Boost for region's social enterprises with £1.2m North East LEP funding

Social enterprise and community projects across the North East are set to benefit from more than £1.2m of new funding.

The funding has been awarded by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) from its Local Growth Fund VCSE Capital Grant programme, which aims to help communities across the North East recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funding has been awarded to voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in the North East to fund projects that support young people in the region and that contribute to a green economic recovery.

Projects awarded funding range from the regeneration of a community garden in Meadow Well, North Tyneside; the creation of a ‘social kitchen’ in Hendon, Sunderland; and the development of a new learning facility and 20 hectares of improved green space for public use in Newcastle.

Helen Golightly, chief executive of the North East LEP, commented: “All the projects which have been brought forward for funding have real potential to contribute towards a greener, better future for the North East and to engage young people with opportunities to develop their environmental awareness and skills.

“The past year has hit our region hard but I’m confident that we can collaborate and move towards recovery together, and local projects like this can play a central role.”