Nine Redcar-based community groups are celebrating after scooping a share of cash grants totalling £20,000.

The money has been made available by Northern Gas Networks (NGN), who are developing a proposal for parts of Redcar to use locally produced, low carbon hydrogen from 2025.

Local organisations were invited to bid for Redcar Hydrogen Community Fund grants of up to £5,000 to support projects making a positive change in communities of Warrenby, Coatham or Kirkleatham.

The successful groups, who picked up their cheques at the recent official opening of the town’s new Hydrogen Hub, are:

• Footprints in the Community: £5,000 towards food, fuel and winter kit as part of their valued work reducing poverty and isolation across Redcar and Cleveland.
• Redcar Baptist Church: £2,750 to help fund 25-week programme of weekly four-hour warm space and drop-in sessions for residents to get a free home cooked meal and hot drinks.
• Imaginarium Creative Studios: £2,750 towards a community arts programme, HYPED (Helping Young People Empower Diversely), education workshops, events, and a creative café.
• Groundwork Northeast and Cumbria: £2,750 to fund land & communities sessions at Kirkleatham Museum and Grounds, in partnership with Harmony Food Revolution.
• South Gare Litter Pickers: £2,750 for storage, a larger trailer and tools to support the clearance of litter and historic fly-tipped rubbish from South Gare, Bran Sands and Coatham Sands SSSI.
• MAP: £1,000 towards projects supporting refugees and asylum seekers placed in the area.
• Coatham House Project: £1,000 towards new IT equipment for the charity, which provides vital help and support homeless young people aged 16 to 24.
• The Link Charitable Trust: £1,000 to extend the reach of its Silver Link programme – a weekly group for people aged 65+ to socialise, play bingo, and access a range of advice and support.
• The Chris Cave Foundation: £1,000 to help the Foundation educate young people in the district about the dangers, consequences and ripple affect knife and violent crime can impose on a community.

Melanie Taylor, Head of Stakeholder Relations at Northern Gas Networks, said: “There was a huge amount of interest in the Redcar Hydrogen Community Fund from the many groups around Redcar who are doing some amazing work for the young, the old and the vulnerable in the community.

“The organisations we’ve chosen for this round of grants have demonstrated that they’re already making a positive difference for local people and hopefully this will give them an extra boost as we head into what is likely to be a difficult winter.”

Groundwork North East & Cumbria Project Manager Stephanie West said: “We’re extremely grateful to Northern Gas Networks for their grant. It has supported in enabling our Youth Shack project to continue beyond its pilot year, helping young people to build confidence and skills whilst connecting with local communities through outdoor green projects. The fund will cover transport, food and activities at the Kirkleatham project, which given the current cost of living crisis is vital now more than ever.”

Redcar Baptist Church’s Mark Hubbard added: “With the rising cost of living and so many having to think twice before reaching for the thermostat, it’s fantastic to be able to offer a warm space in the heart of our community where anyone can come to keep warm and connect with others over some good home made food.  A huge thank you to the Redcar Hydrogen Community from all at Redcar’s United Reformed Church for supporting this project.”