Community Foundation serving Tyne & Wear and Northumberland

Are you an experienced Chair seeking fresh inspiration for developing your board? Or perhaps an aspiring Chair preparing for your next steps in governance? If so, come and join Colette Harrison in Sunderland for our next Chairing Network event on Tuesday 11 February at the fantastic Sunderland Empire Theatre Trust. The responsibilities of Chairs of charities are extensive and can vary greatly between organisations. The Chairing Network at the Community Foundation exists to explore key themes affecting all Chairs and to bring you together with your peers. We will hear from Craig Bankhead, the Chair at Love, Amelia about the value of younger voices in the boardroom. Join us to share your experiences or listen-in to the conversation. As always, there will be the opportunity to network with your peers, hear from guest speakers and gain new perspectives on Chairing. Book your place using the link in the comments.

Last night we were delighted to celebrate six years of the Giving Network which has given £113,000 to 24 local charities and voluntary organisations during this time. With thanks to our generous supporters Ward Hadaway and particularly Executive Partner Nick Gholkar, who along with Rob Williamson OBE DL, spoke and eloquently reflected on the impact of the Giving Network. Thanks to our amazing hosts Newcastle Cathedral and for catering provided by the Oswin Project. And thanks to everyone representing the organisations the Giving Network has supported over the last six years. But most importantly, thank you all the members - past and present - who have harnessed the power of collective giving, and helped make a significant impact across the region.

With thanks to Magnus Willis and Steve Wooler, for sharing with the North East Times why they're passionate about the North East Roots Fund and why its important that they give back to the region.

We love this video put together by Newcastle Building Society. With the fund now standing at £3.5 million, the impact will only get bigger!

To mark the £1 million donation to the Newcastle Building Society Community Fund at the Community Foundation, Chief Executive, Andrew Haigh explained about the impact this will have on local charities here in the North East. The fund now has an endowment of £3.5 million meaning it can make grants of around £150,00 each and every year to charities and community organisations tackling issues linked to food poverty, work and opportunity, debt management, homelessness, and sustainability.

We are delighted that Newcastle Building Society has made an additional £1m donation to the Newcastle Building Society Community Fund at the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland. The donation boosts the total value of the fund to £3.5m, making it one of the largest of its type in the country. The fund, which is held by the Community Foundation is expected to make grants around £150,000 each and every year to charities tackling issues linked to food poverty, work and opportunity, debt management, homelessness, and sustainability.

Last couple of days to apply for our new Senior Policy and Public Affairs Advisor role!

Join our team! There is just over a week left to apply for our new role as Senior Policy and Public Affairs Advisor. In this role, you’ll ensure we understand the policy environment for our work, lead on gathering data from our grant-making, oversee our research, and work on influencing stakeholders. The post is 21 hours a week with a starting FTE salary of £39,312 (that's £23,587 pro rata). Closing date for applications is 9am on Thursday 16 January. For more info and to download the application pack click on the link in comments.

Do you have some time you can give to make a difference to young people in North East England? If so, have you thought about becoming a mentor? Mentoring helps people dream bigger and reach higher. Here at Community Foundation serving Tyne & Wear and Northumberland we're working with The Social Mobility Foundation. As one of their mentors you can help talented young people in the region to shine in education and work. Social Mobility Foundation students are either eligible for free school meals, the first in their family to attend university or both, and lack the professional networks and knowledge they need to succeed. By mentoring one of their students, you will be helping them to navigate the world of CVs, covering letters, graduate schemes, first job interviews and life after university.   If you want to know more you can join their virtual Lunch & Learn on 5th December, from 12:00 - 12:45. This online session will provide an overview about the volunteer mentoring programme, what the mentoring role involves, and how you can get involved. You can sign up to the lunch below. Some specific areas they are looking for mentors in include medicine, law, sciences, engineering, accountancy, banking and finance, digital and media and communications. If you're not in those industries and are interested do still sign up though. https://lnkd.in/eAmgYXGC

Thanks to The Millin Charity and Represent Women, two of many local charities, voluntary organisations, businesses and individuals taking part in #OnTheTableNE this autumn. With over 100 On the Table's taking place we're gathering feedback on the topics discussed and ideas that have come up. We’ll share that in a report in the new year giving a snapshot of what’s on people’s minds in the North East right now