North East good causes gain lottery funding

Five good causes across the north east of England are set to benefit from more than £1.3m in lottery funding.

The County Durham-based charity Liberty from Addiction, which supports people living with substance abuse, has gained the largest share - £495,739.

Westoe Crown Primary school on South Tyneside has been awarded £367,495 to offer advice on parenting.

Money has also gone to an outreach scheme to promote the well-being of isolated older people.

Northern Shape, which operates across Gateshead and South Tyneside, will recruit volunteers to help run music, dance, "muscle memory" movement and visual arts workshops.

The other two groups are Groundwork South Tyneside and Newcastle Upon Tyne, which offers exercise programmes to improve the mental and physical health and well-being disadvantaged people, and Bardon Mill and Henshaw Village Hall and Community Projects Group.

James Turner, from the Big Lottery Fund (BIG), said: "We are very pleased to be able to support these excellent projects to continue and build upon their crucial work.

"Whether it is offering a route to recovery for people living with substance abuse, providing healthy activities for those with disability and disadvantage, or throwing a social lifeline to older people isolated in the community, BIG's Reaching Communities funding is making a real and positive impact on the lives of vulnerable people across the region."