The Trustees support Strategic Partners over an extended period, usually by giving core funding. Each new partnership is decided after considerable discussion and is based on the Foundation’s experience and observation of the prospective partner at work.
Strategic Partners work on policy and campaigning as an essential rather than an additional part of their core purpose. As with all the Foundation’s grants, the work is undertaken in and on behalf of the North East of England.
The Trustees and Trust Manager will seek out new partners when funds permit and may choose to test a relationship by funding for a limited period until it is clear whether or not there is potential for a longer-term partnership with the ‘Getting to Know You’ opportunity proving an effective pathway.
Citizens Advice Newcastle (CAN) helps people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free, independent and confidential advice, and by influencing policymakers. CAN makes a record of every enquiry brought to them which represents a huge wealth of timely information about the problems people face. The Foundation fund CAN’s Research and Campaigns Manager who works with partners across the region, campaigning and advocating for change that improves the lives of the people it works with. Specifically, they convene a policy-focused group of the region’s Citizens Advice organisations who work together on issues that affect communities across the area.
For information about the impact of CAN’s work click here:
The North East Child Poverty Commission (NECPC) is a regional cross-sector stakeholder network which believes child poverty in the North East is not inevitable and ending it is worth working for, together.
Led by an independent Chair, NECPC is made up of representatives from different sectors in the region, who are collectively ambitious for every baby, child and young person in the North East – with a shared vision of all growing up in our region not just healthy and secure, but having the best start in life: able to fully participate and thrive in education and extra-curricular activity; to pursue the things they love, with exciting futures ahead of them; and able to benefit from everything our beautiful region has to offer. NECPC is hosted by Newcastle University; the Foundation is its main funder.
Tyne and Wear Citizens is a local chapter of Citizen’s UK and uses community organising as a tool for bringing about tangible social change. It operates across Newcastle, Sunderland, Gateshead, North Tyneside and Durham and has 30 member organisations (including faith groups, schools, charities, community groups and unions) who all pay their dues and are actively involved in setting the organisation’s campaigning priorities.
Members are currently working on: climate justice; poverty; racial justice in education. It is active in promoting the Living Wage to employers across the region and describes itself as ‘like a trade union for the community’.
Voluntary Organisations Network North East (VONNE) is the regional support body for the North East Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector, representing its 1,400+ member organisations through its involvement in many regional and national networks.
Former Strategic Partners
IPPR North
Millfield House Foundation were one of IPPR North’s first funders and supported it over a 21-year period to the end of 2025, during which time it produced important and influential work across a range of issues, including devolution, transport and the regional economy.
Regional Refugee Forum North East
Between 2007-2024, RRFNE received grants of over £500,000 toward its policy work, including six years as a strategic partner. For learning from this rich period of policy work see this paper:
Youth Homeless North East
Youth Homeless North East campaigned to prevent homelessness among young people in the region. It was a strategic partner from 2014 until it unfortunately closed at the end of March 2020.