North Tyneside charities awarded £250k National Lottery grant to team up for community initiative

Meadow Well Connected and Phoenix Detached Youth Project’s three-year Together for Our Community initiative will see the two community groups partner up for a host of different local projects.

This includes the adult and youth support charities providing joint approaches to crisis-work, organising more ‘street play’ activities, and taking on community project and event suggestions.

The National Lottery Community Fund has agreed to finance the collaboration to the tune of £257,258.

Margie Burdis, chair of the board of trustees at Meadow Well Connected, said: “This funding is fantastic news.

“It is going to help the two organisations work in partnership to make real, long-lasting change in our shared community.”

Mike Burgess, project manager at Phoenix Detached Youth Project, added: “It will help improve and develop an effective local youth and community service for local residents by listening and working closely with them.

“This service will aim to support all sections of the community working with other agencies as and when required for the good of all.”

The two charities already have a close relationship, as evidenced by 24-year-old Thomas ‘TJ’ Ferguson.

He works as a gardening assistant for Meadow Well Connected and volunteers as a Phoenix Detached Youth Project ambassador.

TJ said: “The charities are a perfect match because of the people they work with.

“Generally, at The Meadows, they are working with kids up to the age of 12 and older adults as well as those with disabilities. At Phoenix it is more focused on people aged 13 to 25.

“When you join the charities together it really covers the whole spectrum and will help the community gel more.”

TJ attended Phoenix Detached Youth Project himself as a teenager. He said: “With it being a detached project, the amount of activities they deliver and number of people they work with is absolutely insane.

“I really got involved from the age of 14 or 15. We got a group together doing spray art where you could do it legally in street spaces.

“On a personal level, Phoenix definitely kept me out of trouble as it can be quite easy around here to get into a bad routine.”

TJ went on to study music, and later joined Meadow Well Connected on a six-month placement. The garden tending role became permanent, and he also runs two music projects at the charity.

He said: “At first I was not really a gardener but I thought I would give it a go. I really got into it and now I have my own allotment and also do some gardening work for other people away from the charity.

“People who come to the garden might feel down but here it is a relaxed environment, there is lots of chat, and it improves people’s mental health.”