Peter Deans, and with support from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, Voluntary Organisations’ Network North East and social investors and voluntary organisations working in the region.

Jeremy Middleton, Chair of the investment panel for the North East Local Enterprise Partnership said “We were pleased to help fund the initial research for the social investment fund and after lengthy joint work it is rewarding to see it come to fruition. It is also great to secure significant national financial support for a North East fund which, of its kind, leads the UK. It is a great direction for Northern Rock Foundation to take and we applaud its leadership of a scheme which has the strength to have real lasting impact across the North East.”

Tees Valley Local Enterprise Partnership has also welcomed the initiative. Stephen Catchpole, Chief Executive, said “We look forward to seeing the new Fund helping to stimulate social investment here in the Tees Valley”.

Subject to completion of negotiations between Big Society Capital and Northern Rock Foundation , the Company will be set up early in the New Year and the Fund will be open for lending by mid- 2014.

Alastair Balls Chairman of the Foundation said  “Over 15 years we have given out £215 million to over 2,000 organisations, to tackle some of the most difficult problems we face as a society.”

The report also highlights the work of the Foundation in engaging in cutting edge research looking at how third sector organisations are responding to a changing operating environment. This has changed the way the Foundation understands the voluntary and community sector and has had national impact. Other research projects have tackled difficult and under explored and researched areas such as rape and domestic violence in the UK and are influencing and changing policy of national and regional agencies working in these fields.

Penny Wilkinson, Chief Executive of Northern Rock Foundation, said: “Throughout this Annual Review there are examples of voluntary organisations meeting the challenges they face with ingenuity and imagination. Support for victims of domestic violence, new solutions to homelessness and debt, partnerships to help young offenders or refugees and ways to change attitudes to people with dementia are all projects funded by the Foundation this year. There are also, though, examples of organisations providing crucial support, like advocacy for people with learning disabilities, which need core funding to continue to deliver existing valued services. The Foundation aims to provide the most useful type of support through a mix of grants, loans, training, advice and information to help organisations develop, improve and support people in need.”

The Foundation  is no longer awarding grants to new applicants it has not previously funded, but the Foundation has pledged to continue to help charities find support from other major grant giving bodies and funding sources in order to sustain their work in the future. It is also planning, with the support of Big Society Capital and other partners, to establish a social investment fund for the north east, designed to make loans to voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations, to catalyse their growth and increase their social impact.

In response to the recent announcement by Virgin Money of their donation to the Foundation, Alastair Balls said, “We are delighted that Virgin Money, our corporate donor, has recently made a donation of £0.5m to contribute to our work in 2013 and we continue to discuss with them how we can work together in future.”

To download the 2012 Annual Review please click here.

Trustees approved the following grants in December 2012:

Trustees approved the following grants in March 2013:

The Foundation will continue and increase the Fresh Ideas Fund which helps charities to grow, explore new ways of generating income and achieve greater impact. The Foundation will also work with regional and national partners to seek to increase the levels of grant funding and social investment available to the voluntary and community sector in the region.

Trustees intend to close the current grant programmes at the end of 2014, as part of the completion of the Foundation’s present five year strategy in 2015.

In order to make sure the Foundation makes best use of its funds , to achieve the most impact for disadvantaged people, we plan to target our main grants and work more closely with some of our current grantholders. Trustees have therefore decided to only accept bids for funding by invitation for the next two years. This will also help voluntary organisations by minimising wasted effort on unsuccessful applications.