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Newcastle Building Society makes £1m donation to their fund at the Community Foundation

Newcastle Building Society has made a £1 million donation to the Newcastle Building Society Community Fund at the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland. It will help improve lives for people across the region, by tackling some of the biggest challenges facing communities in the North East, Cumbria, and North Yorkshire.

The donation boosts the total value of the fund to £3.5m, making it one of the largest of its type in the country. The fund, which is held by the Community Foundation is expected to pay out around £150,000 each and every year to charities tackling issues linked to food poverty, work and opportunity, debt management, homelessness, and sustainability.

Rob Williamson, Chief Executive at Community Foundation said:

“Newcastle Building Society is our largest corporate donor and we’ve enjoyed a significant long-term relationship over the past 35 years. The Society’s commitment to the region through the Community Fund directs support to a huge range of projects, creating opportunity and helping people all over the region. The use of an endowment fund allows businesses to make a long-term commitment to their communities and provides a sustainable source of funds for the charity sector.

“Newcastle Building Society’s latest contribution to their fund will make a huge difference in our region, targeting some of the most pressing issues we face.”

Andrew Haigh, Chief Executive at Newcastle Building Society, said:

“Providing grants to charities supports the organisations working directly with people in need, and helps target the key issues in our communities. The Community Fund is one of the most powerful ways we deliver the Society’s purpose to connect our communities with a better financial future. We’re delighted to make this additional donation to the fund, allowing us to do even more in our communities, and locks in a reliable source of significant income for our incredible local charities in 2025, and for generations to come.

“Our long-term partnership with the Community Foundation means we benefit from their unique expertise in maximising returns from the fund and helping direct support to local communities across the region.”

In the past decade the Newcastle Building Society Community Fund at the Community Foundation has benefitted hundreds of charities and many thousands of people in communities served by the Society’s branch network.

The deadline for applications for the next round of grants from the Newcastle Building Society Community Fund is 15th April 2025. For more information or to nominate a charity for funding, visit www.newcastle.co.uk/powering-communities/community-grants

Video: Andrew Haigh, Chief Executive at Newcastle Building Society, speaking about the £1 million donation: