Foundations are laid for a bright future
BUILDING SOCIETY BACKING COMMUNITY SPORTS HUB
A project by Newcastle United’s community charity to set up a sports hub close to St James’ Park has won more than £1million backing from Newcastle Building Society.
The building society has become the Newcastle United Foundation’s regional community after pledging £1.1m towards the development of the Murray House Recreation Centre in the city’s west end into a hub for sports, education and wellbeing.
The partnership will support the centre’s operations over a six-year period, and see the building society take the naming rights to the centre.
As part of its commitment to communities in the North East, North Yorkshire and Cumbria, Newcastle Building Society will also become a partner of the Foundation’s NU:Futures programme, an outreach programme targeting thousands of schoolchildren plus hundreds of young people not in education, employment and training across North of Tyne.
The support for the Foundation follows the building society’s backing of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, which has raised more than £2.5m through a dedicated ISA over the last eight years.
Newcastle Building Society chief executive Andrew Haigh said: “We are delighted to have made this long-term commitment to Newcastle United Foundation at a time when it is so important to support our communities and invest in the future of young people in our region.
“It’s more important than ever that we work together to drive the region’s recovery and find ways to help those who need it most. Youth employability is key to this, so we’re excited to team up with the Foundation and support their valuable work for the next six years, and benefit thousands of people across the North East.
“The Foundation’s new centre to be built on the site of Murray House is an amazing, inspiring and innovative project that will deliver positive outcomes for young people for years to come.
“I couldn’t be more proud that Newcastle Building Society will be part of that future.”
The Newcastle United Foundation took ownership of Murray House, originally used to provide training opportunities for men and boys as shipbuilding declined in the 1930s, last year.
The project to set up a sports and community hub on the site has already won backing of £2.6m from the North of Tyne Combined Authority as well as “substantial” grants from the Sir James Knott Trust and Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust. It is hoped the centre could open next year.
Sarah Medcalf, deputy head of the Newcastle United Foundation, said: “We’re thrilled to have a major North East institution like Newcastle Building Society working with us at such an exciting and historic time for the Foundation.
“Covid-19 will have a lasting impact on all levels of society, but it’s important that organisations like the Foundation and its partners support our region’s most vulnerable young people and communities.
“We’re confident that the Murray House redevelopment will create a safe space to support young people and bring communities together, ensuring that disadvantaged and vulnerable young people remain connected, engaged and mobilised.”