Harrogate fertility support group receives £500 funding boost thanks to train operator

The train operator asked its 7,000 employees to nominate charitable causes in their local communities to receive a slice of the £10,000 that was up for grabs.

The £500 grants to support on-going activity have been awarded to:

Positility in Harrogate, North Yorkshire

Activity Den in Tanfield Lea and Stanley, County Durham

Asylum Link in Liverpool, Merseyside

Children’s Book Project in Leeds, West Yorkshire

Dad Social North East in Durham, County Durham

Deysbrook Village Centre in Liverpool, Merseyside

Encephalitis International in Manchester, Greater Manchester and Newcastle, Tyne & Wear

Friends of Millhouse School in Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Greenbank Giants Boccia Club in Liverpool, Merseyside

Hygiene Bank in York, North Yorkshire

Lancaster Civic Society in Lancaster, Lancashire

Maverick Lab in Rochdale, Greater Manchester

Pelton Youth Project in Chester-Le-Street, County Durham

Street Treats in Manchester, Greater Manchester

Thrivin’ Together in Leeds, West Yorkshire

Walbottle Village Primary School in Newcastle, Tyne & Wear

Youth Practitioner Service across County Durham

Individual project grants were also awarded to:

New Horizons in Marple, Greater Manchester (£150) – to support maintenance of an accessible canal barge used by disabled groups to enjoy the countryside

Space4Autism in Macclesfield, Cheshire (£408) – to enable a group of 25 young people to visit an art gallery as part of an art project they have been working towards

Snape Men's Shed in Snape, North Yorkshire (£492) – to purchase tools for woodwork craft lessons designed to combat social isolation

Yorkshire Coast Sight Support in Scarborough, North Yorkshire (£450) – to purchase plants and gardening equipment for a new sensory ‘yarden’ (a garden without grass)

Carolyn Watson, director of stakeholder and community engagement at Northern, said: “These grants were all about supporting local causes across the North of England – and who better to advise us on the groups and projects that can really make a difference than our own employees, who live and work right across the length and breadth of our network.

“Worth a combined £10,000, these grants will help small, local groups deliver work in their communities that will have a real impact.”

Postility is a community group in Harrogate that provides support and information for women's pelvic health and fertility.

In a post on social media, Kim Olsson, Founder and Managing Director of Positility, said: “So thankful to have been awarded this grant which will go towards ensuring the monthly Endometriosis support meetup groups in Harrogate can continue in 2025.”

For more information about Positility, visit https://positility.com/