Youth projects in north-east England get £1.4m

Youth projects across the North East are to benefit from £1.4m in grants from the Big Lottery Fund.

Among those receiving cash is Gateshead Crossroads Caring for Carers, which will gain £498,193, and Children North East which will be awarded £460,510.

A total of £92,633 will be given to the Blue Watch Youth Centre in Sunderland and The Church of England Children's Society will gain £363,380.

The grants aim to help those most in need and build stronger communities.

The money for Gateshead Crossroads Caring for Carers will help those children aged between eight and 18 who have a caring responsibility for a family member.

Night away

The group will run various workshops, events and school-based information drop-ins, aimed at tackling any physical or mental health issues the young carers may be experiencing.

There will also be the chance for them to enjoy a night away from their caring duties.

Money awarded to The Church of England Children's Society will help to run its Ohana project.

This scheme is aimed at improving community cohesion in the Stockton and Hartlepool areas, in particular relationships between young people and their families.

The Blue Watch Youth Centre will use its £92,633 to run the H2MO (Help to Move On) project.

This scheme works with hard-to-reach young people in Sunderland and helps them to raise their aspirations and develop their self-esteem so they have the confidence to seek out education, employment and training opportunities.

Increase self-esteem

And Children North East will use its share for its Better Yourself preventative mental health diploma.

Developed with local children aged eight to 19, the aim of the project is to increase resilience, self-esteem, aspirations and lifestyle opportunities.

James Turner, Big Lottery Fund Head of Region for the North East, said: "These grants will play a big part in supporting young people facing a variety of challenges.

"Whether it is through giving young carers some much-needed time off, helping children to get on better with their parents or enabling young people to gain new skills and improve their confidence, the positive impact of the Reaching Communities funding will be felt across the region."