At the heart of Middlesbrough, where 68% of children in some wards live in poverty, an extraordinary collaboration is taking place. Led by local women and powered by a partnership between Turn2us, Buttle UK and Smallwood Trust, the Middlesbrough Collaboration is transforming traditional approaches to grant-making and tackling gendered and child poverty head-on. This programme isn’t just about distributing grants; it empowers families, creates long-term solutions, and changes the system from within.
How the Collaboration Began
Buttle UK, Turn2us and Smallwood Trust began discussing how to break away from traditional grant-making and explore more radical ways to help. We wanted the people receiving our grants to help design the programmes and considered how combining resources could increase impact.
As Joseph Howes, CEO of Buttle UK, said, “There have been challenges of course...building trust takes time. But if we didn’t take that time, making decisions as a group or giving honest feedback would have slowed us down, and we would have gotten in the way of the Middlesbrough group creating the change they wanted to see.”
It took over two years of honest discussion before we launched the collaborative programme, committing £1 million over three years. We hired a programme manager and selected Middlesbrough as our focus area.
Why Middlesbrough?
Middlesbrough faces some of the highest child poverty rates in the UK. For many women, especially those from racially minoritised backgrounds or living with disabilities, this is an overwhelming reality. The Middlesbrough Collaboration addresses these challenges by centring the voices of those most affected, creating a model that could be replicated across the North East and beyond.
Building a Community-Driven Model
The innovation at the heart of the Middlesbrough Collaboration is its commitment to co-production. Local women were involved from the start, ensuring their lived experiences shaped the support they received. Nisha, a local participant, shared how a grant changed her family’s life:
“When I got a grant, the first thing I did was buy a sofa. My children were overjoyed! It was the first time I felt like I could give them a real home.”
This isn’t just about financial relief; it’s about restoring dignity and creating opportunities for women to regain control over their lives.
Rama, founder of Creative Minds Middlesbrough, echoed this:
“This programme is about more than financial support. It gave us the chance to be part of something bigger, to help women rise, feel valued, and take control of their futures.”
The Power of Partnership
What makes this programme truly unique is its collaborative nature. Turn2us, Buttle UK and Smallwood Trust have pooled their expertise and resources, creating a unified front to tackle the root causes of poverty. The programme has already distributed £50,000 in grants to 50 women, with another £50,000 scheduled this year.
As Rutendo Ngwena, Programme Manager for the Smallwood Trust, said,
“There is an African proverb that says, if you want to go far, go together. This collaboration enabled us to put our trust in community organisations that understand Middlesbrough and the challenges here.”
Irene Kabuye, Founder of Ubuntu Multicultural Centre, spoke about the importance of this initiative:
"Imagine, after three years, a mum can finally cook homemade meals for her kids because she got a grant to buy a cooker. This programme is more than financial aid; it’s about restoring dignity and enabling mothers to care for their families in ways they haven’t been able to before."
The collaboration also reaches beyond financial grants, offering education, financial counselling, and peer-mentoring opportunities. It’s about creating long-term change, not just short-term fixes.
Key Learnings on Collaboration
Bringing Buttle UK, Smallwood Trust, and Turn2us together was challenging. Each organisation had red lines about what we would or could not do. We developed new budgeting and planning processes, including legal advice on pooling funds. Flexibility and a commitment to deeper impact have been essential.
We developed new budgeting and planning processes, including legal advice on pooling funds. Flexibility and a commitment to deeper impact have been essential.
Collaborating with community organisations has also been a learning curve. Shifting power to communities meant residents didn’t always know what we wanted. Collaboration takes longer. Community partners, often run by volunteers, may prioritise urgent support over emails.
We had to be open to learning from the community and adapting as we went along. What worked initially wasn’t always what was needed later, and that’s okay. Collaboration requires adaptability and a willingness to listen.
Sharing the Learning
One of the goals of the Middlesbrough Collaboration is to share this model widely, ensuring it can be replicated across the UK. Reports from the October 2024 launch highlight the programme’s success and systemic barriers that need addressing, such as access to diverse food, mentoring, and healthcare.
The programme’s evaluation shows promising results: 92% of grant recipients reported improved well-being, and over half said their children were happier as a direct result of the financial support.
Our next step is to work with women and children to design a programme that can have longer-lasting impacts on their financial security, and to partner with other charities and decision-makers across the region.
A Blueprint for Tackling Poverty
The success of the Middlesbrough Collaboration is a testament to the power of community-led solutions and collaborative funding. Amanda Bailey, Director of the North-East Child Poverty Commission, said:
“The Middlesbrough collaboration demonstrates a powerful approach to tackling child poverty at its roots. Supporting women benefits entire families, and this initiative serves as a blueprint for other areas looking to make a lasting impact.”
As the programme progresses, it’s clear that this is more than a local initiative – it’s a model for tackling the most pressing social issues of our time.
The Role of Foundations and Funders
This programme serves as a call to action for other funders and foundations. It demonstrates what’s possible when organisations come together, share resources, and put power in the hands of the communities they serve. As charities across the UK consider how to respond to the challenges of our times, the Middlesbrough Collaboration offers a powerful example of how collaborative grant-making and co-production can drive systemic change and create sustainable impact.
With ongoing support from partners and local women’s leadership, the potential to expand this model across the UK is immense.
