Rock donates £2.2m to charities

Northern Rock Foundation is run independently of the bank

The charitable arm of Northern Rock has given more than £2m to organisations in the north-east of England and Cumbria.

The Northern Rock Foundation said 25 charities and cultural groups would benefit from the £2.2m windfall.

Those to benefit include youth projects across Tyne and Wear, a domestic abuse centre in Teesside and a Civic Trust project in Cumbria.

The foundation, run independently of the bank, has its own board of trustees.

Disadvantaged groups

It was set up when Northern Rock converted into a plc from a mutual in 1997.

The latest grants bring the foundation's 2008 funding to £7.3m, with a further £3.7m expected soon.

The majority of the funding will go towards helping disadvantaged groups including older people, carers, disaffected young people and victims of violence and abuse.

The Newcastle-based Keyfund Federation will receive £210,000 for its programme to allow young people across the North East to develop and run their own projects.

Groundwork in East Durham is set to get £74,092 to help disadvantaged young people in Sunderland, Easington and Hartlepool.

And in Cumbria, the Civic Trust has been awarded £129,000 to expand its heritage skills network in the county.