This report, commissioned by the Northern Rock Foundation and Trust for London, examines the impact of public expenditure cuts on services to prevent violence against women and girls. It showed that:

• Thirty-one percent of the funding to the domestic violence and sexual abuse sector from local authorities was cut between 2010/11 to 2011/12, a reduction from £7.8 million to £5.4 million. (Data obtained using Freedom of Information Act requests by the False Economy project, and analysed by the research team.)
• The organisations with smaller budgets from the local authorities had larger percentage budget cuts than those in receipt of larger ones: among those with local authority funding of  less than £20,000 the average cut was 70% as compared with 29% for those receiving over £100,000, between 2010/11 and 2011/12. (Data obtained using Freedom of Information Act requests by the False Economy project, and analysed by the research team.)
• 230 women, just under 9% of those seeking refuge, were turned away by Women’s Aid on a typical day in 2011 due to lack of space. (Data from surveys conducted annually by Women’s Aid of their affiliated organisations, analysed by the research team.)
• The number of Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVA) has been reduced: in 2011 among 8 major IDVA service providers supporting 13,180 clients, 2 faced funding cuts of 100%, 3 cuts of 50%, 3 of 40% and 2 of 25%.(Data from a poll carried out by Coordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse (CAADA)
• IMKAAN, who run services for women from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups, report the closing of two of their six specialist refuges and cuts to local authority funding for two more. (Data from IMKAAN.)
• RESPECT services working to reform male perpetrators of domestic violence suffered budget cuts so that between 2010 and 2011 78% of services reduced the number of clients they were able to assist.(Data from RESPECT London.)
• Statutory provision, including those police and court services that involve specialised expertise, has also been reduced following funding cuts. This includes cuts in the operating levels of Domestic Abuse Officers, a unit on female genital mutilation and domestic violence courts. (Data from Home Office and Ministry for Justice.)

To download the reports please click here to visit our publications page.

Trustees awarded the following grants:

Penny Wilkinson, Chief Executive, said: “In recent months we have seen rising levels of poverty, homelessness and debt in the North East and Cumbria. When people are under pressure their mental health can suffer, alcohol abuse rises and incidents of domestic abuse can increase. The Foundation is committed to supporting people in need in our region during these difficult times.

“Voluntary organisations which the Foundation supports provide vital services to vulnerable people. Organisations like Age Concern Northumberland, Carlisle Youth Zone, Tyneside Mind, Self Injury Support in North Cumbria and Newcastle Women’s Aid, have all recently received grants from the Foundation.”

Alastair Balls, Chairman of the Foundation, said: “Trustees decided that it was important to keep funding flowing for charities at a time when the need for their services is growing. Fortunately, although we did not receive any income from Northern Rock under our funding agreement last year, we still have reserves that we can draw on, for now, to fund the grant programmes. We look forward to discussing with Virgin Money, in the coming months, the ways in which the Foundation’s work can be supported and funded in future.”

Forty nine per cent of adults who serve time in prison are reconvicted within one year of their release and, for those people serving a sentence of less than 12 months, this increases to a staggering 59%.

Aquila Way, a housing charity based in Gateshead, received £61,960 to support work with prisoners from HMP Northumberland. Staff from Aquila establish a relationship with the prisoner for six weeks before their release and then work intensively to ensure that they have reasonable support and accommodation on release.

Nancy Doyle, Aquila Way’s Chief Executive, said: “Over the last three years the AMP project has delivered intensive mentoring to individuals leaving prisons in the North East of England.  In this time 80 per cent of the offenders it has helped have not reoffended and have successfully resettled into the community. The funding received from the Northern Rock Foundation will allow us to continue this successful project.”

Deputy Governor of HMP Northumberland, Neil Evans, said: “The AMP project has provided a number of local offenders with the opportunity to address their “life issues” and consequently provide them with the best opportunity of remaining  offence free and becoming citizens of their communities. As a Prison Governor this project provides hope for offenders, protection for victims and supports the work of HMP Northumberland in reducing reoffending in our community.”

Alcohol fuelled crime is higher in Newcastle than in the rest of the North East and England as a whole. In order to address this area-specific need, Nacro, based in Wallsend, has devised a programme which focuses on helping young offenders between the ages of 18 and 25 years to concentrate on health and alcohol control and also supports them to acquire employability skills. The Foundation’s Trustees agreed to make an award of £150,634 over three years to the charity.

