New Vic Theatre secures award to support community work in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire

New Vic Theatre secures award to support community work in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire

29th June 2017

The New Vic Theatre has been unveiled as a winner of the Weston Charity Awards – becoming the only theatre to receive an award this year.

The award will see the theatre-in-the-round receive business mentoring and funding of £6,500 to support its award-winning community outreach programme Borderlines, and its Education team tackle social issues in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire head on.

The Weston Charity Awards give smaller charities across the North of England and the Midlands unrestricted funding from the Garfield Weston Foundation, plus access to strategic support and mentoring from business leaders through Pilotlight, a charity offering free, tailored strategic planning support to non-profit organisations.

The New Vic was among 17 award recipients who were announced in a celebration event held at Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum.

Fiona Wallace, New Vic Theatre Managing Director, said: “At New Vic Theatre we believe it’s important that the local communities of Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire have a sense of ownership and engage with the theatre at every level.  As one of only a few local arts organisations, our Community and Education teams ensure we are key to the cultural life of the region. We are committed to increasing aspirations, empowering communities to tackle complex social issues and making a real difference in our area.

“It was a real thrill to learn that we had been selected for this award. We believe in the power of theatre to change lives and our youth and community work is an integral part of our activity. Winning this award and working with Pilotlight will help us demonstrate the impact and the legacy of our projects and build this into our future planning. It will make a real difference for the communities we work with, and want to work with, in the future.”

Philippa Charles, Garfield Weston Foundation Director, said: “We are living through a period of unprecedented change. Charities must be resilient and sustainable if they are to support people through such disruptive times. This is why the Weston Charity Awards help charities become stronger, more effective and fit for the future.”


Article by Becky Loton

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