Social regeneration fund boosts North East communities with £2.2m

A social regeneration fund worth over £2.2m is being given to North East communities through business consultancy Prosper.

In doing so, the company is said to have reached a ‘major’ milestone, reinvesting into communities according to their specific needs.

Since its inception in 2011, Prosper has set up various schemes throughout the region to create employment opportunities, develop life skills and provide guidance and advice.

Rod Brasington, chief executive of Prosper, said: “Our social value fund is a great way for our partners to invest in their communities and create opportunities they didn’t think were possible.

“Our partners get a percentage of the fund depending on what they spend with us throughout the year. The fund has really made a difference in lots of communities across the North East.

“The projects the partners set up are all varied, from cooking classes to CV writing to community Hubs - they’re all great initiatives that benefit a whole range of people.”

The company also has a small-scale funding pot of £10k called Launchpad which is part of the social value fund, and is being designed to help Prosper’s partners with additional costs like transport for getting to and from interviews to protective clothing costs.

Rod added: “Although this is a smaller fund, it has benefited so many of our partners since we launched it, making a difference to identified individuals.”