Futurebuilders is today celebrating the official opening of its office in Newcastle, four months after the launch of the £125m investment fund.

Richard Gutch, chief executive of Futurebuilders said: “We are absolutely delighted to have our operational base in Newcastle. We wanted to be able to show that we are an organisation for the whole of England and what better place to come than the north-east?”

Futurebuilders is run by a voluntary and community sector consortium, whose members include Charity Bank, Unity Trust Bank, the Northern Rock Foundation and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations. Backed by the Home Office, its aim is to “strengthen the contribution of voluntary and community organisations to public service delivery in the key areas of health and social care; crime; community cohesion; education and learning; and service for children and young people in England”.

Applications for grants opened in July and the first awards are due to be announced in the autumn. For more information about the fund visit www.futurebuilders-england.org.uk