Housing, homelessness and hardship
Volunteers at the Durham Foodcycle
Foodcycle is a national charity which combines volunteers, surplus food and spare kitchen spaces to create tasty, nutritious meals for people at risk of food poverty and social isolation. The charity run 29 projects across the UK, united by the idea that food waste and food poverty should not coexist. The Durham FoodCycle Hub is run by a mixture of Durham University students, local residents and churches, and each week surplus ingredients are collected from independent fruit stalls, bakeries and supermarkets to create and serve a nutritious 3 course meal for their guests. In 2015, the Trust awarded a grant of £3000 to help with the running costs of the project.
Hospitality and Hope is based in South Tyneside and has a 20 year track record of helping vulnerable and needy individuals and families in crisis by operating a soup kitchen service and the South Tyneside Food Bank. In 2016 the Trust awarded a grant of £25,000 to help with the costs of converting a building into a supported living accommodation facility for men over 26 years of age. The project will give a much-needed home to people who have complex or multiple needs and the opportunity to engage in a volunteer scheme, meet new friends and gain more life skills.
The national charity Shelter run an Advice Centre in Newcastle which helps people from across the North East region by providing free, expert advice on housing, debt, homelessness and welfare benefits. The centre is staffed by a team of highly skilled professionals who provide face to face advice through appointments, drop-in and an ‘emergency door’ service for families and individuals who are in need of urgent help. The Trust awarded this organisation a grant of £45,000 over a three-year period to help with the general running costs of the Centre.
The iconic Knott Memorial Flats in Tynemouth were also built with funds from Sir James in the 1930s. The Trust continues to support the community of residents that live in the flats.
