In October 2021, an application was submitted to The National Lottery Community Fund by Together Middlesbrough and Cleveland (TM&C) as part of NLCF's Reaching Communities grant awards.

TM&C is a joint venture between the Diocese of York and the Church Urban Fund, supporting churches to work together to enable local people and communities to flourish. TM&C provides support and resources to churches and Christian projects addressing poverty and inequalities in Middlesbrough & Cleveland where issues of deprivation are a pressing and increasing concern. Bishop of Whitby Paul Ferguson chairs its Board.

TM&C Chief Officer Kate Jeffels says, "As you can imagine, the bid took many, many hours and two stages to pull together and once the final part was submitted, there were a few sleepless nights.

"We are now delighted to be able to announce that we have been awarded a grant that means The National Lottery Community Fund will support us to continue to support our community for the next three years."

The National Lottery Community Fund programme offers infrastructure funding for organisations that work with their community to help them thrive. The fund supports those that work to make lasting positive change in their community – whether that is for people living in the same area, or people with similar interests or life experiences.

"For a small Charity like TM&C, this grant makes a huge amount of difference," adds Kate. "The grant will contribute to our core running costs for the next three years, enabling us to focus on our key areas of work tackling homelessness; food insecurity; loneliness and isolation; and community integration.

"While we are all still recovering from the effects of the pandemic, this funding will allow us to continue the work that was so vital through 2020 & 2021 for the groups and communities we work alongside.

"We are grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund for recognising the work that we do and the positive impact it has for our communities across South Tees.

"This funding is just part of the resources that we need to fund our ongoing projects. To be sustainable, TM&C still needs to raise an additional £60,000 per year over the next three years. We rely on the kind generosity of individual donors, local churches, and other bodies, to meet this need. If you would like to help us to continue our work every penny donated can truly make a difference in your local area - you can donate at togethermc.org.uk/donate.