A £60,000 grant secured through Durham Freemasons will bring advice services directly to families facing child poverty in a North East community.
The Freemasons’ Charity awarded the funding for a new Community Connectors service led by Stockton Citizens Advice.
Sarah McPhie, chief executive of Stockton Citizens Advice, said: "This funding will help us reach families with children from birth to five, offering advice and support with challenges such as household finances, relationships and energy bills.
Tom and Sarah meet with a user of the CAB Stockton service (Image: Keith Blundy)
"It will support a key member of staff to work directly in family hubs, playgroups and other places where parents of young children already go.
"By taking our service into the community, we can help families understand the support they are entitled to and access it sooner."
The scheme will put trained advisers in trusted places including family hubs, nurseries, schools, toddler groups and perinatal services.
Over two years, the project aims to reach 1,350 people.
Tom and Sarah meet with a user of the CAB Stockton service (Image: Keith Blundy)
Community Connectors will check benefits, help with applications, tackle practical problems and refer families to specialist services.
Families needing more help will get follow-up appointments or ongoing casework.
Working with midwives, health visitors and other frontline professionals, the service aims to reach families before problems escalate.
Tom and Sarah discuss how the grant will be used (Image: Keith Blundy)
Ms McPhie said: "Increasing household income can make an enormous difference to families experiencing poverty, but money alone does not solve every challenge.
"This project will allow us to work alongside other local services, bringing support around the whole family and helping give children a better start in life."
The approach builds on a similar scheme run in nine local schools that supported 387 families and secured £240,000 in extra income.
Tom and Sarah discuss how the grant will be used (Image: Keith Blundy)
The schools also reported better attendance and fewer crisis referrals.
Tom Gittins, an assistant head of Durham Freemasons and a Stockton Citizens Advice trustee, welcomed the funding.
Mr Gittins said: "Having worked across three schools serving very different communities, I have seen the pressures families face and their effect on children's lives and education.
Tom and Sarah at the CAB Stockton Hub (Image: Keith Blundy)
"As a trustee, I want to use that experience to help Stockton Citizens Advice reach families who need support.
"Bringing advice into familiar community settings can make a real difference, not only to children and their parents, but also to the grandparents and others who help care for them.
"The application was made before I became a trustee, and I only learnt about it after the grant had been awarded.
"I was absolutely delighted, both as a trustee and as a Durham Freemason, to see this support for an organisation whose work is changing lives in our community."
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The Freemasons' Charity is the project’s main funder, covering nearly half its total cost.
Stockton Citizens Advice is also discussing a possible contribution with the council’s public health team and will cover the rest from its own budget.
The scheme aims to build parents’ confidence, ease financial pressure and help families get support before problems become critical.