Northern Rock Foundation boss thanks supporters

Jun 20 2009 by Paul Loraine, The Journal

THE chairman of Northern Rock Foundation has thanked all those who supported the organisation through a turbulent year, in the charity’s annual review.

Alastair Balls opens the recently published review of 2008 by noting the “interesting times” which saw Northern Rock move into public ownership.

He then pays tribute to the many supporters of the foundation, which works to “tackle disadvantage and improve quality of life in North East England and Cumbria.”

He writes: “The trustees and I would like to show our appreciation to the huge numbers of politicians, local and national, directors of national charities, representatives of local charities, good causes, community and business support groups in the North, who came out so vociferously in our support during Northern Rock plc’s troubled period, citing the bank’s and our record in philanthropy, and unequivocally endorsing and supporting the Foundation’s record in effective grant-giving.

“It is without doubt the case that this public (and private) support was the major factor in persuading the Chancellor to pledge continuing assistance to the Foundation from Northern Rock, and to such a generous degree. We thank you for this and hope by continuing our efforts to go some way to justify your confidence in us.”

Mr Balls also wrote positively about the new board and upper echelons at Northern Rock who have continued to recognise the importance of the foundation’s work.

“We are pleased to note that we have now been able to establish a good relationship with the new board and management of Northern Rock who show the same keen interest in the Foundation’s activities,” he wrote. “We, the trustees, were most grateful for this recognition of the value of what we do. We proceeded to make plans accordingly to maintain our work, albeit at a level reduced from recent years, but nevertheless sufficient to enable to us to continue to make a significant contribution.

“We chose to concentrate our resources on three grant programmes that dealt with matters of social justice, directly targeting the needs of some of our area’s most disadvantaged people.”

Meanwhile, the Foundation’s director Fiona Ellis said the economic climate meant their role was even more important. The role of independent grant-makers like us is all the more important in times of hardship.

“Not only does a foundation of our scale assist with immediate needs and problems as our many grants to frontline organisations show, but we have opportunity, ability and, in my view, responsibility to look further and make strategic investments that address future needs and circumstances.”