Community crew gets £10k financial boost to support Berwick's young talent

The Berwick Youth Project established the pilot scheme in May 2021 in response to young people from the town needing an outlet to reconnect and safely come together in small numbers.

However, due to its rapid popularity and rising demand, the initiative soon developed and now attracts more than 50 young people to the centre each week across two nights – coming together for fun and challenging activities in a safe environment.

The Bernicia Foundation has given the charity £10,000 to help it continue to run the community crew project, which mainly attracts 12 to 17-year-olds, as well as cover other essential day-to-day costs at its Golden Square premises in Berwick town centre such as transport and staffing.

Berwick Youth Project manager John Bell said: “We offer solid support and mentoring, but fun social activities too. Our ethos is to ‘do good things by others’ personally, as well as in the community, and this is very much the case with those young people that come here.

“The community crew is like one big family with everyone engaging in activities that are of real value.

“At the moment, we have a parks and gardens project that includes building and painting street planters to make the local area look nice.

“It’s essential that we keep our young people engaged, giving them a sense of purpose whilst also bringing out their individual talents.

“Berwick has a declining youth population, with many being attracted to other towns and cities for work or university once they can do so.

“Therefore, for the young people growing up here, there is a very serious issue in terms of what their future will look like, where the career and work opportunities will come from, and how we maintain and retain their skills and knowledge to help the local economy.

“Those that come into our centre each week are often keen, eager to learn new skills, sociable and full of promise. They’re great young people, so the funding donation by The Bernicia Foundation is very much appreciated.”

The charity is free and confidential, and open to people aged 12 to 25. It also helps those who may be experiencing difficulties, have financial or personal concerns at this time, or living independently and need additional housing support.

In addition, some of those who have used the centre’s services and facilities over the last 29 years have now gone on to become youth, community and social workers themselves.

Jenny Allinson, director of corporate governance at The Bernicia Foundation, said: “It is inspirational to see and hear about the work the Berwick Youth Project is doing with teenagers in Berwick and the surrounding areas, so we’re delighted to be able to offer support.”

Two funding streams are available for The Bernicia Foundation – the inclusion fund for voluntary/community groups, registered charities and social enterprises that awards up to £10,000 and the inspiration fund awarding up to £1,000 for young people, aged 24 years and under, actively working towards personal goals.

The next round of funding opens on Wednesday, July 5. For more details on the application process, go to www.berniciafoundation.com