Aid to benefit estate residents

Feb 7 2008 By The Journal

A GRANT from The Gateshead Housing Company’s Community Fund is set to benefit residents of a Heworth housing estate.

The £8,000 award from the housing company and its partners will enable local charity Aquila Way to provide a resource to the High Lanes Estate through its community house to offer courses for first time tenants, a garden tool loan service, and hold regular coffee mornings and social events for older residents from the estate.

Working from the community house at St Edmund’s Drive, the charity provides a local meeting point for residents, as well as offering a space that can be used for workshops and other social activities.

The Community Fund offers cash and in-kind awards from £500 to £10,000 to groups wanting to help improve the lives of people in the borough and has already made a number of donations to local groups.

The fund will support projects that:

• Improve the lives of young people and young adults.

• Improve the lives of older residents.

• Be environmentally friendly and help to make Gateshead a greener, more sustainable place to live.

• Benefit a whole estate or neighbourhood by involving residents of all ages joining together to make a difference.

The company’s partners Frank Haslam Milan (FHM) North East, Gateshead Council’s Local Environmental Services and Morrison Facilities Services Limited are also supporting the fund.

Bill Fullen, chief executive of The Gateshead Housing Company, said: “As well as making over £1m a week of improvements to local homes, we want to do more to make Gateshead an even better place to live. Our community fund will allow hard working groups like Aquila Way to make a real difference to the lives of local people.”

Barry Evans, Head of Service for Morrison Facilities Services Limited, said: “Morrison Facility Services welcomed the opportunity to be part of this community initiative. Assisting the wider community is part of the Morrison philosophy, and we look to help people of all ages whilst we improve properties.”

The Community Foundation, which currently manages over £40m of charitable and community funds are administrating the fund on behalf of the housing company. Groups in Gateshead wanting to find out more about the scheme should log on to www.communityfoundation. org.uk to download information and application forms. Groups can also e-mail general@community foundation.org.uk or call (0191) 222-0945.