Food hubs, affordable meals and vital household support backed in latest round of Mayor Kim’s Opportunity Fund
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness has announced the successful recipients of Round 4 of her £1 million Mayor’s Opportunity Fund, supporting grassroots organisations helping residents manage the cost of living.
This round of the fund focuses on tackling financial hardship, food insecurity and exclusion, backing community-led projects that provide practical support with the everyday pressures facing individuals and families across the North East.
Funding will help organisations deliver affordable food, essential household items, advice, skills and community support – building a more inclusive economy for all.
The Mayor’s Opportunity Fund is a £1 million programme backing projects that deliver direct, practical support in local communities, tackle the issues residents face day to day and invest in places too often left behind.
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “People across the North East are working incredibly hard, but too many are still struggling with the cost of food, household bills and other everyday essentials.
“This funding is about getting practical support to people who need it most. It will help trusted local organisations provide affordable food, warm and welcoming community spaces, essential household items and advice that can put more money back into people’s pockets.
“Our charities and community organisations understand the challenges facing their neighbourhoods, and are trusted by people who can too often miss out on support. I’m proud to back their work as we tackle hardship, strengthen our communities and make sure nobody is left to face the cost-of-living crisis alone.”
Projects supported through Round 4 range from food hubs, community pantries and affordable cooking sessions to financial resilience workshops, welfare advice, warm spaces and support helping residents access employment, education and essential services.
Among the successful recipients is Fenham Association of Residents in Newcastle, which will create a community food hub and provide affordable cooking courses helping residents prepare lower-cost meals.
In Gateshead, Foundations Furniture and Gardening Project will provide low-cost and free reused furniture to households facing furniture poverty, homelessness and financial hardship. Bensham Grove Community Centre will develop a community pantry and food-growing project combining affordable food with growing, preserving, repair, reuse and energy-saving activities.
In County Durham, Wheels2Work County Durham will provide bicycles and safety equipment to residents facing transport barriers to employment, education and volunteering. Coxhoe Village Hall Association will continue its community food bank and pantry, including evening opening to reach people who are in work but experiencing poverty.
Other projects include community meals for isolated residents, food banks and social supermarkets, budgeting and debt advice, affordable cooking sessions, digital inclusion support, transport initiatives helping people access work and education, and emergency support for people facing financial hardship
The Mayor’s Opportunity Fund is delivered in partnership with Community Foundation North East and Point North, helping funding reach grassroots organisations supporting communities across the region.
Rob Williamson, CEO at Community Foundation North East, said: “The cost-of-living continues to impact communities across the North East and so support through The Mayor’s Opportunity Fund is hugely welcome. At Community Foundation North East, the organisations these grants are supporting regularly tell us they are seeing demand for their services continue to rise whilst also facing the same financial pressures on their own operations. Supporting their costs to deliver food or offer a warm welcoming space can be an immediate fix to a problem but also the first step to supporting people with advice and helping them access services that can make a difference to their lives.”
Michelle Cooper, CEO of Point North said: “As we head into winter, too many people will be facing difficult choices about how to make ends meet as household budgets come under even more pressure. That’s why we’re delighted that a number of County Durham organisations have secured funding through the fourth round of the Mayor’s Opportunity Fund, helping ensure local people can access support when they need it.
“Once again, we’ve been struck by the thoughtfulness and creativity of the projects, with people who know their communities best finding practical ways to make life a little easier. We’re proud to support these organisations and the people they stand alongside every day.”
Following Round 4 of the Mayor’s Opportunity Fund, and the awarding of 127 grants to community-based organisations, the fund will reopen in the coming weeks with further investment from Mayor Kim to help charities and grassroots groups continue to support residents across the North East.
County Durham based organisations can apply via Point North and Northumberland, Tyne & Wear organisations can apply via Community Foundation North East.
Successful Round 4 projects
County Durham:
- Aspire Learning Support and Wellbeing
- Building Self-Belief CIO
- Bullion Community Resource Centre
- Coxhoe Village Hall Association
- From Loft to Loved CIC
- Just for Women
- Live Well North East
- St Margaret's Centre
- The Ferryhill Ladder Centre
- Wheels2Work County Durham
- Foundation for Good
- Redeemed Christian Church of God House of Abundance
- SMARTT Veterans
- Teesdale Community Resources
Gateshead:
- Bensham Grove Community Centre
- Peace of Mind CIO
- Foundations Furniture and Gardening Project
- Pendower Good Neighbour House Project
Newcastle:
- West End Refugee Service
- The Owl Tree Community Nest CIC
- Digital Voice for Communities CIC
- Wor Hoose Community Project
- Fenham Association of Residents
North Tyneside:
- The Cedarwood Trust
- High Kicks CIC
- Justice Prince CIC
Northumberland:
- Contact (Morpeth Mental Health Group) Ltd
- Escape Family Support Ltd
- Isabella Community Association Ltd
- Friends of Eastwoods Park
South Tyneside:
- Apna Ghar
Sunderland:
- Compact for Race Equality in South Tyneside
- Pennywell Neighbourhood Centre
- Active Families NE CIC
- Holding Hands Together CIO
- Fightback
- Community of African Women
- Southwick Neighbourhood Youth Project