The Bernicia Foundation

Charity Number: 1190094

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M

Geographic Focus: Throughout England

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Quick Stats

Annual Giving: £198,808 (year ending March 2025)
Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
Decision Time: 10 weeks from application closing date
Grant Range: £1,000 - £10,000
Geographic Focus: North East England (Northumberland, Tyneside, Wearside, County Durham, Teesside)

Contact Details

Website: berniciafoundation.com
Email: jenny.allinson@bernicia.com
Phone: 0344 800 3800
Application Support: Kevin Haddrick (Bernicia Foundation)
Programme Advisor: Pete Barrett, Senior Programme Advisor at Community Foundation North East

Overview

The Bernicia Foundation was established in 2020 by North East housing association Bernicia, with charity registration number 1190094. Created with a £1 million funding commitment from Bernicia Group, the foundation channels profits from Bernicia's commercial property arm into community support. Since launching its first grants in February 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the foundation has awarded over £1.3 million to 238 organizations and individuals. In its fifth year alone, over 8,000 people benefited from £167,000 in grants. The foundation's mission is to provide relief for those in need by reason of poverty, homelessness, old age, mental or physical disability or ill health, with a strategic focus on promoting economic and social inclusion in communities where Bernicia tenants live.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Inclusion Grants: £5,000 - £10,000

Support charities, charitable companies, and constituted voluntary and community organizations
Focus on economic and social inclusion initiatives
95 Inclusion Grants awarded to date
Applications operate on fixed deadline rounds (online application portal)
Example: Next round opens 30/06/25, closes 11/08/25

Inspiration Grants: Up to £1,000

Support talented young people aged 24 and under facing barriers to developing their talents
33 Inspiration Grants awarded to date
Applications typically open in November each year
For individuals or organizations working with inspirational young people

Priority Areas

High Priority:

Economic and social inclusion projects
Tackling child poverty
Employment and job creation initiatives
Supporting people with disabilities
Poverty relief programs
Health activities and wellbeing projects
Support for care leavers
Neurodivergence schemes
Projects reaching communities where Bernicia tenants live
All areas of North East England designated as high priority (Northumberland, Tyneside, Wearside, County Durham, Teesside)

Eligible Costs:

Project-specific funding
Core running costs (for registered charities only)
Small equipment (furniture, computers)
Larger capital projects (with robust business cases)

What They Don't Fund

Lower Priority:

Sports activities or club refurbishments (unless demonstrating strong community benefit against key fund criteria)
Social enterprises (CICs) cannot access core costs or project delivery funding—only charitable startup costs qualify
Projects outside the North East region

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Governance and Leadership

The Bernicia Foundation is governed by a Board of four voluntary trustees who meet tri-annually—twice to allocate grants and once to review progress. The foundation does not directly employ staff but is supported by lead officers from The Bernicia Group who provide direction and governance assistance.

Key Personnel:

Andrea Malcolm - Bernicia Director of People, Culture and Communications, serves on the board of trustees. Andrea has stated: “The Bernicia Foundation is an exciting opportunity for us to award grants to organisations committed to delivering real community benefits, such as tackling loneliness and accessing employment opportunities, as well as providing support for young talent to flourish.”

Lesley Moody OBE - Group Board member and Chair of the Bernicia Foundation. Lesley is managing director of AES Digital Solutions Ltd, a digital media company she has run for 30 years.

Historical Trustees (2019-2022):

Avril Gibson (Project Development Manager)
Carol Meredith (Consultant)

Partnership: The foundation works in partnership with Community Foundation North East (formerly Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland) for due diligence assessments, application evaluation against criteria, priority categorization, and monitoring of grant recipients.

