Rape Crisis Tyneside and Northumberland  provides free information, outreach, support and counselling for those aged 13 and over who have experienced any form of sexual violence at any time in their lives. It works online, by phone and face-to-face from a number of venues in Tyneside and Northumberland. Face-to-face support is the most sought-after way of working.

Our grant helped to sustain the core costs of the organisation as it grows and expands its services. This included costs towards back-office staff and supporting their central office base in Newcastle city centre for a team of 28 staff. During this period, they’ve been able to recruit six additional staff who will be joining in the coming months.

For more information or to support their work, visit the Rape Crisis Tyneside and Northumberland website.

 Berwick Youth Project is a housing and homelessness charity supporting young people aged 13 to 25 with social, educational and cultural opportunities. The charity provides young people with supported accommodation, often needed due to estrangement from their family. BYP offers practical support with managing a tenancy, budgeting money to meet household costs, claiming appropriate benefits, registering at a GP and dentist, and ensuring they have CV and ID in readiness for work.

This year, the charity was able to accommodate nine young people, three of whom have now moved into their own accommodation and one who was able to return home. They also provided life skills sessions for 25 residents in supported accommodation and all their residents are now in employment.

Our grant helped with the core costs of BYP’s work and supported the post-Covid recovery for the organisation.

For more information or to help support them, visit the Berwick Youth Project website.

 Full Circle Food Project is a charity educating people living in Northumberland about growing food to eat, cooking healthy food on a budget, and leading healthier lifestyles.

In the past year, Full Circle Food Project reached 793 beneficiaries where families accessed 'family fun days' and events to provide lunch to those who may face 'holiday hunger'. The charity also provided 1,127 food parcels to feed families.

The focus of their work is on long term support. This includes providing cookery sessions, supporting young carers and young people leaving care to learn skills around cooking and providing a horticultural programme for vulnerable adults. They also work with children, focusing on outdoor learning and eco-work.

Their work has a wider impact beyond food, allowing people to create friendships, meet with those coping with similar circumstances, and feel safe and supported for as long as they need.

Opencast’s grant helped to cover the core costs for the charity’s work and, as part of their wider funding pool, to implement new social impact measuring tools and setting the new strategy for growing services in other deprived communities.

For more information or to find out how you can help, visit the Full Circle Food Project website.

 CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) is a UK-wide charity standing against suicide, particularly by men.

In 2022 their helpline staff answered over 160,000 calls and chats - a call every 56 seconds. From issues such as isolation to anxiety, grief to suicide, CALM provided over 2.5 million minutes of support. This was the biggest increase in demand and their support helped to save lives.

Our grant helped them to cover some of the running costs for the helpline and answer 632 of those calls and chats.

For more information, to get support or to help support their work, visit the CALM website.

 Hope and Homes for Children is a UK-registered charity working in central and eastern Europe and Africa to eliminate the institutional care of children. They work to help every child to grow up in a safe and loving family, rather than in orphanages.

In 2022, the charity reunited 190 children with their families, releasing them from the orphanages where they had been trapped. This also built 148 new families for those who needed them, and supported another 3,350 children.

Our grant helped them to deliver this valuable work.

To find out more about their work and how to support them, visit the Hope and Homes for Children website.