The UK’s largest Community Foundation is celebrating one of its best years to date as it reaches its 30th anniversary.
The Community Foundation for Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, which was established in 1988, is a charity that champions giving to make a difference to people and communities across the North East of England.
Today, in its 30th anniversary year, the Gosforth-based charity has revealed that 2017-2018 has been one of its most successful years to date.
From April 2017 to the end of March 2018, the Community Foundation awarded 1,789 grants totalling £7.7 million to help 943 community groups and 234 individuals across the North East. This included 299 grants in County Durham and the Tees Valley. In the last 12 months, the Community Foundation’s team has dealt with one grant application an hour.
The Community Foundation has now awarded a total of £122million since it was set up– with 2017-18 being one of the biggest for grant-making in its 30 year history. These latest results represent a £1m increase on last year’s figures and show that the Community Foundation is well on its way to achieving its target of making £10million in grants every year by 2020.
Rob Williamson, Chief Executive of the Community Foundation, said: “It’s absolutely fantastic that we have been able to help so many people and groups from right across the North East, and we’re delighted that we’ve been able to make grants worth £7.7million.
“2017-18 has been one of our most successful years to date and we’re well on track to give out more than £10 million a year by 2020.
“Next month, we’re launching a new initiative, the Giving Network, which will help engage a new generation of donors in making a difference through us to to lives across the region. We’re very excited about the future and committed to reaching that £10 million annual milestone.”
Chair of the Board of Trustees Fiona Cruickshank OBE said: “We are the largest Community Foundation of a 46-strong network of independent charities in the UK, and there are now over 1,800 Community Foundations across the globe.
“We are proud of our 30-year record of making a real difference to people’s lives and to communities across Tyne and Wear and Northumberland – and increasingly around the whole North East. Through our giving and philanthropy work, to funding and support, and shining a light on the vital issues, we’re committed to helping more people across our region.”
