Partner Article

Point North marks 30 years with growth plans

As it marks its 30th anniversary, Point North, the community foundation for County Durham, Tees Valley and the wider North East, has announced ambitious growth plans, including the creation of two senior Relationship Manager roles, designed to strengthen donor partnerships and meet rising demand placed on community groups.

Established in 1995 as County Durham Foundation by Sir Paul Nicholson and David Grant, and inspired by the US community foundation model, Point North has become a trusted name in place-based giving. Since then, it has distributed over £70.8 million to local projects tackling poverty and creating opportunity. In the last financial year alone, the charity awarded £5.7 million, supporting nearly one million people.

As local groups work flat out to meet growing demand and the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite, Point North is stepping up too.

Michelle Cooper, CEO at Point North, said:

“Our 30th anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on the past, but more importantly, it’s a moment to act.

“We know the needs of our communities are changing. Poverty is deepening. Demand is rising. And the groups we fund are working harder than ever to keep their doors open. If we’re serious about building a stronger, fairer North East, we must match their ambition with our own. That’s why we’re growing our team, expanding our reach, and strengthening the partnerships that underpin long-term social and economic resilience.”

Strategic appointments to drive growth

In 2024, the organisation rebranded to Point North, a new name to better reflect its ambition, wider reach, and its role as a clear point of connection between donors and communities.

“We have people and businesses locally and around the world who care deeply about this region. We need to make it easy for them to find us, fund us, and trust that every pound they give is making real change happen,” said Michelle.

As part of its growth strategy, Point North has appointed two new Relationship Managers, Jane Reynolds MBE and Sarah Cairns, who will lead on partnership development, donor engagement and funding innovation.

Jane Reynolds MBE

Jane joins Point North with more than two decades of experience in business development and finance across the Tees Valley, including senior roles at Northstar Ventures and North East Finance. She also serves as Chair of the Tees Valley Business Club. “I’ve been passionate about supporting economic growth in Tees Valley for decades,” Jane said. “Joining Point North is an opportunity to take that energy into the heart of our communities, making sure brilliant, grassroots groups get the investment they need to not only survive but sustain their work.”

Sarah Cairns

Sarah brings deep experience in executive recruitment and leadership search across global markets, having built and led senior talent strategies with a strong focus on inclusion and impact.

“At its heart, this work is about relationships,” said Sarah. “I’ve always focused on understanding what people care about and helping them make a difference. I’m excited to bring that mindset to Point North and to support transformational giving across the North East.”

Michelle added: “Our role is to connect generous people and partners with the grassroots groups who are changing lives. These two new roles are about doing just that, bringing more funding into the region and building the relationships that make long-term change possible.”

These new roles are part of Point North’s long-term growth strategy, a plan shaped by an increased demand on the organisation during the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. 

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Loujane Alasi .