Garfield Weston Foundation’s awards programme, which was created to encourage charities in the North East to apply for grants, has been opened to other parts of the North.

The Weston Charity Awards was set up last year after the funder identified a sharp decline in funding applications that coincided with public sector cuts.

This year’s Weston Charity Awards aims to help small charities with an income of less than £500,000 working in the areas of youth, welfare and community.

Winning charities will receive a £5,000 grant and have access to mentoring from a team of senior business leaders through the organisation Pilotlight.

Philippa Charles (pictured), director of the Garfield Weston Foundation, said: “Over the last three years we’ve been shocked to see a significant decline in the number of funding applications from charities in the North. What’s really worrying is that applications from organisations providing community services fell by about 40 per cent - the very areas hit hard by funding cuts.”

According to Charles, the decision to focus the awards in the North stemmed from a need to rebalance a ‘London advantage’.

“We started out awards in the North East and this year we’ve actually done it across the whole of the North,” said Charles. “London is full of amazing, creative people and I’m not suggesting there isn’t need in London but it does have advantages that not every region has. So we as a national funder are actually working very hard to make sure that we are very balanced in the way that we provide our support – and that includes being very proactive in the North.

“By building on the success of the first-ever Weston Charity Awards in the North East, we want to reach more charities across the North, helping them to achieve their goals.”

A survey, carried out by Voluntary Organisations' Network North East (Vonne), showed that although seven in ten charities were seeing an increase in demand for help, 44 per cent warned they might have to reduce services and over 20 per cent said they could face closure this year.

“Winning charities get an initial £5,000, which for a small charity is unrestricted and useful,” said Charles. “But over the course of the year, what they will also get is a fantastic group of four very experienced business mentors who will meet with them every month and guide them through the issues they are facing. This will help them with their strategic planning, with their fundraising, with their profile, with prioritising their demand. This is about the long-term benefit of the mentors.”

Jo Curry, chief executive of Vonne said: “Welfare reform is hitting the region hard and charities are struggling to meet demand for their services with fewer resources to do so – the increased use of foodbanks is just one example of this.

“The Autumn Statement brought news of more public sector funding cuts and inevitably charities will feel the impact of these, as valuable services they provide to vulnerable people are cut. This continued support of a national funder who has seen the need here in the region and has acted upon it is very much welcomed.”

It is hoped that the Weston Charity Awards will eventually expand to more areas across the country.

Charities working in the fields of welfare, youth or community are invited to apply until the end of January when a total of 12 winners will be selected for the mentoring programme. Charities can apply through the Weston Charity Awards website.

Northern Rock Foundation hands out final grants

The Northern Rock Foundation handed out some of its last grants this month to charities across the North East and Cumbria.  

Awards of £375,000 were given to four community foundations, including The Tees Valley, County Durham, Cumbria and Tyne and Wear. The money will be used to set up a new fund to provide annual grants for disadvantaged people and provide a new office space in Tyne and Wear.

Alastair Balls, chair of Northern Rock Foundation said: "These grants are part of the foundation's legacy programme and ensure that the last of the Foundation's funding provides long term benefit for current and future generations across the region."

The Foundation – once one of the largest funders of charities in the North East – announced last year that is was forced to close after it failed to reach a funding agreement with Virgin Money. The Foundation was previously funded largely by the Northern Rock Bank which was taken over by Virgin Money in 2011.

The Foundation stopped accepting funding applications in December and is preparing for closure later in the year.