Sunderland charity Grace House to receive £20,000 donation

Sunderland charity Grace House, which supports disabled young people and their families, is among 13 good causes across Britain set to share in a £220,000 donation.

Every year the Irwin Mitchell Charities Foundation (IMCF), the charitable arm of the well-known law firm, nominates charities and community organisations.

The Southwick-based charity is to receive £19,906.

Grace House provides a range of services to enrich the lives of children and young people diagnosed with a disability, or who are undergoing a diagnosis.

The grants are organised by the IMCF, an independent charity founded in 1997 which has raised over £3 million for good causes in the UK and overseas.

Among the other 12 charities in 2024 are The Great North Air Ambulance and a range of hospitals and care organisations.

The donation to Grace House North East will be used to provide a comprehensive life skills and work experience programme for disabled young people aged between 12 and 25.

Victoria Brown CEO of Grace House, said: “We’re delighted to receive this donation from the IMCF, as it will make such a huge difference to the lives of disabled young people that we support.

“Disabled young people are twice as likely to be unemployed compared to the rest of the population within the UK, and we aim to address this imbalance by providing a work and life skills programme for them.”

Ashlee Coates, one of the colleagues at Irwin Mitchell who nominated the charity, said: “Grace House is a local charity based in Sunderland which was opened in 2003 and supports local disabled children, young people, and their families.

“They strive to create a fairer world and work to inspire and empower individuals to manage challenges, offering various workshops, youth, and social groups, and even work experience placements.

"The charity is a lifeline for many North East families and Irwin Mitchell have seen first-hand the importance of the work they do.”

In March Grace House celebrated the launch of its new charity, Grace House Graduates, at their Bardolph Drive headquarters. The focus of the new charity is to support disabled people 18 years and over.