Case studies

Tanga Club is a Youth and Social Group for families with children who have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. The club caters for children of all abilities, and siblings and friends with no additional needs are welcome.

They also run a support group for the parents and carers at weekly session held in Hexham's TORCH Centre.

Amount received: £907

Half of the funding is providing activity packs for the children, which the team are delivering to every member. The packs are designed to cater for all ages and abilities, providing both indoor and outdoor activities and challenges to help them stay occupied.

Alongside the activity packs, the club is offering mental health support to parents and carers, many of who have found they are really struggling mentally with the lockdown. A big part of the work the club does is help parents and carers to reduce stress and anxiety and it is clear that that area of support is needed now more than ever.

The remaining funding from Karbon will allow the club to provide a recorded weekly relaxation session, which is ran by a qualified practitioner and can be completed by the parents/carers at their own pace. It is also running weekly social catch up sessions virtually to discuss how things are going help them to reinforce the techniques used.

Natasha Leontiou is the Tanga Club Secretary

"We are delighted to give an update on how successful the funding we received from Karbon Homes has been. We knew this would have a really positive impact on our children during these difficult times and we can't thank Karbon enough for the help and support. 

"Half of the funding provided activity packs for our children, full of indoor and outdoor activities and challenges, and all the supplies needed to take part. So much thought and love has gone into making these packs which would have never been possible if it hadn't of been for Karbon Homes. 

"We spent days delivering the packs to each and every member of Tanga. The children’s faces lit up and the parents couldn’t believe the thought that went into the bags. We were inundated with messages over the next couple of days thanking us for them.

''Can I just say how awesome you all are. I got the shock of my life yesterday when there was a knock on the door. You'd driven all the way to our home in Haltwhistle to drop off an activity bag. It warmed my heart'' - Ebony 

''Two happy boys, Tanga you have put so much thought into these bags it has literally made me cry happy tears'' - Marie

''The most lovely surprise today. Thank you so much Tanga Club. I honestly can't express how happy you have made the boys today.'' - Laura 

''I have never seen Saffron smile so much since we started lockdown after receiving her goodie bag today, thank you so much, she is well impressed'' - Michelle

''Tanga you never cease to amaze us. Thank you very much for such fab goodie bags for the boys, they are over the moon. The support that you as a club have shown throughout this lockdown is next to none, constantly working in the background even with so much going on in your own lives, you all need to be very proud showing so much love, support and togetherness''  - Bev

"These packs brought so much happiness to our members and their families at a time when they really needed it.

"With the remaining money from Karbon Homes, we have a professional Holistic Therapist, Nicky Robertson, holding a relaxation/meditation course tailored specifically for our Tanga Club parents and carers, to help with the stresses they might encounter on a daily basis. This is a 4-week course held online so our members can take part at a time that suits them best. The course will include mindfulness, de-stress, breathing and relaxation techniques.

"We can’t thank Karbon enough for all the support and care that they’ve shown the Tanga Club."

St Oswalds’ Hospice is an independent hospice providing specialist care and support for adults and children from Northumberland and Tyne and Wear who have life threatening conditions.

Amount received: £1,000

The hospice’s ‘Focus on Living’ service prior to the Covid-19 pandemic was providing regular support for 80 North East adults who are living with cancer, progressive neurological disorders and other life-threatening conditions. Due to their need to stay at home and shield, these adults can no longer be brought to together at the focus on living centre, and the hospice team were concerned that being isolated at home, unable to see loved ones, facing the postponement of important operations and frightened to attend hospital for vital treatments, that many were at risk of developing depression, anxiety and other mental health problems due to the lack of support and social interaction.

To help combat this, the grant from Karbon will fund arts and crafts materials which will provide lonely patients, shielding at home, with a pleasant distraction, reminding them that they are still part of a community and encourage them to participate in a positive activity every day. Arts volunteers have been uploading ideas for activities to the hospice website and inviting patients to join live online arts and crafts sessions. 

Nikki Wilkinson is the Campaign Manager at the hospice. She said: “Most of our day patients describe the Focus on Living service as a 'lifeline’, providing reassurance, giving each week a focus, encouraging them to keep active and helping them to feel part of a community where they were valued, listened to and understood. This made it all the more heartbreaking that we weren’t able to safely bring our day patients together during the outbreak.

"Keen to help our patients find a renewed sense of purpose and enjoyment our team has been working to recreate the Focus On Living Centre – online, running arts and crafts sessions and providing patients with activities to help keep them occupied.

"Of course, vulnerable patients who are shielding at home cannot easily shop for all the materials they need to take part in an art class, which is where Karbon Homes came in. They very kindly donated £1,000 which has enabled the hospice team to buy lots of arts materials, package them up and deliver them to individual patients’ homes. 

"Our day patients were so excited to receive these parcels and very enthusiastic about joining in classes, seeing and chatting to each other again. They all said it was great to ‘escape’ from what was going on, reinforcing the positive difference which art can make to people who are living with a serious illness.

"We all want to say a huge thank you to Karbon Homes for making this work possible.  We are so very grateful for your kindness.”

Age UK County Durham is the principal voluntary organisation working with and for older people, throughout County Durham. The aim of the organisation is to promote the wellbeing of all older people and to help make later life a fulfilling and enjoyable experience.

Amount received: £1,000

During the crisis, Age UK C.Durham has been responding to a huge demand for support from older people across the county.

They have established a Covid 19 volunteer scheme, over 92 new volunteers have offered their time and are collecting and delivering shopping, medicines, hot meals and other vital supplies.

The organisation has also established a welfare call service which has received thousands of requests for support. Volunteers offer daily or weekly welfare calls to self-isolating older people which is particularly comforting for families who are distanced from their loved ones.

More recently they have started to distribute indoor pursuits, such as books, DVDs, games, wool, garden seeds and craft equipment, all delivered for free from their charity shops which are currently closed, to promote better mental health for older people whilst they isolate.

The funding from Karbon will help the organisation to maintain these services, and continue to respond in new ways that meet the emerging needs of older, isolation people across the county.

Deaf Awareness NE is a local charity supporting deaf and hard of hearing people, actively promoting communications between deaf and hearing people and offering weekly/monthly sessions and activities. Based at The Linskill Centre in North Shields, the charity caters for a range of ages, providing opportunity for much needed social interaction for people who are increasingly isolated by the world around them.

Amount received: £1,000

The charity is offering support to older deafened members and deafened people within the general public, who have become much more socially isolated due to the crisis.

It is offering sessions and activities, such as sign language and signed singing, on the online zoom platform which have proven very popular, and has developed an online social group specifically aimed at older socially isolated deaf people.

The group offers a safe online space for deaf people, along with their hearing associates if appropriate, to chat to others, express their concerns, relate their experiences and ask questions that may be going unnoticed at this time.

This will include a professional Speech To Text service within the sessions to produce live captions so that anyone who is struggling to follow what is being said can read along in real-time.

Derek Craigie, is the Project Coordinator for the charity. He said: "The team at Deaf Awareness: NE were delighted to receive the positive news that we were successful in gaining funding from Karbon Homes. We made the decision to seek funding in order to help us run an online support group for deaf and hard of hearing people.

"This funding will help us in developing an online confidential space that deaf and hard of hearing people can attend to discuss anything and everything to do with their lives in these present difficult circumstances. This will prove very important in giving deaf people a voice during uncertain times. The funding has enabled us to provide subtitles to the sessions so that they can be made more easily accessible.

"As with many people currently, deaf and hard of hearing people are finding increased isolation and the lack of social contact challenging, and our weekly online support session will help to ease some of the strain of this and give deaf people an opportunity to meet and chat with others who are in a similar situation. We also intend to keep the ethos of the sessions light and positive, with an onus on boosting confidences through shared experience."

Changing Lives-Auckland House is a 6-bed supported accommodation for females aged 18+ facing homelessness, due to a number of reasons such as domestic violence, rough sleeping, substance misuse or relationship breakdowns. The charity works with the women to empower and work alongside them to strive for independent living in the community.

Amount received: £400

The grant from Karbon will be used to make renovations to the house’s outside space, providing a calming outdoor environment for the women to rest and relax and enjoy being outside. Many of the women living their are battling their own past traumas and demons and adding social distancing and isolation to this is having a hard mental and emotional impact.

Hannah Ward is the Support Worker at Auckland House

“I would like to start by saying a massive thank you on behalf of all the females and staff at Auckland House. Being granted this funding from Karbon’s community Investment team means we can make a real difference in our female’s lives while residing at Auckland House, especially during current circumstances.

“We plan to use the grant to make much needed renovations on our outside space, it has a lot of potential and we are all very excited to make a team effort to bring a wonderful space to the females we support.

“With this funding we can allow the females to get involved with the work needed in the garden. It gives the ladies a project to work on and allows them to take responsibility for something and gives a meaningful use of time. 

“We would love to try our hand at growing produce in the garden as well with the hopes of being able to partner with fellow charity/community ran projects in the Chester le street area.

“Thank you again to Karbon Community Investment in giving us the opportunity to better our environment and making a real difference in our female’s lives.”

Corbridge Youth Initiative provides youth work support to young people aged 10 – 25, ensuring vulnerable young people and families, living in the rural area, can access services and support.

Amount received: £1,000

As lockdown measures begin to ease, the initiative has launched its Covid-19 recovery re-engagement plan, taking steps to ensure the much needed service can be accessed as safely as possible. The funding from Karbon will help cover the cost of measures needed both now, to get the centre back up and running, and over the coming months.

They have already employed an industrial deep cleaning company to ensure every inch of the centre had been disinfected. They plan to bring this company in at the end of every school term as well as carrying out their own rigorous daily cleaning requirements. They are also in the process of having social distancing and preventative measure signage installed throughout the building.

The kitchen space at the centre is also a priority and needs a number of modifications. A dishwasher is needed, to clean at high temperatures to kill viruses and prevent cross contamination, and they are looking to purchase a new  small electrical items, such as kettles, microwaves, toasters, as well as new utensils and crockery to ensure the most high risk area is as clean as it can be for new usage under current Covid-19 guidelines.

HD Super Troopers supports children with hidden differences such as autism, and their families. Working in Amble, Hadston and surrounding villages, they provide a range of activities for the children, and practical support for their parents.

Amount received: £300

 The funding from Karbon will go towards providing food and hygiene parcels to families who are struggling financially due to a combination of factors caused by Covid-19.

This includes parents who have lost their job, been put on furlough, or who have not been self-employed long enough to claim and are now on universal credit. Combined with now having children at home 24/7 (not all children with autism are entitled to a school place) this has brought a heavy financial burden on families. The group are aware of parents they support who are missing meals and who are only able to provide basic food such as tinned spaghetti on toast for the children, and who are struggling to obtain hand wash/sanitiser and other cleaning equipment, so the parcels will be a huge relief.

The Community Network engages with over 1000 young people of all ages from a mixed of different of backgrounds across South Tyneside every month, providing them with the opportunity to learn new skills, improve their health and wellbeing and engage with their peers in a safe, structured environment.

Amount received: £1,000

Both venues that The Community Network works from, The Urban Factory in Hebburn and the Mortimer Community Centre in South Shields, have had to close due to Covid-19, leaving the young people who spend their time there feeling vulnerable, lonely and isolated.

The centre is now preparing the venues to be able to open as soon as the Government say it is safe to do so. The network were forced to use their reserves to get through the lockdown period, so the grant from Karbon will help cover the cost of additional equipment needed to reopen.

This equipment includes additional safety mats and room dividers and will ensure that the network can provide classes and activities in a safe and secure environment that doesn’t put anyone at risk.

Upper Coquetdale Community Transport in a volunteer-led group based around the town of Rothbury in East Northumberland.

In the absence of good public transport the group provides transport services using its single minibus. These services support residents all ages, from schoolchildren using the bus for clubs and societies, to elderly residents who need assistance accessing shops and services, social occasions such as lunch clubs.

Amount Received: £1,000

During the lockdown the group has started delivering food shopping to house-bound and self-isolating elderly and vulnerable people in the area. In partnership with the Rothbury Co-op, the major local food shop which has changed its opening hours to accommodate 2-3 hours a week for this project, volunteers are shelf-picking residents’ shopping orders and then using the minibus to carry out deliveries.

The funding from Karbon will help to cover the cost of the fuel needed for deliveries, as well as helping to continue paying the part time Transport Manager, who ensures the service operates smoothly.

Feeding Families mobilises communities to look after each other. Based in Bishop Auckland the organisation provides families across County Durham, Tyne and Wear and Northumberland, who are facing challenging times and struggling to make ends meet with food hampers.

Amount received: £5,000

The grant secured from Karbon will help the organisation respond to the crisis, ensuring they can source food for the parcels, as well as manage the distribution project and meet any additional costs such as transport and extra food items.

Juliet Sanders is the CEO of Feeding Families

“Like everyone else, we were astonished at the speed and intensity at which the Coronavirus pandemic hit. Our carefully planned fundraising and work plan was blown out of the water within a few days and we were suddenly faced with a whole new landscape to work in.

"Like many other charities we didn't have the money to respond and so we had to start looking for organisations that we hoped would believe in us - and that was Karbon Homes.

“As a North East charity which delivers food to people in need, this project couldn't be closer to the essence of what we do, so we felt we were really well placed to have the expertise to respond. It was just a matter of using our knowledge and army of volunteers to get things going quickly. Within a short period of time we have established 7 centres around the region to manage our resources and get help where it is most needed.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

“It is particularly important to us that we know people are in genuine need and so we have decided to partner with other local charities such as Age UK, Barnados and FACT, who already work with many who are in the shielded group where we decided we would focus our work. We will be taking referrals from these organisations and are standing by to deliver emergency food packs, either donated by our volunteers or with the funding we have received.

"Thanks so much to Karbon for the support!"

Love, Amelia is a Sunderland based baby bank, providing new and pre-loved baby items to families in need across Sunderland and South Tyneside. Operating thanks to donations from the community Love, Amelia offers support to families in need, improving health and wellbeing and providing children with the best opportunity to thrive.

Amount received: £962

The Covid-19 pandemic is having a widespread impact on families in the community, with some families unexpectedly finding themselves in financial hardship. Love, Amelia is now the only dedicated Baby Bank to provide crisis and ongoing support in the area and since the lockdown came in to force, the service has seen a 100% increase in demand.

Due to an increase in demand, paired with a drop in donations from the community, the service has called on the support of organisations for funding support.

The grant from Karbon will help cover the costs of packaging each bundle for transport and allow the service to provide new items to babies and young children that would otherwise be without. The packaging ensures items are delivered in a secure and hygienic way whilst helping the family feel they are receiving a gift, not a handout. Love, Amelia provides pre-loved/donated items where possible, however purchasing new items is essential to ensure they adhere to UK safety standards.

The North East Homeless Charity provides outreach support to the growing number of homeless people in Newcastle, Sunderland and surrounding areas, ensuring that homeless people living on the streets are provided with the help and support they need to achieve a comfortable way of life.

Main areas include assisting in the provision of material items such as food, hygiene provisions or clothing and offering practical support to vulnerable individuals to enable them to improve their lifestyles and be self-sufficient.

Amount received: £1,000

The charity’s outreach project supports up to 100 people on a weekly basis, and has seen an increase in numbers throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

In January the charity secured a unit that the team are in the process of refurbishing into a community café and kitchen. The idea was for this unit to act as a community hub for users and a base for the outreach project to operate, providing users with a safe space and a social environment, where they can access help, support and guidance.

The funding from Karbon will help cover the cost of the last remaining items of kitchen equipment the community hub needs to open, which will provide users with a resource that is needed now more than ever.

Calmer Therapy supports children, young people, adults and their families, who have additional needs, disabilities and mental health needs. They provide weekly after school and weekend sessions, which provide social environments where members can access support.

Amount received: £1,000

The organisation is providing essential food parcels and activity packs to families across Northumberland who are struggling financially due to the crisis.

They are also helping families who are classed as high risk and are unable to leave their homes, by picking up prescriptions, shopping for essentials and offering any other support they may need.

In addition to all of this, they are offering online and telephone support, providing, advice, social conversation, online activities and virtual meet ups, providing something for all ages.

Calmer Therapy has provided 69 families with either food parcels, activity packs or delivery services in the last 4 weeks. The funding from Karbon will cover the costs of extra essential items to make up the food and activity packs, providing more families with the support they need.

Glenroyd House is a community centre in Consett, which aims is to provide a ‘one stop community service’ for residents of all ages in the area.

The group of dedicated volunteers behind Glenroyd House pride themselves on sustaining a community building that offers a varied range of activities that promote healthy living, team building, reducing social isolation, and employment opportunities, and provides a place for people to meet and get involved in community-based activities.

Amount received: £1,000

Despite having to close its doors, inline with government guidance, the team of volunteers at the centre are working hard to ensure the community are still able to access the services that run from there.

