Point North 2024/25 grantmaking: Together for a brighter tomorrow
In a year shaped by rising costs, uncertainty and unprecedented challenges, one thing has stood out: the incredible strength of our communities.
Thanks to the support of our donors and partners, in 2024/25 we awarded £5.7 million in grants to local projects and groups across County Durham, Tees Valley and the wider North East.
The funding reached almost one million people and provided immediate relief and helped make real change where it was needed most.
A growing need
This year’s grantmaking total is 88.2% higher than on our pre-pandemic levels. That’s a huge increase and it tells us something clear: more people are struggling.
Households are forced to make impossible choices; heating or eating, rent or bills. And community groups are working flat out to keep their doors open and their services running.
Although the total we awarded is slightly lower than last year’s extraordinary £7.15 million, the number of people supported has increased by almost 13%.
That shows us just how stretched communities are and how determined local groups are to keep showing up, even when funding falls.
30 years backing communities
2025 marks our 30th anniversary. It offers us a moment to reflect but also to act with urgency.
The emergency funds that helped communities through the pandemic may have ended, but the hardship hasn’t.
Local groups are still delivering food parcels, offering mental health support, keeping youth clubs going, and holding our communities together.
But they’re stretched to their limits.
What they need now is sustainable, consistent support. Not just to survive, but to grow, adapt and build something lasting.
Because when our communities are strong, so is our region.
Our numbers
This year, 40% of our funding went directly to the most deprived 20% of areas in our region. That’s funding going exactly where it’s needed most.
We’ve also:
The difference we’re making together
We focus our funding where it can make the greatest difference, and we align our grant making to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- No Poverty: 26% of our grants were awarded to projects that help eradicate poverty.
- Good Health & Wellbeing: 44% of our grants were awarded to projects that promote healthy lifestyles and preventive measures.
- Reduced Inequalities: 19% of our grants were awarded to projects that help reduce inequality within our communities.
- Sustainable Cities and Communities: 10% of our grants were awarded to projects that make County Durham, Tees Valley and the wider North East inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
- Climate Action: 1% of our grants were awarded to projects that specifically take action to combat climate change and its impacts.
Many of our grants include a ‘greening’ allowance. This is an additional sum of money to support grant recipients in making their projects or organisations greener, which is not included in this figure.
The challenges we're tackling:
The projects we funded have:
- Advanced people’s physical and mental health, wellbeing and safety.
- Maximised ability to strengthen community cohesion and build social capacity.
- Promoted reduction of isolation and disadvantage and access to local services.
- Improved life skills, education, employability and enterprise.
- Transformed access to, and engagement with, the environment.
- Connected people with the arts, culture and heritage.
Behind the numbers and headlines are real lives:
Partnerships make it possible
Our grantmaking only works because of the brilliant people and organisations who share our mission to fight poverty and enrich lives.
We’ve proudly worked with:
- Atom Bank on Atom Futures Fund
- Banks Group on Banks Community Fund
- Darlington Building Society on the Darlington Building Society 5% Pledge Fund
- Durham Council on Welcome Spaces and Household Support Fund
- NHS on NHS Health Improvement Fund and NHS Cancer Alliance
- North East Combined Authority on Mayor’s Opportunity Fund
- Northern Gas Network on the NGN Community Partnering Fund
- OnPath on Wind Farm Community Funds
- SWEF on SWEF Business Grants
- UK Community Foundations and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on Know Your Neighbourhood
And we’re grateful for the support of local businesses including Acumen, Eldon Chartered financial planners, EMG Solicitors, Hathaway Roofing, Learning Curve Group, Umi, Robson Laidler, BHP Law, Thorpe & Derrick, Ward Hadaway, High Sheriff of County Durham, and the many more who continue to support our communities across County Durham, Tees Valley and the wider North East.
Explore our supporters page
Our supporters page is dedicated to our fundholders. You can find out about who they are, why and where they give and the difference their giving makes.
Why applications are turned down
Our grantmaking motto is simple: money in, money out.
So, when we turn down an application, it’s not a decision we make easily.
This year 32% of all submitted application were unsuccessful.
We know how much time and care goes into applying for a grant.
That’s why as part of our rebrand, we’ve made our grants page and guidelines simpler and clearer.
We’ve also opened a funding advice appointment phone line where applicants to speak with our grants team before they submit and application. All of this helped us to retain our IVAR accreditation.
About our IVAR accreditation
We are proud to have signed up for the Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR) Flexible Funder commitment.
IVAR want funders like us to make grants in a way that reflects the realities facing charities now and for the foreseeable future. This means things like keeping the process simple, not overburdening applicants with admin or imposing unnecessary requirements and being available to support applicants during the process.
Through our values and approach we aim to make it as simple as possible for applicants to apply for a grant with us.
Looking ahead
As we mark our 30th anniversary, our commitment to supporting local groups remains at the forefront of our mission.
Here’s what we’re focusing on this year:
Sustain vital services: strengthen local community groups so they can keep delivering vital services.
Responding to urgent need: urgent support, because no one should face a crisis alone.
Creating opportunities for all: long-term solutions, creating opportunities for everyone.
We’re proud of what we’ve achieved. But as the cost of living rises and community groups face growing pressure, we know there’s still work to do.
We can't do it alone
The voices of the people we work with are essential to shaping our work. Your feedback has already guided our priorities for 2025, from simplifying processes to creating more ways to connect and share impact. You can read the full summary of that research by clicking here.
Your support makes our work possible, and we’re grateful for every person, business and organisation that stands with us.
Together we can make sure every pound we award helps build a better today and a brighter tomorrow for County Durham, Tees Valley and the wider North East.
Interested in supporting our mission?
There’s more than one way you can support our mission. Speak to us and we’ll go through the different options together.
