A CHARITY has won four awards and secured funding for its work in steering young people away from crime.

Northumberland Coalition Against Crime, a regional mentoring charity, has won four prestigious awards, as well as secured substantial funding, for its pivotal work which steers children and young people from crime by providing vital one to one mentoring support.

NCAC was awarded High Sheriff Awards by the Community Foundation Tyne and Wear and Northumberland, from their Northumberland and Tyne and Wear High Sheriff's funds, and gained two additional awards for its Outstanding Mentoring Contribution in the region and the County Award.

It also secured substantial funding securing its future, enabling the charity to strengthen its ongoing support for some of the most complex and challenging young people in the region.

Heather Armstrong, Head of NCAC Youth and Community Programmes, said: "The need for the support we provide has never been more apparent, especially following the aftermath of the pandemic. We are delighted at these accolades. Our fantastic, dedicated team of staff and volunteers have worked tirelessly and safely through the pandemic, providing critical face to face support to more than 1,000 children, young people, and families across the North East."

In April, NCAC also secured vital three year funding from the Henry Smith Charity and funding from the Community Foundation Tyne and Wear and Northumberland.

A representative from The Henry Smith Charity said: "We were particularly impressed with the intensive, holistic, and long-term nature of your mentoring support and your wrap-around support with families providing much-needed family therapy."

To maximise this opportunity, it has a current call out to recruit 20 new volunteer mentors, with skills-based training starting in June. This thorough training is a rolling program throughout the year.

NCAC supports more than 1,000 young people each year, providing one to one targeted weekly mentoring sessions and educational crime prevention workshops.

High Sheriff of Northumberland, Joanna Riddell, said: "I believe the work of Northumbria Coalition Against Crime is inspirational, and as The High Sheriff of Northumberland, I am so pleased to see the early intervention work of this wonderful charity."

For more information on becoming a volunteer mentor, email recruitment@thecoaltion.org.uk.