On learning of the award Anne Hayes, Nacro’s Newcastle area manager, said: “Alcohol and drug misuse is one of the key causes of crime and reoffending. Tackling this problem is vital to reducing crime, but breaking the link between alcohol and reoffending can be very difficult and requires intensive, community-based intervention. The new Engage scheme will help Nacro tackle the root causes of reoffending, cut crime, and give people the chance to take responsibility for their actions.

“Using Nacro’s experience of working with repeat offenders and our unique approach to addressing the causes of crime, we hope to make a lasting change to the lives of many people across Newcastle and Gateshead. It’s really important that we do make a difference on this issue, because alcohol-related crime is almost seven per cent higher in this area compared to the national average.”

Alastair Balls, Chairman of the Foundation said:

“We look forward to working with Virgin Money and their not-for-profit arm Virgin Money Giving (VMG) and hope that this will result in an enduring and expanding role for the work which the Foundation has pioneered over the past fourteen years.”

“We had an initial discussion about the relationship that the Foundation and Virgin Money Giving might have in future. We are both committed to exploring ideas further and seeking to establish an on-going relationship that will enable the Foundation’s work tackling disadvantage and improving quality of life in the North East and Cumbria to continue to have a significant impact on the lives of vulnerable people. “

ENDS

Note for editors:

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. The Foundation’s work is delivered by a professional staff team of 15 based in Newcastle upon Tyne.

The Foundation is the largest independent grant maker in the region and is amongst the top 50 trust and foundation grant-makers nationally in terms of grant spend. In 2011 it will give £8.5million in grants. All funding for grants is committed at the time of the grant award.

The Foundation was established when Northern Rock Building Society demutualised in 1997. Between 1997 and 2010 the Foundation received £235 million from Northern Rock and gave out over 3,700 grants.

The Foundation is currently supported by Northern Rock plc through a funding agreement to provide 1% of pre-tax profits. This is a two year rolling agreement from January 2011, reviewed annually.

Virgin Money Giving (VMG) is the not-for-profit arm of Virgin Money. Since its launch in October 2009 it has enabled 130,000 individuals to raise £85m for 3500 charities.

Northern Rock Foundation is calling on voluntary organisations and social enterprises to come up with fresh ideas to help them grow in size, improve long term sustainability and increase their impact.

Northern Rock Foundation has launched a new grant fund called the Fresh Ideas Fund.

The aim is that the £0.5m fund will help voluntary organisations and social enterprises in the North East and Cumbria, to develop their best and most enterprising ideas to the point where they are ready for investment.

Liz Chadwick Chief Executive of DAWN Advice, a social enterprise employing over 80 people in Northumberland, said: “We are very excited about The Fresh Ideas Fund, it offers us the opportunity to further develop our range of legal advice services in order to maximise our reach across the region, and beyond. We strive to provide as comprehensive a service as possible and the fund will play a key role in helping us to achieve this.”

“As we continue to move forward through difficult times we are extremely dedicated to creating new and innovative services to ensure that people who are facing difficulties receive the best help and advice.”

Tony Henfrey, a business investor and trustee of the Foundation, said “You may have ambitions to develop new social enterprises, support more of your beneficiaries, spread your work into your neighbouring town, or work with completely new clients.

“You might want to take on a new asset or build a partnership with a like minded charity. Our aim is to help you to produce the business plans you need to secure the investment to make your ideas happen “

Lorna Moran, trustee of the Foundation and Chief Executive and founder of recruitment company NRG said “Successful leaders adapt quickly, learning to see their world in new ways and encouraging fresh thinking. They know that in a rapidly changing environment it is only those organisations that can innovate which will grow and thrive. ”

“We believe that The Fresh Ideas Fund fills a gap for people who may have good ideas but need money to get those ideas worked up to a point where they can become reality”

Voluntary organisations and social enterprises wanting to apply to the Fresh Ideas Fund can do so via the Northern Rock Foundation’s website at www.nr-foundation.org.uk

As part of its latest round of grant handouts, the Foundation has awarded more than £120,000 to carer support organisations Eden Carers and Cumbria Crossroads.

