The Community Foundation is a  philanthropic charity helping communities in Tyne & Wear,  Northumberland and across North East England.

The CVCG has been awarded funds for our Orchard community project, to improve local engagement and education resources in our community orchard and Reserve Access project to make the Reserve more accessible to more people  through better (hard) pathways and wider, more durable entry gates.

Here’s some more information about how the Community Foundation works:

Giving and Philanthropy

‘From starting a charitable fund, to collective giving with others who share your interests; from leaving a legacy to donating now. Whatever route you choose, your investment will strengthen communities and improve lives. As the largest and one of the most experienced community foundations in the UK, we use our knowledge and insight to help you to identify where your support will have the greatest impact. And because we are a registered charity, you can donate tax efficiently when you give through us.’

Funding and support

‘We award grants through nearly 300 different funds set up at the Community Foundation by people and organisations who want to make a difference. Through their generosity, we invest in effective voluntary groups and provide support to individuals. We know that applying for funding can be difficult, so we’re here to make it as straightforward as possible. Please take the time to read our pages carefully before starting an application and, if you have any questions, please get in touch. We can also suggest ways you can get help and support with applying for funding.’

Knowledge and leadership

‘Through research, collaboration and special initiatives we champion causes in North East England. Vital Signs is our flagship initiative to guide effective giving by sharing knowledge gathered from statistics, local experts and from community foundation funding. By digging deeper into the vital issues affecting our communities, we help to make sure that philanthropy is investing in areas critical to people’s quality of life, including:

fairness and inequality
arts culture and heritage
environment
safety
healthy living
work
housing and homelessness
learning
strong communities
local economy

Visit the Community Foundation