Crowdfund Sunderland and partners pledge over £70,000 to local projects

The programme, which allows people to raise money for their communities through crowdfunding, is run by Sunderland City Council in partnership with Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group and crowdfunding platform Spacehive.

A total of £100,000 is available from the city council and its partners to support crowdfunding campaigns in Sunderland. Anybody can get behind the projects by donating through Spacehive, with pledges starting at £2.

Sunderland City Council's cabinet member for Vibrant City and project ambassador for Crowdfund Sunderland, Councillor Linda Williams, said: "The pandemic brought unprecedented challenges for many community groups but it is inspirational to see this fantastic range of projects come through as part of Crowdfund Sunderland, and I can't wait to see what the next round of projects will bring.

"I'd also like to encourage anyone who is interested to get involved and join us in offering support to project ideas so we can turbocharge the success of locally led campaigns."

Previous successful projects have included Beach Access North East, which has raised money for beach wheelchairs on Roker Beach, and My Sister's Kitchen, which crowdfunded to support domestic abuse survivors.

Caroline Corfield from Beach Access North East said: "We are blown away by the pledges we have received from the Crowdfund Sunderland partners, which take us to our target. The beach wheelchairs will make such a difference to those who have accessibility needs, ensuring everyone has an opportunity to enjoy the beach and improve their physical and mental wellbeing."

Jo Gordon from My Sister's Kitchen, said: "This project will ensure female survivors of domestic abuse and other gender-based violence can develop the skills to prepare and cook inexpensive, quick and nutritious meals. The support of all the community and the generous pledge from the Crowdfund Sunderland partners means so much to us and the women and families we work with."

Crowdfund Sunderland brings together residents and businesses to fund projects that communities want and need. Projects must receive pledges to hit their target, with Sunderland City Council and Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group match-funding the qualifying projects, alongside new funds recently secured from the National Lottery.

Since launching in 2020, a collective £388,914 has been raised through 1788 backers, with a total of 40 total projects have received support across different communities in Sunderland. They were assessed by Sunderland City Council, before commencing fundraising, to ensure the projects are viable and deliverable. These projects all work to support delivery of the City Plan, Neighbourhood Investment Plans, improve health and wellbeing, the environment and community resilience.

Find out more about Crowdfund Sunderland and how you can start your own project at www.sunderland.gov.uk/crowdfund-sunderland