Latest News
May 2008
NORTHERN ROCK FOUNDATION REOPENS FUNDING FOR CULTURE AND HERITAGE PROJECTS
Northern Rock Foundation is reopening its grants programme for high-quality and high-profile culture and heritage projects in North East England and Cumbria. The new funding – worth £2 million in 2008 – will support performing arts, contemporary craft, design and new media, museum and heritage exhibitions, festivals and collaborations as well as professional training for people working in these areas. The Foundation plans to invest in a wide range of imaginative and ambitious work, and to support creative talent in the region. Trustees expect to make their first grants in the reopened programme in July 2008.
The Foundation began supporting culture and heritage schemes in 2001 as a way of improving quality of life in the North East and Cumbria and to increase the region’s profile. Funding for culture complemented the Foundation’s main support for tackling social and economic disadvantage. Over seven years, the Foundation’s trustees invested nearly £27m in culture. In December 2007, however, given the uncertainties about the Foundation’s future income, the Trustees decided to set a cautious budget for 2008 of £7 million. The much reduced budget meant that to maintain the effectiveness of their grants for helping disadvantaged people and communities, several programmes had to close. The funds for culture and heritage were among them.
In February 2008, the Chancellor announced that the Foundation would 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. The Foundation’s Trustees immediately decided to increase their grants budget by £4 million. They again reviewed the Foundation’s work and decided that the additional funds meant they would have enough resources to run an effective culture and heritage programme alongside those on social disadvantage.
Fiona Ellis, Director of Northern Rock Foundation, said: “The Foundation is really pleased to be investing again in the region’s culture and heritage. Last autumn, Trustees had to make very difficult decisions about scaling back their grant-making, but now with the continuing support of Northern Rock under its new ownership arrangements, we can expand our plans again. We know that cultural activities transform lives at all levels, and we have always supported projects that use the arts to connect with and inspire disadvantaged people. Our culture programme complements that by providing a dedicated stream of investment for excellent, high-profile projects that everyone can enjoy, but which also contribute to the North East and Cumbria’s continuing regeneration and growing pride.”
The Foundation’s support has been an important part of the funding landscape for cultural developments in North East England and Cumbria in recent years. Mark Robinson, Executive Director, Arts Council North East said: “The return of the Culture programme is very welcome news. This funding has made a huge contribution to the cultural regeneration and vitality of the region. The Trustees decision to reinstate the programme means that more organisations will be able to benefit from this support and make a contribution to that regeneration.”
Alan Clarke, Chief Executive, One NorthEast said: “This new funding will strengthen the region’s commitment to high quality culture and heritage. Festivals and events such as the Culture 10 programme contribute to the economic growth of the region. In addition they help to improve positive perceptions of the region and its reputation as a cultural centre of excellence, and they assist with attracting talent and investment to the region as well as increasing visitor numbers.”
Mark Dobson, Chief Executive, Tyneside Cinema said: “I think that Northern Rock Foundation’s Culture funding has transformed the landscape of the region. It has been adventurous and bold and the Foundation has frequently been amongst the first organisations to back innovative and exciting projects, which has enabled other funders and public bodies to move in behind them.”
Jim Beirne, Chief Executive, Live Theatre said: “One of the wonderful things the Northern Rock Foundation has done over 10 years is to invest in and significantly help create NewcastleGateshead as a cultural capital within the wider region. Dozens of organisations have benefited hugely from the massive changes we have seen on Tyneside over the last 10 years. It is wonderful news that the culture programme is opening up again and that organisations will have the opportunity to continue to be sustained and to grow through investment from the Foundation”.
Alongside the reopened culture and heritage fund, the Foundation’s existing main priorities for grants in 2008 are:
- services for people with mental health problems, people with learning disabilities, older people and carers;
- one-to-one help for young people at risk, homeless people, substance misusers and groups that face prejudice and discrimination;
- reducing the incidence and impact of domestic and sexual violence, abuse and hate crimes.
The additional £4m budget for 2008 will expand the funds available for some of these areas, and allow the Foundation to continue providing some training opportunities for voluntary sector organisations, alongside supporting the return of the Culture and Heritage programme.
Notes to 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. To do this, it invests money, time and expertise in charitable activities using several tools including grants, loans, training, research and demonstration work. 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.
Details of the Foundation’s funding for culture and heritage:
|
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
Total spent on culture programmes |
0.5m |
2.1m |
4.9m |
4.9m |
6m |
5.5m |
2.8m |
Total Foundation expenditure |
11.3m |
13.3m |
19.2m |
26.8m |
22.2m |
29.4m |
23.6m |