Vulnerable families across the Hunter will benefit from almost $650,000 in Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation grants.
The funds were awarded to seven regional community groups and charities, including four in the Hunter at a ceremony on Tuesday morning, May 9.
Among the recipients were Family Inclusion Strategies Hunter (FISH), who were given $94,831 to help local families strengthen their connections and identities.
FISH president Felicity Kime president said the funds would go to hosting an orientation workshop for parents new to the system and assist in advocacy in supporting family time.
"This [money] really helps parents. It's totally amazing and is going to help do so much more work with families," she said.
The Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation gave $55,000 to Solve-TAD to help provide freedom bikes to children living with disabilities and $50,000 to SMART Recovery that will train 20 Lifeline counsellors in the Hunter.
Solve-TAD lead engagement and marketing manager Meadhbh Roche said she was thrilled to receive funding to subsidise and fund custom bikes for children living with a disability.
"We're delighted because 20 to 40 per cent of our clients can't actually access the NDIS or personally purchase equipment, so to be able to have a charity partner is amazing. At least we have a pool of funding to be able to help them," she said.
Each project will make a difference in their communities for the future, Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation chair Jennifer Leslie said.
"Our vision is to help rewrite the future for people in need now and for generations to come, so when we look at the projects that we fund we're trying to look at projects that have a long lasting impact into the future not just a band-aid solution," she said.
This year the foundation celebrates its 20th anniversary. In the past two decades it has distributed more than $26 million.
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