Gelnroyd House hosts Durham Food Bank, which is very much still in demand, and ‘Foods for You’, which is ran by Durham Christian Partnership and provides food to those who are not eligible for food vouchers or have exceeded their limit. Glenroyd House itself also subscribes to Fare Share and receives weekly donations of food which is distributed to the most vulnerable within our community.

The centre is working hard to coordinate the distribution of food parcels to individuals who are socially isolated due to age or disability and families and individuals who have lost income through job loss and are unable to access any immediate financial support.

They are also providing information advice and guidance to those in the community who are unable to access the internet, on services that are available to meet their needs, a friendly ear to those who need someone to talk to, and a newly set up DVD and book loan service, to help keep people entertained at home.

Hadston House is a local community facility which provides a wide range of services and facilities for residents of all ages, all of which are based on the needs identified within the community.

Amount received: £2,840

From the centre’s community café, the team run a Meals on Wheels service which is incredibly popular in the community. When lock down started the team scaled up the operation to the support the most vulnerable in across Hadston and the surrounding areas of Widdrington, Broomhill, Ulgham and Amble, delivering meals as well as essential food, medicines and supplies.

The grant from Karbon will subsidise additional food, as well as the costs of the protective equipment for staff and volunteers to keep them safe while carrying out deliveries.​​​​​​​

Scott Dickinson is the Managing Director of the Project

“Once the news hit about the pandemic we knew we needed to respond immediately to reassure our existing users and expand to cover those who would now not be able to see family and need support from someone. Many of the users of our services have been very be cut off and many haven’t seen anyone for the last 5 weeks.

“In week one we increased the offer of our meals on wheels services to vulnerable people to 7 days a week. We’ve been providing a range of home cooked meals and puddings daily, along with snacks and treats, to around 70 homes.

“It soon became clear that as well as meals, a prescription and essential shopping service was also really needed. With the help of our volunteers we had letters delivered to hundreds of households in the area sharing the news of what we were offering, and we are now providing this service daily to around 40 people. 

“The Hadston House team has been amazing! Office staff turned into kitchen hands, youth workers turned into delivery drivers, and together we have kept everything going for the last five weeks. 

“It hasn’t been without its challenges of people being off, 7 day working, and other things that we have had to adapt to, but the amazing efforts of all my team have been truly wonderful."

Little Sprouts Health and Wellbeing is dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of its community

Via their mobile kitchen, the group’s cooking and food education projects are designed to inspire people of all ages and abilities in the kitchen, to make better food choices, whilst also building self-confidence and helping to reduce social isolation.

Amount received: £1,000

Little Sprouts Health and Wellbeing is continuing to support its communities through lockdown, particularly those members of the community who’s mental health is most likely to be impacted by increased isolation.

The 5 strong team is working hard to provide cooked, nutritious two course meals to vulnerable adults living in supported housing and elderly residents who are living in isolation. The team are also maintaining regular contact with their elderly clients by phone to support their wellbeing.

Little Sprouts are also working with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council to support the school meal provision in the area. There are currently 6000 children in Stockton-on-Tees on free school meals, and a joint initiative has been developed to open school kitchens, to distribute cold packed lunch to up to 3000 children. Little Sprouts has volunteered its community hubs to act as collection points for parents/carers in the area to come pick up these meals.

The grant from Karbon will help cover the costs of surplus food needed to deliver the service, the packaging needed to transport food and supplies, and the travel costs associated with its delivery.

North Tyneside Disability Forum (NTDF) offers support activities to those disadvantaged by some aspect of disability or ill health. There work aims to ensure those of all ages have the opportunities, quality of life requirements, and life experience they need to gain confidence, competence, skill and resourcefulness to achieve a positive future.

Amount received: £1,000

Having closed the centre doors, as well as the community café, garden and shop, NTDF launched its ‘Mission Possible’ volunteer project, to continuing offering support to service users who are at highest risk due to the virus.

As part of the project, volunteers will utilise their partnerships with local shops and supermarkets along with their donations from FareShare, to provide emergency food parcels and provisions to service users who rely on them, many of whom don’t fit the criteria for GOV.UK emergency food parcel or food bank support.

The volunteers are also working hard to ensure they keep in regular contact with service users and their families, to ensure they’re coping and are getting help should they need it.

The grant from Karbon will help the project to cover the costs of extra FareShare deliveries, parcel packaging, volunteer PPE, and travel expenses acquired from parcel deliveries.