£1m Mayor’s Opportunity Fund to help North East grassroots organisations open for applications.
Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland and Point North are partnering with the North East Combined Authority (NECA) to run the first round of the Mayor’s Opportunity Fund.
The Fund support’s the commitment to a fairer North East through creating opportunity and ensuring the North East is a cohesive, inclusive and resilient region where everyone thrives and has the opportunity to contribute to the region’s success.
In response to disorder over the summer, the first round of funding, worth £225,000, will deliver grants to small charities and community organisations who support community cohesion in the most disadvantaged areas of the North East.
Who Can Apply?
Organisations based and working within Northumberland, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland or County Durham can apply.
The Fund will prioritise applications from constituted community groups and charitable not for profit organisations with an annual income under £500,000.
Further priority will be given to organisations:
- working in the most socially and economically disadvantaged parts of the NECA region, including isolated rural areas.
- whose activity will benefit women and girls, disabled people and/or people from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic backgrounds.
The Fund panel will aim to ensure that round one funding reaches all seven local authority areas within NECA’s region, taking account of population size, measures of disadvantaged and other factors. This may mean prioritising applications from less well served places and those in the most disadvantaged postcode areas when considering the overall distribution of funding.
Size of Grants
Grants will range from £1,000 to £10,000 with the average grant size expected to be £7,500. Successful applicants will be able to spend their grant over a 12 month period.
What Will the Fund Support?
The Fund will consider applications for core running costs, specific projects, continuation or expansion of existing activities, or new areas of work.
Applications for equipment and capital costs for buildings, where the impact on your organisation will support the Fund aims, will also be considered.
Your application must show how the work will support cohesion, inclusion and community resilience, examples include:
- Activities which encourage and increase civic participation for those less engaged
- Work which strengthens connections between people of different backgrounds in an area
- Efforts to address prejudice, discrimination and conflict within communities
- Community anchor organisations especially in areas lacking other social infrastructure
- Community celebrations and cultural events
Timeline
The Fund closes for applications on Friday 17 January 2025 and eligible applications will be assessed and presented to a Fund panel to be chaired by the Mayor or a NECA representative appointed by the Mayor.
How to Apply
Applicants based and working in Tyne & Wear and Northumberland should apply through the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland grantee portal. Read more and access the portal here.
