Point North

03/06/2026

🌟 Meet Sam.

As part of , we're sharing the stories of local volunteers who are making a difference in their communities.

Through Stanley Area Youth Consortium's Peer Champions project, Sam has helped raise more than £1,000 for local causes, supported the launch of a community charity shop, and become a valued volunteer.

His story shows how volunteering can build confidence, create connections and open up new opportunities.

🎥 Watch Sam share his story in his own words below. Created by Sam with support from Antonia Liguori and Sally Blackburn-Daniels from Teesside University.

26/05/2026

📢 New funding now open for care leavers in County Durham and Tees Valley

We’ve launched a new funding programme to support care leavers aged 18 to 25 across County Durham and Tees Valley.

- Care Leavers Fund (Groups)
Up to £15,000 of unrestricted funding is available for local charities and community groups supporting care leavers.

Apply via our website by Sunday 28 June 2026: https://pointnorth.org.uk/grants/care-leavers-fund-groups-2/

- Care Leavers Fund (Individuals)
Up to £1,000 is available to help care leavers with essentials, resources and opportunities they would not usually have access to.

Apply via our website: https://pointnorth.org.uk/grants/care-leavers-fund-individuals-2/

The Care Leavers Fund supports care leavers aged 18 to 25 with the cost of essentials and practical support.

30/04/2026

Point North April 2026 Newsletter -

April has been shaped by the people, places and partnerships that make our communities across County Durham and Tees Valley stronger.

28/04/2026

We’re proud to support amazing local charities like Pimm's & Needles who are truly making a difference in Darlington. Their Silvers Members Group brings women together, empowering them to get creative and combat loneliness. A huge thank you to our incredible donors who make projects like this possible! 💜

Learning Curve Group, Robson Laidler, WE ARE UMi, Thorne & Derrick, The Varley Family Foundation and the many more donors who contribute to our Community Grants Programme.

24/04/2026

Tees Valley’s creative economy is here. And it’s moving fast.

We were proud to sponsor Made Here. Shared Everywhere at MIMA, hosted by Tees Valley Business Club with support from Tees Valley Combined Authority.

Thank you to everyone who spoke and shared their insight. The message was clear: this sector has real energy, talent and momentum.

From the 2026 Tate Modern Turner Prize coming to Middlesbrough to one of the UK’s fastest-growing digital clusters outside London, Tees Valley is on the rise.

At Point North, we fund the social glue. The projects that connect communities and strengthen place.

And we back individuals too. Through the Christine Carter Arts Fund, we’ve already supported 12 creatives since November — helping with the essentials that keep creativity going.

Because when you invest in people, you unlock potential.

And there’s plenty of it here.

Whether you are looking for a grant to support your work or whether you want to support local creatives and community projects, consider reaching out to us.

24/04/2026

We've had a bunch of new followers, so we thought we'd do a quick introduction.

So, here goes...

Featuring: Creative Youth Opportunities Northumbrian Water Pioneering Care Partnership High Sheriff of the County Palatine of Durham

21/04/2026

What does it mean to care?

For us, it means listening to the voices of people in our communities and taking action.

Thanks to Northumbrian Water, we got the chance to do just that at Ryhope Engines Museum.

We heard inspiring stories from Keith and the volunteers at Ryhope, explored career paths with Helen & Vicky from Northumbrian Water, and had real conversations about what matters most to young people today with Rylie Sweeney.

We look forward to reading Rylie’s report and taking the next steps to turning ideas into reality.

Thanks to our amazing partners and Rylie Sweeney for helping us make this youth workshop happen. We're looking forward to the next steps and showing young people that we too care. We care about their ideas, their ambitions and the future they want build.

21/04/2026

If you've had a grant from Point North, we would love to see photos or videos of your project.

Let us know how your project is progressing. Is there something that's going well that you would like to share or maybe something that you're finding challenging?

Keep us posted and please keep tagging us in your posts. We love seeing your updates and sharing your work with the rest of our community.