Last year Eden Carers supported 592 adult and 77 young carers in the Eden district of Cumbria.

Now, the Foundation has awarded the group £58,254 over three years to help it recruit 50 volunteers who will support around 400 carers in the more rural isolated parts of the district.

Cilla Clarke, Eden Carers’ chief executive, said: “Eden is a large, rural area that presents many challenges, not least of which are identifying and supporting all those extraordinary people who care for a relative or friend.

“Our grant from Northern Rock Foundation will support the expansion of our service to recruit and develop a volunteer service within remote rural communities to champion the recognition of unpaid carers and to provide on-going support to complement the Eden Carers team.”

A second grant of £63,687 over three years will allow Cumbria Crossroads to extend its respite service into Allerdale and Copeland.

Carers have to cope with their caring responsibilities while juggling work and family commitments and many neglect their own mental and physical health to carry out this demanding role.

Cumbria Crossroads provides carers with a much-needed break, enabling them to have some time for themselves so they can catch up with housework, go shopping, or simply catch up on sleep.

Stewart McKegg, from Cumbria Crossroads, said: “We have identified West Cumbria as an area that is in desperate need of support.

“The grant from Northern Rock Foundation will enable us to establish a base in West Cumbria and provide respite care for carers much more quickly than originally anticipated. This grant will make a real difference and change people’s lives.”

Penny Wilkinson, Chief Executive of Northern Rock Foundation, said: “Carers are the unsung heroes and heroines of society. They very often put their own lives on hold to care for sick or elderly friends and relatives.

“They need support and we are delighted to be able to help provide it.”

The Foundation has commissioned CAADA, Women’s Aid and Respect to deliver courses in Newcastle in 2011/12. 

The Foundation will fully fund the cost of each course on the understanding that if learners do not complete the course their organisation will have to re-pay the full cost. The Foundation will subsidise any member of staff from any voluntary organisation working in the North East and Cumbria.

Most courses will take place at Northern Rock Foundation offices in Gosforth. Numbers are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Please contact Rachel Kyle for further information on 0191 284 8412 or Rachel.kyle@nr-foundation.org.uk

The Foundation gives grants to organisations which help people who are vulnerable, disadvantaged, homeless, living in poverty or are victims of crime or discrimination. We also support training, research and demonstration work and gather and share learning from the activities we fund. Where appropriate we seek to inform and influence wider regional and national policies and practice.

Charities small and large benefitted from a total of £11.95 million, including Gateshead charity Your Voice Counts which supports people with learning disabilities, and Newcastle based Cyrenians which works with homeless people.

Over half of all grants made were to keep the core work of charities going – funding day to day staff and running costs helping charities like Waddington Street Centre in Durham which works with people with mental health problems and Eva Womens’ Aid in Redcar which supports victims of domestic abuse. Northern Rock Foundation is one of the few funders that is willing to give grants for these types of on-going costs and demonstrates what’s special about the Foundation’s work and how important its support is for charities in the region.

75% of charities that received a grant this year had also been funded by the Foundation before, often over many years, underlining further how the Foundation’s grants underpin many charities income.

Chairman Alastair Balls said ‘Northern Rock Foundation is an exemplar of what can be achieved through sustained and generous corporate philanthropy. Recently the government’s intention to proceed with a sale of Northern Rock plc, our corporate funder, was announced. We hope that the long-term future of Northern Rock Foundation will not be at risk as a result of this process and instead that the work of the Foundation, tackling disadvantage and supporting civil society, can be ensured.’

Recently released results of an independent survey of 350 of the Foundation’s grantholders carried out in 2010 emphasise how much charities value the Foundation’s work. Penny Wilkinson Chief Executive said ‘Our grantholders told us that the service we offer as a charitable foundation is outstanding, but most importantly they emphasised that Northern Rock Foundation makes a real difference in communities across our region.’

In 2011 the Foundation plans to give out £8 million in grants. Penny Wilkinson added ‘We remain committed to supporting quality provision for vulnerable people and to helping the voluntary and community sector to look ahead and respond to changing times in innovative and enterprising ways.’

Ends

For further information contact Hilary Florek 0191 285 7100 or 07831 552624 hilary@hilaryflorekpr.co.uk