Partner Article

Bolstering the third sector

A new initiative has been launched to help the North East’s third sector organisations achieve their potential through developing their buildings and land assets.

The Places for Everyone programme provides charities, not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises with the essential information, expertise and funding support to undertake capital development projects ranging from restoring derelict buildings to creating brand new premises.

The programme is an initiative of PNE Development in partnership with the Development Trusts Association, Mosedale Gillatt Architects and the Pentagon Partnership.

It enables those who are making decisions on capital development projects to successfully negotiate all the stages from evaluating the feasibility of the venture and achieving planning permission to securing funding and completing the building works.

Through a series of workshops and a backed by a website, www.placesforeveryone.org, participants have access to a range of specialist information including development toolkits and one-to-one support from a capital development expert with experience of the third sector. The website also contains a comprehensive list of funding organisations, and there is the opportunity to apply for a grant of up to £2,000 to assess the viability of the projects.

Tracey Moore of PNE Development said: “This is the first programme of its type in the country, and it’s providing a unique opportunity for voluntary and community organisations across the region to see whether they can develop their organisations by providing them with the information, contacts and professional expertise that may otherwise have been inaccessible to them.

“There’s already been a great deal of interest in the programme, and I would urge anyone in the sector who is thinking of refurbishing their buildings or undertaking a new build to contact the programme. It’s a great way to enable them to decide if the project is viable, to overcome any barriers they’re facing, and helps to avoid costly mistakes”.

Over 20 organisations across the region are already benefitting from the programme, including Seahouses Development Trust, Washington MIND, and Butterwick Hospice in Tees Valley.

The next “Places for Everyone” workshop is on 29 April in Gateshead, followed by ones in Stanley and Ashington on the 13 July and 12 October respectively.

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