Governance Standards: The foundation has adopted the Charity Governance Code for smaller charities.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Applications are submitted through an online application portal on the Bernicia Foundation website. The application process differs for each grant stream:

Inclusion Grants:

Fixed deadline rounds throughout the year
Submit online application via berniciafoundation.com
Applications reviewed by Community Foundation North East
Upon submission, you receive a reference number to quote in all correspondence

Inspiration Grants:

Applications typically open in November each year
Online application process
For young people aged 24 and under or organizations supporting them

Application Requirements:

Identify three SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timescaled)
Demonstrate client-led approach
Show how work meets priority objectives in priority geographic locations
Evidence how project reaches communities where Bernicia tenants live

Decision Timeline

Review Period: Community Foundation North East reviews all applications and may contact applicants to discuss projects
Trustee Decision: Foundation trustees consider applications tri-annually; trustee decision is final
Notification: Applicants typically receive email notification within 10 weeks of the application closing date
Post-Award: Successful applicants must provide an 'end-of-grant monitoring report' explaining the impact of funding

Success Rates

While specific success rate percentages are not publicly disclosed, the foundation has awarded:

95 Inclusion Grants (£5,000-£10,000)
33 Inspiration Grants (up to £1,000)
Total of 238 organizations and individuals funded since 2020
Over £1.3 million distributed in five years

Reapplication Policy

November 2025 Update: The foundation has removed the three-year wait period between applications. Previous recipients can now reapply for support more quickly, recognizing growing financial pressures on charities and community groups. This change allows organizations with proven track records to receive additional support at times of great need.

Previous Policy: Organizations receiving a grant were not considered high priority for further funding for three years from the grant award.

Application Success Factors

SMART Objectives Are Critical:

The foundation places significant emphasis on well-structured objectives. Each application should include three objectives that are:

Specific: State exactly what you intend to do with the grant
Measurable: Ensure evidence collection is possible for what is achieved
Achievable: Be realistic and set deliverable objectives
Relevant: Focus on what difference the grant will make
Timescaled: Provide exact achievement dates for each objective

Example of Strong Application: An employability program should specify participant numbers (e.g., 40 young people), session frequency/duration, skill topics covered, and measurement methods like employment outcome tracking or confidence assessments conducted before and after.

Geographic Alignment:

Applications must serve the North East, with priority given to projects reaching communities where Bernicia tenants reside. Review the operating area map on their website for eligible locations.

Client-Led Approach:

Demonstrate how your work is client-led and meets priority objectives. The foundation values projects that respond directly to community needs rather than top-down programming.

Community Benefit for Sports/Arts:

If applying for sports or arts projects, applications must demonstrate strong community benefit against one of the key fund criteria, as these are not automatically high priority.

Foundation May Refine Your Objectives:

Foundation advisors may suggest refinements to objectives during the review process—view this as collaborative rather than critical.

Recent Funded Projects as Examples:

Baby Equipment Loan Service and Toy Library (BELS), North Tyneside: £10,000 to provide affordable, high-quality toy and baby equipment loan service for families
Border Links, Berwick: Grant towards new kitchen at Disability Hub to help adults with learning disabilities develop culinary skills
Teams and Bensham Community Care: Support for vital service tackling loneliness in the community

Advice from Andrea Malcolm:

"I'd encourage anyone running a local project, volunteer group or charity-based scheme that makes a difference to people's lives or their community, to apply."

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Frame everything around economic and social inclusion: The foundation's core mission is promoting inclusion—ensure this thread runs through your entire application
Use SMART objectives rigorously: Applications are evaluated heavily on whether objectives are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timescaled
Demonstrate reach to Bernicia tenant communities: Priority goes to projects serving areas where Bernicia tenants live—research and reference these communities specifically
The three-year wait is gone: Previously funded organizations can now reapply immediately, so don't hesitate to submit if you've received past support
10-week decision timeline: Plan project start dates accordingly, knowing decisions typically come within 10 weeks of round closing
Partnership assessment model: Applications are reviewed by Community Foundation North East before trustee decision—ensure technical compliance with guidance
Be prepared for collaborative refinement: Foundation advisors may suggest objective refinements during review—build flexibility into your planning

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References

Accessed: December 2025