Member Article

Some of the North East’s most vulnerable people to benefit from new community project

Up to 50 vulnerable people from the North East are to benefit from a unique programme, which will help to maximise their income and teach them essential life-skills thanks to funding from NatWest.

The Nosh project will be delivered by Ouseburn Farm in partnership with parent company, Tyne Housing Group, after it won votes through a public vote in the latest round of funding for the NatWest Skills and Opportunities Fund.

The project, which will commence in the New Year, aims to help maximise income and develop basic life-skills to socially and financially excluded people, especially those facing homelessness.

Ouseburn Farm has secured over £10,000 towards the project and is one of only three organisations from the North East to benefit. With the help of a public vote, the regional boards from each area carefully selected the winners of each round.

Now in its last year, NatWest has provided over £7m of funding to 311 organisations across England and Wales. The fund was set up to support organisations and projects that enable people in disadvantaged communities to develop, create or access the skills and opportunities they need to develop now and in the future.

Participants engaged in the Nosh project will receive tailored one-to-one support, advice and guidance. Sessions at home and at the farm and community café will teach them budgeting and financial management skills and life-skills such as planning, preparing and enjoying meals together. They will each have the option to stay with the charity afterwards to gain further skills in volunteering, training or work experience either at the farm, its café or carpentry workshop.

Sally Adams from Ouseburn Farm, said: “This is fantastic news and we are really grateful to everyone who voted for us. Securing this funding means so much and enables us to deliver this really important project. The Nosh project will have a long-lasting social and financial impact on those who engage and participate, which we hope will help them to turn their lives around.”

The two other organisations who secured round 2 funding from the North region NatWest Skills and Opportunities Fund are North East Business Innovation Centre (BIC) and Northumberland Community Development Company.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Up North Communications .