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Community groups benefit from Woodsmith Foundation funding

21 August, 2023

Twenty-three local community organisations have received a share of almost £70,000 from the Woodsmith Foundation through their Community Grants funding round.

The grants will fund community projects in the boroughs of Redcar and Cleveland, Scarborough, and the North York Moors National Park.

One of the organisations to receive funding was South Gare Litter Pickers, who used their grant to purchase more equipment to increase their capabilities.

Matt Stilwell, who leads the group said: “The equipment purchased will help us to remove waste more efficiently. The new large trolley will allow us to carry out litter removal from inaccessible places. Children’s litter pickers were also purchased with this grant as we are seeing a surge in children taking up litter picking.”

“This grant has helped to support our existing needs and ultimately is helping us grow.”

Another organisation who benefitted was Feeding and Sling Support Whitby, who will use their grant to offer volunteers more training and development in order to increase their offering to local mums.

“This grant has given us the amazing opportunity to involve our community within the development of our organisation by running an Infant Feeding Peer Supporter course for eight volunteers training with us from our community,” said Director Ilayda Gill.

“We have also been able to train one of our community members as a Babywearing Peer Supporter. This will hugely benefit the families who come along to the social group. Our peer supporters will be there to chat to families and offer evidence-based information and support. We can now provide support to even more families.”

Rebecca Wagner, Grants & Programmes Officer at the Woodsmith Foundation, said: “We love reading through all the fantastic applications we receive from local community organisations and then seeing the tangible impact this funding has on local people.

“We’re now accepting applications again and look forward to supporting many more community projects.”

The Foundation was set up to bring wider community benefits in addition to the positive economic impact of the Woodsmith Project.

Anglo American pledged a four-year, £4m funding package when it acquired the Woodsmith Project in March 2020. The Foundation distributed over £1.7million in grants in 2022.

The Community Grants funding round remains open for applications until 10am on Monday 13 November. For more information visit https://woodsmithfoundation.org.uk/current-funding/community-grants/

Full list of beneficiaries:

  1. Filey Childcare
  2. Tees Valley Womens Centre Ltd
  3. Redcar & Cleveland District Under 13s team
  4. Whitby Jets - Basketball team
  5. Kidz Konnect
  6. Hinderwell Tennis & Multi-sports club
  7. Leos
  8. Guisborough Cheerleading Club
  9. Woods and Waves Forest and Beach School
  10. Sleights Football Club
  11. Whitby Squash Club
  12. Independent Domestic Abuse Services
  13. Scarborough Ladies Under 12s Reds
  14. Feeding and Sling Support Whitby CIC
  15. Whitby Cricket Club
  16. St Hilda's Old School
  17. First Scarborough Scouts
  18. Whitby Seals ASC
  19. Teesside Athletic FC Ltd
  20. Scalby FC Juniors
  21. South Gare Litter Pickers
  22. Redcar Town Football Club
  23. Pimm’s and Needles CIC

For further information, please contact:

Rebecca Wagner, Grants & Programmes Officer
[email protected]
Tel: 07756 395535

Notes to editors:

About the Woodsmith Foundation:

The Woodsmith Foundation was established to distribute funds to local community projects, which can range from wellbeing support and social activities, skills training, action on social issues such as climate change, to improving public spaces and facilities The articles of association define the area of benefit as within the North York Moors National Park and the boroughs of Scarborough and Redcar & Cleveland. Once the mine goes into production a small proportion of annual funds may also be deployed outside the area of benefit, provided the Foundation’s objectives are still met.

Anglo American makes a donation to the Foundation of £1m a year while Woodsmith Mine is under construction. Longer term, it will be funded by percentage of mine revenue, which is expected to amount to several million pounds per year.

The charitable objectives of the Foundation are to:

  • Advance education, including supporting projects and training that benefit people by enhancing their skills;
  • Promote the general health of the community;
  • Advance environmental protection and improvement including the enhancing of the local landscape;
  • Provide and improve facilities in the interests of social welfare and leisure time with the aim to improve residents' well-being;
  • Help gain skills to those in need, because of financial hardship by being out-of-work, particularly the long-term unemployed.

www.angloamerican.com