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Energising Community Annual Report 2023

Introduction… This my first year as Chair of this amazing charity and it gives me great pleasure to present the Annual Report of The East Durham Trust for 2023.

I am very grateful to all our partners/funders and volunteers, who support us in many ways, also the Board of Directors for all their support this year.

I think we had all hoped that seeing the back of Covid would bring a normalisation of the world and a return to growth that would ultimately benefit most people. Sadly, with the events in Eastern Europe and economic uncertainties nearer to home, this was not to be and we have instead transitioned into a cost of living crisis and an uncertainty affecting the finances and prospects of the majority of people within the communities of East Durham.

However, most of all I would like to congratulate Graham our CEO and his fantastic Team for their continuous commitment and achievements this year. Graham and the Team go above and beyond on a daily basis to ensure we continue to provide first-class services and support to those in need within our communities.

We have continued to thrive as an organisation and build on those strong relationships with communities, and have worked hard and collaboratively with partners new and old to plan and deliver the muchneeded support during these very challenging times we find ourselves in.

As part of our improved reporting we have outlined highlights of the activities, projects, services and opportunities that East Durham Trust have delivered in this financial year. We hope you enjoy hearing about some of our incredible work. - Joanne Angus, Chair of Trustees

Highlights; Projects… Programmes… Services... Opportunities… 3

The East Durham Community Resilience project was created as a response to accelerating concerns for a combination of declining emotional health and wellbeing and deteriorating financial positions for many individuals and families across East Durham. Funded by the East Durham Area Action Partnership the East Durham Community Resilience Partnership this 18 month long programme included an integrated and fully connected task force to acknowledge, support and address the correlation between effects of financial instability and mental health and the significant negative impacts this has on our communities. 522 hours of wellbeing support

229

Referrals for Financial Wellbeing

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762

People Supported

‘From Campfire to Hearth’ – No More Nowt

“The support helped me get out of a dark hole, East Durham Trust are my saviour.” Following the collapse of his 35yr old business as a result of Covid – Michael found himself in extreme financial difficulty and suffering badly with his mental health he relocated back to Seaham to be close to his family. Upon receiving support from the financial wellbeing practitioner, via the Debt Centre a bankruptcy order was secured alongside a £1200 grant to help with living expenses. Gary also secured additional benefits with help and guidance from the project. Michael has engaged with Mental Health matters and receives regular support with his ongoing mental health challenges.

Community Collaborators;

East Durham Connected East Durham Veterans Calm CIC NE First Credit Union Mental Health Matters Durham Carers Support Easington Healthworks Eden Lane People’s Centre Blackhall Community Centre Dawdon Youth and Community Centre The Greenhills Centre, Wheatley Hill Macrae House, Murton Parkside Community Centre Eastlea Community Centre Wheatley Hill Children’s Centre Horden Salvation Army Horden Social Welfare St Bede’s Catholic School Shotton Hall Primary School Shotton Hall Academy Our Lady of the Rosary Acre Rigg Primary School Seascape Primary School Shotton Primary School

Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund East Durham Connected is a five-year project to transform information, advice and guidance services across East Durham. This scheme includes community partners delivering their own services in the community. Year 1 of the project was completed in December 2022. We are now into year 2 of the project. We are working with a range of community partners and residents in coproducing advice support in East Durham. Through the Household Support Fund we have also facilitated a range of direct support, which has been very successful. 8317

advice support sessions

7212

residents supported

volunteers giving

1976 hours

Steven Rowe – IAG Partnerships Support Officer

“Its great that you help people in need. Its nice to know there is someone to turn to when you need help.” Judith was referred for food crisis. On speaking to her it was found she was a domestic violence survivor, where her 12 year old daughter had been a witness, including witnessing an attack in the village where the victim died. Judith and her daughter were offered advice and guidance and were assisted with a house move to another location, given debt support resulting in a Debt Relief Order to remove unmanageable debt and was facilitated to access support for household white goods through grant funding through the Sherburn Fund and Greggs Foundation.

Community Collaborators; Shotton Hub, Greenhills Centre Dawdon Community Centre Eastlea Community Centre Café Together Horden Youth and Community Centre Horden Salvation Army Edenhill People’s Centre Trimdon Residents Association The Community Club at Macrae House The Robin Todd Centre Wingate Parish Council Greenhills Community Centre, Wheatley Hill Little House of Hope Thornley Seaham Youth and Community Centre Safe Harbour Seaham

No More Nowt is one of 39 across England funded as part of Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places National Portfolio. In September 2023 the programme, formerly known as East Durham Creates was renamed to reflect its new Countywide remit, drawing its name from a project led by local young people. The new name highlights the programmes ongoing commitment to improving and increasing access to great arts and culture in Left Behind places where people often feel ‘nowt happens’. Last year 99% of audiences we engaged were from low and medium engagement segments meaning that they do not regularly engage with arts and culture (and 79% were from low engagement segments).

26,693

Audience

5257 People Took Part

98,511

Digital Audience

108

volunteers giving

1,203 hours

No More Nowt Launch. The Big Club – Newton Aycliffe

“Absolutely incredible experience. Something I've never done before, an unforgettable experience.” The programme has also established a network of nine Cultural Hubs, community facilities regularly supported to lead culture in their spaces. No More Nowt has led a number of significant large-scale commissions shaped by local people, including If These Walls Could Talk, which transformed bus stops in Horden and Above Below Beyond, a commission led by young people reclaiming their local heritage. The programme has developed a new purpose built arts space in Peterlee, the Arts Café at Community House, connected to its host organisation and developed partnership projects that aim to change how communities in County Durham connect with and through culture.

Cultural Hubs Blackhall Community Centre Dawdon Youth & Community Centre Eastlea Community Centre Greenhills Community Centre Heart on the Terrace Shotton Community Hub Thornley Village Hall Trimdon Station Community Centre Community Collaborators; Castle Dene Shopping Centre Creative Youth Opportunities CIC The Barn at Easington Horden Hub House CCW Colliery Championship Wrestling Care Homes Greyhound Tracks Peterlee Town Council Apollo Pavilion Projects CIC Durham University Durham County Council County Collaborators; Annfield Plain Community Centre, Annfield Plain Library, Quaking Houses Village Hall, PACT House in Stanley, The Big Club in Newton Aycliffe, TCR Hub in Barnard Castle, Gaunless Gateway Big Local, Auckland Youth and Community Centre, Bishop Auckland Town Hall and many more…

‘Connections Café’ – Arts Cafe

Support in a crisis… Food… Energy… Welfare... Wellbeing… 11

F.E.E.D

Food Emergency East Durham (FEED) is the food parcel service commonly referred to as the East Durham Foodbank. In the last year the Trust delivered a pilot project offering alternative methods of support to residents in food poverty. This included the provision of cash or shopping vouchers, as an alternative to an emergency food parcel, allowing beneficiaries to have more freedom of choice in purchasing the food items they require. The service also launched a new digital referral system for emergency food and fuel crisis support. Referral agencies and beneficiaries have welcomed the new options for support and mechanisms for making referrals. Sadly many people are falling into crisis and poverty for the first time due to the current cost of living crisis. This has seen need for our crisis support services more than double in the last 12 months. 3,656

Referrals for

12,048

residents

8048

Adults &

3192

Children supported

60%

Higher need than a year ago

volunteers giving

5,780 hours

FEED is supported by kind donations with additional support from…

No More Nowt Launch. The Big Club – Newton Aycliffe

“I couldn’t sleep, worrying how I was going to feed my children. Thank you so much for helping me” The cost of living crisis is a doubled edged situation for our crisis services. On average month by month have seen exponential increases in demand for our crisis services with food crisis referrals now 60% higher than 12 months ago. Some months we have seen demand leap by 110% comparable to the previous year. At the same time, we have seen our donations of foodstuffs fall by 50%. This means that we have had to purchase more food in the 12 months up to July 2023 than in the previous 12 months. In 2021/22 our expenditure on food was £4,363 in the 2022/23 period we have expended £8,810. This is an increase of 102%. At the same time, our cash donations for food crisis services have fallen by 4%.

FEED Hubs Blackhall Community Centre Dawdon Youth & Community Centre Eastlea Community Centre Greenhills Community Centre Easington Healthworks Shotton Community Hub Thornley Village Centre Glebe Centre, Murton Lisa Dixon Centre, Haswell Horden Youth & Community Centre Little House of Hope Thornley Macrae House, Murton Peterlee Pavilion Robin Todd Centre, South Hetton Salvation Army, Horden Wingate Family Centre

60% of households referred were adult only households

21% of people referred were in employment

30% of households referred face multiple crisis

‘Love irl’ – No More Nowt

The Barn at Easington were commissioned to work with families with identified social and economic disadvantages from two primary schools. Overview of the aims for family sessions at The Barn were; To develop emotional wellbeing through the arts and nature using forest bathing and mindfulness techniques. To use creativity as a tool to give voice to agency and hope. To encourage authentic and collaborative communication. To grow collective and mutual self help. To create a non judgemental, accepting and safe space for the families to thrive in.

522 hours of wellbeing support

229

Referrals for Financial Wellbeing

762

People Supported

762

People Supported

‘Wellbeing Walks’ – The Barn at Easington

“It’s good for your soul isn’t it stripping everything back and being in the thick of nature, such a healthy lifestyle, no wonder Nicola is so passionate about moss.” “..taking things back to the simplest of things makes you realise the importance of doing them simple things”

The Barn worked closely with the family liaison officer at the school. They organised the transport and gathered up the families. The communication about the effect of the sessions was disseminated effectively by them to the school which resulted in additional AAP food and Fun funding for a 6 week summer project with the families. The wellbeing project was a tremendous success in reaching hard to engage families and we have created a strong net work based on trust and support. Their relationship to the school has grown too and they are looking to fund regular sessions at the Barn. The importance of having a link person from the school is shown by the numbers of families engaged with.

‘Hearts and Hopes of Horden’ – Partnership for People and Place

Future focused… Beyond 2023 Climate... Power… Friendship… Hope… 18

Community energy… 19

‘PowerED visit to Gateshead Centre ‘From Campfire to Hearth’Energy – No More Nowt

Befriending project… Gemma Robinson – Time Together Coordinator

‘From Campfire to Hearth’ – No More Nowt

‘Hearts and Hopes of Horden’ – Partnership for People and Place

Thank you… To our funders. To our partners. To our community. To you… 22

‘Fun and Food’ – Summer 2023

Trustees: Joanne Angus - Chair Rona Hardy James Shand Sanjee Ratnatunga David Groark Gerard Matthews Janice Bray Edna Connor Dr Kamal Sidhu Alison Nutter

East Durham Trust, Community House, Yoden Road, Peterlee, SR8 5DP 0191 5693511 FB: @eastdurhamtrust www.eastdurhamtrust.org.uk

Charity No: 1117642 Company No: 05934124 24

Energising Community - East Durham Trust Annual Report 2023