A new £1m charitable foundation led by North
East housing association Bernicia is now open for business to support people
and communities across the region.
The Bernicia Foundation will help fund projects
and initiatives that deliver real and lasting community benefits, alongside
those that support individuals to achieve their ambitions.
Over the next four years, the foundation will
channel profits from Bernicia’s commercial property arm Kingston and invest them
into people and communities at a time of need.
It will be led by Andrea Malcolm, Bernicia
Director of People, Culture and Communications, and a board of trustees with
the priorities of social and financial well-being and nurturing young talent
and innovation.
“The
Bernicia Foundation is an exciting opportunity for us to award grants to
organisations committed to delivering real community benefits, such as tackling
loneliness and accessing employment opportunities, as well as providing support
for young talent to flourish,” said Andrea.
“As a
responsible business and landlord, we recognise the important role and
opportunity we have to support our wider communities.
“We are
inspired daily by the creativity and determination of people across our region
to support one another, and want to do all that we can to help.”
The
foundation will operate in addition to Bernicia’s already highly regarded
social value commitments, which focus on health and well-being, developing
employability skills and creating work experience and apprenticeship
opportunities.
The foundation will make two types of grant to
organisations and people across Tyne and Wear, County Durham, Teesside and
Northumberland.
Inspiration Grants of between £5,000 and
£10,000 will be made to voluntary or community groups, registered charities,
social enterprises and co-operatives with an annual income under £750,000 per
year.
Inclusion Grants valued at up to £1,000 will
target inspirational young people aged 24 and under or organisations helping
young people.
Julien Lake, Chief Executive of Berwick
Community Trust, a charity working with Bernicia to give people the skills they
need for employment, said: “We are really excited to hear about the Bernicia
Foundation coming on stream.
“We think it will be a fantastic opportunity
for communities to think about how they can work together with Bernicia and to
make life a little better and more rewarding for people right across the North
East.”
Bernicia
Chief Executive John Johnston said: “The Bernicia Foundation will provide
additional support to our communities at a time when arguably they need it the
most.
“Bernicia’s
commercial company, Kingston, which provides estate, property and facilities
management expertise to 20,000 home owners, operate under a profit for purpose
ethos and gift aid their annual surplus to Bernicia. The Bernicia board
determined that £1m of this, over the next four years, should be used to
support the work of our newly established foundation.”
For
more information and to apply for Bernicia Foundation support, please visit www.berniciafoundation.com,
Twitter @BerniciaFdn and The Bernicia Foundation on Linkedin.
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