FIVE not-for-profit organisations in the North-East have been awarded a combined £560,000 to help them contribute to regional economic development and address the issue of worklessness.

The investment marks the second round of funding from the £6m Third Sector Capacity Fund, created by regional development agency One North East.

The four-year project aims to help organisations develop ways of assisting people into work, delivering regeneration and boosting the sustainability of not-for-profit organisations – the third sector.

The organisations which received funding were:

● West Middlesbrough Neighbourhood Trust, which received £150,000 to address worklessness among young people not in employment, education or training;

● £111,000 for Groundwork North-East to address climate change;

● £50,000 for Waste Aware North-East to help improve the region’s waste management;

● More than £143,000 to the Angelou Centre, in Newcastle, to help Pakistani and Bangladeshi young women into work;

● Street League, in Newcastle, which received £105,300 to use sport as a powerful tool to help young people into work.

Beverley Park, One North East’s skills and economic inclusion manager, said: “It is essential we continue to back not-for-profit organisations, as they play an important role in the life and economy of the region and through this particular round of funding also address worklessness and improve communities.