Three charities have celebrated an “inspiring moment” in the fight against gendered and child poverty in Middlesbrough.
Buttle UK, The Smallwood Trust, and Turn2us are national charities who came together in 2022, in a three-year, £1 million ‘Middlesbrough Collaboration’ committed to grant-making and systems change in the town.
At an event on 2 October community leaders, local politicians, and representatives from the charities came together to highlight how the programme is starting to reshape how poverty can be combated.
Turn2us described the collaboration as “showcasing how community-designed grant programmes can bring real, lasting change to one of the UK’s most deprived areas”.
68% of children in the Newport ward live in poverty, where local women took part in designing the grant programme. “50 women, mostly from African, Indian, and South Asian backgrounds, were identified by community partners to receive £2,000 each”.
Nisha Tharma, a grant recipient from Creative Minds Middlesbrough, shared how her grant transformed her family’s home life: “The first thing I did when I got the grant was buy a sofa. My children were overjoyed! They jumped on it and said it felt like Disneyland. It was the first time I felt like I could give them a real home.”
The programme’s evaluation revealed that 92% of recipients reported improved well-being, with 56% seeing greater happiness in their children as a direct result of the support.
Turn2us, one of the three charities funding the project since 2022, explained that their share of funding came from the charity’s reserves and a grant from the John Laing Charitable Trust.
Labour Councillor and Deputy Mayor of Middlesbrough, Philippa Storey, who was a panellist at the event said: “This collaboration has made a huge positive difference to women and their children in Middlesbrough. It has helped ease financial pressures and given families the support they need to take more control of their futures.”
She outlined how the project fits with the council’s poverty reduction strategy “by building stronger community networks and creating better opportunities and pathways for the future” and that this could be a model for other parts of the North-East.
Other local politicians attending the event included Middlesbrough and Thornaby East Labour MP, Andy McDonald. He remarked how Middlesbrough’s levels of child poverty are some of the highest in the country “We must be bold and ensure that reducing and eradicating poverty is at the top of the agenda.
“Initiatives like the Middlesbrough Collaboration are proof that, when local people are empowered to make decisions for themselves, real change happens. This programme not only supports families in the short term but also lays the groundwork for long-term, systemic change.”
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Rose Williams, programme manager of the Middlesbrough Collaboration, spoke of her gratitude to organisations involved, such Creative Minds Middlesbrough and the Ubuntu Multicultural Centre, as well as community members “who have placed their trust in us”. Their feedback has helped “ensure the programme truly meets the needs of the community.”
Ms. Williams concluded: “The Middlesbrough Collaboration shows the power of working together – funders, community organisations, and the women themselves, all playing a vital role. By sharing resources, co-developing solutions, and amplifying the voices of those we work with, we’re addressing poverty and improving the systems that perpetuate it.”
The Turn2us Benefits Calculator was highlighted as a way for Middlesbrough residents to maximise their household budgets by ensuring they claim all the financial support they’re entitled to.
