The Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales has awarded Northumbria Daybreak a grant of £25,000.
Northumbria Daybreak provides training, work experience and sports and leisure activities for adults with learning disabilities. Established in 1982, the charity runs a number of work placement projects from its three branches in Hexham, Consett and Newcastle.
The charity’s users have the chance to gain work experience in a range of environments including a bakery, garden centre and Daybreak’s own magazine. The charity also runs IT, drama and music workshops and a programme aimed at providing training in areas of independent living such as personal care, money management and domestic tasks.
The grant will contribute to the salary of a new Volunteer Project Coordinator, who will support the charity’s current volunteers and also help service users become volunteers.
As one of the UK’s leading grant makers, the Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales funds small to medium sized local, regional and national charities working at the heart of communities to tackle disadvantage. In 2009, 70 per cent of the Foundation’s grants were invested in core costs such as salaries, rent and utilities.
Catherine Stonehouse is the Fundraising Manager at Northumbria Daybreak and approached the Foundation for funding, she says: "It is very important for adults with learning disabilities to lead independent and sociable lives that enable them to feel part of the community. Thanks to this funding from the Lloyds TSB Foundation, which will give more of our service users the opportunity to engage in new experiences like volunteering, we can go some way towards achieving this."
Peter Ellis is the regional Grant Manager for Lloyds TSB Foundation, he says: "The Foundation is proud to fund charities that help disadvantaged people play a fuller role in their community. We wish Northumbria Daybreak every success in their future."
In 2009, the Foundation invested £1.60 million in charities across the region and £20.61 million nationally.
