Community groups across the North East are in with the chance of winning a grant of up to £1,000 from the Venator Together Fund 2019.
Last year the Together Fund gave away 40 grants of £250 to local schools, sports clubs and charitable organisations following an online poll where 64,000 public votes were cast.
This year, Venator is offering a top award of £1,000 to the application that receives the most public votes, with all other applicants that make it into the top 40 each receiving a grant of £250.
Groups are urged to apply online and propose, in no more than 250 words, how their group would use the funding to support teamwork – one of Venator’s values. Entries are open until midnight on Friday 25 October 2019.
All proposed projects must benefit communities in the North East of England within the local authority boroughs of Darlington, Durham, Gateshead, Hambleton, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Redcar & Cleveland, South Tyneside, Stockton and Sunderland.
Past winners include the Living Well with Dementia Project, Grangetown Netball Club, Guisborough and East Cleveland Sea Cadets, Pierremont Giving Garden, Guisborough Ladies and Girls FC, Fairfield Primary School, Hartlepool Rovers, Trimdon Concert Brass Band, Newcastle Roller Girls and Backworth Park Primary School.
Venator is a New York Stock Exchange listed business with its global HQ at Wynyard. The company established its Community Fund in 2018 to support the communities in which its employees live and work. The Venator Community Fund is split into two funds, the Together Fund which is now open for entries and the Bright Ideas Fund which will reopen for entries in 2020.
Karen Fenwick, Vice President Corporate Branding and Communications at Venator said: “It’s a pleasure to reopen the Venator Together Fund after such a successful launch in 2018.
“We are thrilled to announce that a top award of £1,000 will be given to the group that tops the polls in the public vote this year.
“Teamwork is one of our values and we can’t wait to see applications roll in from groups from across the region who share our belief.”
Maureen Cairns, a Community Librarian who won funding for the Living Well with Dementia Project in 2018 said: “As a group we were delighted to win the grant as it enabled us to make the wishes of our members become possibilities.
“We found the whole application process very easy and were pleasantly surprised at the support we received during the voting process. It was also very encouraging to see the range of other groups who applied for funding and inspiring that there were so many other types of projects. We would be happy to apply for future grants and would recommend others to participate.”