Pride of Britain is offering local community heroes a share of £100k

Poppy Brown won the Rising Star Award at the North East Charity Awards 2024
-Credit: (Image: Iain Buist/Newcastle Chronicle)


To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards, a new fund of £100,000 has been launched to support community heroes. It means local heroes could land a grant up to £2,500 to help them boost their communities.

One charity doing amazing things for their local community that would make worthy recipients of such a grant is the Chopwell Regeneration Group (CRG). Formed by residents proud of their past and passionate to improve their future, volunteers from the village have worked together to create a lasting and impactful community spirit.

"Chopwell Regeneration Group was founded by residents of Chopwell in 2017 and became a charity in 2019. Its aims are to work with our community to regenerate and revitalise our village, and to improve the lives and life chances of local people," explains Poppy Brown, apprentice at CRG.

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"Creating a lasting and long-term difference in our village is at the core of what we want to achieve. From increasing skills and employment to reducing social isolation - we exist to grow the prosperity, pride and dignity felt by the people who live here."

Poppy, who recently won the Rising Star Award at the September North East Charity Awards 2024, spoke to ChronicleLive about what the achievement meant to her: "I feel proud of winning the Rising Star award and proud to be recognised for all my hard work. It’s a big achievement and I hope it will help me later on when I’m looking for new roles in the future.

Sarah Cotton, Jackie Quincey, Terry Yellowley, Jessica Armstrong and Ian Fraser at 'The Bank' community cafe in Chopwell in 2022
Sarah Cotton, Jackie Quincey, Terry Yellowley, Jessica Armstrong and Ian Fraser at 'The Bank' community cafe in Chopwell in 2022 -Credit:Newcastle Chronicle

"My role at Chopwell Regeneration Group is Front of House Apprentice in the café at The Bank. I work with the Front of House Manager to run the café and support lots of volunteers. I also help with running learning activities held in the café such as kids holiday club and the weekly craft group."

"Building on the success of smaller projects, our first major project was the refurbishment of the former Lloyds Bank in the centre of the village to create a welfare and enterprise centre. Opening the café at The Bank in March 2022 has enabled us to provide pay-what-you-feel hot meals and take-away food, work placements and apprenticeships in the kitchen and café, a range of community activities and facilities for small or start-up enterprises.

"Our latest large project is The Regeneration Shop - a repair shop and social space supporting people in the village to learn repair skills and upcycle electronics, clothing and homeware. The shop runs a volunteer-led repair service, preventing local residents from having to buy new products or sending broken items to landfill. We also run a community allotment and support a range of village activities."

The community market, which acts more like a foodbank, has allowed shoppers to grab groceries and surplus food provided from supermarkets through FareShare at a reduced price. Wellbeing drop-ins and a Family Hub are just a couple of the activities making a difference to improve the village

Jessica Armstrong at 'The Bank' community cafe in Chopwell
Jessica Armstrong at 'The Bank' community cafe in Chopwell -Credit:Newcastle Chronicle

CRG was also recently awarded the Janette Kirton-Darling Memorial Prize for its community-led drive and determination to change the lives and opportunities for people in the local community. Charities like this are the perfect example of deserving recipients that could be nominated for the Pride of Britain Fund.

Local heroes could land up to £2,500 to help them boost their communities, thanks to the new fund, which has been set up to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards. Grants of £2,500, £1,000 and £500 are available as part of the Pride of Britain Fund’s £100,000 giveaway for good causes, and you can nominate the people or groups who you think should receive it.

It could be someone who devotes their time to make sure older people have companionship and a warm meal, or an unsung hero who spruces up the high street with flowers. It may also be a sports club, where volunteers give kids a safe space to play, or a youth group putting people on the path to a brighter future.

The £100,000 giveaway is part of celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards, which are screened on ITV1 later in the autumn. The fund, a charity that aims to spread the Pride of Britain spirit, was set up to help charities and community organisations across the UK.

The Pride of Britain team will create a shortlist, but the final decision will rest with local communities all over the country, so you will be able to vote on who gets the funding in your area. To apply, go to reachforms.co.uk/POB to access the online form.