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Community groups across Redcar are being invited to bid for slice of a £20,000 funding pot set up to support social and environmental projects in the area.

The newly launched Redcar Hydrogen Community Fund is being made available by Northern Gas Networks (NGN), o are developing plans for parts of Redcar to use locally produced, low carbon hydrogen from 2025.

Grants of between £500 and £5,000 are available for projects that can demonstrate they are making a positive change in their local community – with no requirement for matched funding.

The fund is open to projects that benefit the communities of Warrenby, Coatham or Kirkleatham and also:

• Offer advice services for people struggling with finances, homelessness or unemployment
• Address a pressing local social issue
• Improve the local environment or community spaces
• Offer support to those with physical impairments or mental health conditions
• Provide education and training

Melanie Taylor, Head of Stakeholder Relations at Northern Gas Networks, said: “The creation of a ‘Hydrogen Community’ in Redcar will provide local investment and job opportunities, whilst moving the town a big step forward to net zero.

“But we realise that there is already the passion and ambition for fantastic community led projects right now, so we want to lead from the front and and increase our investment in the local area immediately. The Redcar Hydrogen Community Fund will provide much-needed financial help for community projects that are doing some fantastic work locally but are facing spiralling costs.”

To be eligible for a grant, organisations will need to demonstrate that they:

• Are a volunteer-led group, a registered charity or a not-for-profit organisation with charitable aims
• Have a governing document (e.g. set of rules, constitution, memorandum and articles of association, trust deed etc.)
• Have a management committee, board of trustees or board of directors with at least three people who are not related or living at the same address and form a majority
• Have a separate bank account under the name of their group with at least two unrelated signatories or you have a charitable partner organisation willing to bank any grant awarded.

The fund will prioritise projects that:

• Are run by local people, for local people
• Can demonstrate good local links and an understanding of the needs of the community that will benefit
• Are not one off but could be sustainable in the longer term

Applications are now open and will close on Wednesday 19^th October.