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Northern Rock charity gives £2.7m

The charitable arm of struggling bank Northern Rock has donated grants of £2.7m to charities across Cumbria and the North East of England.

The Northern Rock Foundation cash will help poverty-stricken families and disadvantaged young people. It will also be used to support the homeless and those facing discrimination in the region.

Contact a Family, a charity for parents with disabled children, won the largest grant of £233,252.

The trustees of Northern Rock Foundation have pledged to continue supporting charitable causes and hope to award up to £11.3m to the North East and Cumbria in 2009.

Tyne and Wear based charity, Fairbridge, received £142,300 for its personal development projects for young people.

People living in hostels across the North East will benefit from a grant of £160,000 to Norcare, a project designed to boost people’s self-confidence.

Alastair Balls, Chairman of Northern Rock Foundation, said: “The Trustees are delighted to announce these latest awards from the Foundation. Contact A Family is an excellent example of the kind of organisation we support, and where the charitable sector’s expertise and hard work makes a huge difference to the lives of people disadvantaged by poverty, age and difficult circumstances.

“Meanwhile, our culture fund supports creative talent, and brings the benefits of the Foundation’s investments to a wider public who enjoy the fantastic art and heritage our region has to offer.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .