A practitioner perspective on bringing community need and major philanthropy together. Rob Williamson

Gillian Scott from Port of Tyne with members of the Port of Tyne Fund committee and students from Churchill Community College. The Port of Tyne, through its fund at the Community Foundation, has donated almost £30,000 to organisations in the community surrounding its operations. Bede’s World is just one organisation that has benefitted, with a grant of £4,650 to create an art installation that illustrates the maritime history of the area and will be created by participants from schools, youth and community groups and local businesses. The grant will also allow the organisation to deliver a programme of talks and hands-on arts workshops with the exhibiting artists, as well as workshops on traditional and new design technologies, including woodworking, fine art and textiles, and miniature boat-building. The Port of Tyne Fund committee, made up of eight Port employees, took time out to see the impact that the grant is making at Bede’s World. Susan Wear, Port of Tyne Director of Corporate Affairs, said: “We are delighted to support community events and activities through the Community Foundation fund. It was fantastic for colleagues, who help make the final decisions, to visit Bede’s World and see the children from Churchill Community College learning so much about the importance of the Port and the River Tyne. The young people’s learning experience was transformed and it was brilliant to see how they are learning the value of such an important resource in our community.  We were delighted to be able to award the grant to create the art installation and we can’t wait to see the finished product.”