Our Funders

North Tyneside Council & Northumberland County Council

The North Tyneside Domestic Abuse Strategy sets out how we can help people and communities in North Tyneside become free from the harm of domestic abuse and violence, and reflects the breadth of commitment from all local stakeholders to tackle domestic abuse, recognising that it is everyone’s business. Similarly, in Northumberland, the Domestic Abuse Strategy outlines how the County Council will implement the recommendations of the refreshed Domestic Abuse needs assessment and the statutory duties associated with the provision of safe accommodation and support as required by the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. Acorns is delighted to receive funding from both North Tyneside Council and Northumberland County Council in order to participate as one of many agencies addressing issues affecting children and their families as a result of domestic abuse in our region.

Northumbria Police & Crime Commissioner

We are extremely grateful to have been awarded grants by the Northumbria PCC: Supporting Victims Fund. We know from our work that early intervention and support can make a huge difference to adults, children and young people who have gone through experiences of domestic abuse, giving them the best possible chance of recovery. It is imperative that families are able to reach out, and when they do, that our services are there for them, not just in the short term, but over the coming months and years, and these grants will ensure that we are able to continue our work.

Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland

We are extremely lucky to have received support from various philanthropic individuals and organisations through the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland. We have used the funding that we received to help mitigate the pandemic’s damaging effects on levels of domestic violence and food poverty in North Tyneside, whilst remaining flexible and responsive in our approach to tackling the needs of our beneficiaries and expanding our staff team. Funding applications for project work can take months to be processed, so grants such as this, coming at a time of our greatest need, made an immediate difference to the children and young people who access our services, and their families.

St James Place Foundation

St James Place Foundation is currently one of the largest corporate foundation in the UK, supporting hundreds of charities every year through our grant-making programmes. The Foundation was set up in 1992 as a way for the staff and advisers of St. James’s Place plc (SJP) to give back in their communities. More than 30 years on, and the support of the SJP community has helped raise millions of pounds for charities and become one of the largest corporate foundations in the UK. We are thrilled to announce that we have been awarded funding of £10,000 for three years, for which we are extremely grateful.

Ballinger Charitable Trust

The Ballinger Charitable Trust was founded in 1994 and seeks to support charities, CICs and community groups in North-East England, through grants and funding, and award grants to organisations supporting children and young people throughout the North-East, supporting their health, development and well-being, particularly those within a community experiencing disadvantage, and who have open access, long term, open-ended relationships with young people. The trust has generously awarded Acorns £16,500 each year for 3 years to be used wherever it is most needed. We are very grateful for this support.

Coutts Foundation

The mission of the Coutts Foundation is to support sustainable approaches to tackle the causes and consequences of poverty, in the communities where Coutts has a presence. Building on the legacy of Thomas Coutts and Angela Burdett-Coutts, the grand-daughter of Thomas Coutts, who was a progressive 19th-century philanthropist, the Foundation currently focuses on work that supports vulnerable women and girls and work that empowers young people through the performing arts. In 2026, Acorns became the very grateful recipient of £46,000 each year for 3 years, to be used wherever it is most needed. We look forward to using this generous funding to continue our important work with children and young people.

Reece Family Trust (formerly LGA Foundation)

Reece Family Trust was established by Sue and John Reece MBE. Born and raised in Newcastle, John is an engineer and entrepreneur who led two successful international engineering businesses – Soil Machine Dynamics (SMD) and Pearson Engineering Limited – before founding the Reece Group. Sue is passionate about the North East and all it has to offer having lived in the region for over 40 years. The Trust aims to support organisations that are involved with improving the health and wellbeing of others. We are very grateful to have received £10,000 per year for 2 years. This generous grant will be essential in helping Acorns provide our valuable services. The Trust also regularly supports our Christmas Appeal, helping us to ensure that our most vulnerable families get what they need at a difficult time of year.