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The Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland with support from Point North are partnering with the North East Combined Authority (NECA) to deliver the first round of the Mayor’s Opportunity Fund launched today (28 November) by the North East Mayor Kim McGuiness.
The first round of funding worth £225,000 will support community cohesion, recognising the social pressures felt in every corner of the region. Kim McGuinness opened the Mayor’s Opportunity Fund in a speech at the Voluntary Organisations Network North East (VONNE) annual conference.
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “My job as mayor is to make the North East the home of real opportunity for people who live here, and my mission is to end the days where children in our region grow up in poverty. The means to do that exists in our communities, thanks to the work of grassroots charities and volunteers, who sacrifice so much to help others. But after 14 years of cuts people in the sector are exhausted and running on empty.
“As Mayor I’m determined to rebuild our communities, and one part of this is to back those charities who bring people together, tackle poverty and create opportunity for others.
“We will invest £1m over the next two years in projects that will make a difference in local streets, villages and towns all over the North East. And this is just a start, because we are also working to bring in more funding so the sector can thrive, and continue to offer support, hope and optimism to people all over the region.”
Rob Williamson CEO at the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland said: “We are excited to be partnering with the North East Combined Authority on this first round of the Mayor’s Opportunity Fund. Alongside our colleagues at Point North we will bring our knowledge and funding expertise to work with Mayor Kim McGuiness so the Fund can effectively support organisations bringing communities together to make them more resilient.”
Organisations interested in applying can find out more and apply here. Organisations can also sign up for a webinar to hear more about the fund here.
Applications for this round close on Friday 17 January 2025 and it is expected decisions will be announced by the end of February 2025.