Millions of pounds will be spent on changing the lives of vulnerable people across Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland.
A joint bid by a local partnership, led by Redcar and Cleveland and Middlesbrough Councils, has seen £3.1m allocated to the area from the Changing Futures programme, a £64 million joint initiative by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK.
The funding will be used to help individuals whose lives have been affected by issues including homelessness, substance misuse, mental health issues, domestic abuse and contact with the criminal justice system.
Across Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland, individuals who have personal experience of similar challenges will be involved in assisting others to tackle their problems.
This tailored support can succeed in transforming lives and reducing the overall cost to the taxpayer by reducing pressure on emergency services.
Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland councils worked with partners across housing, criminal justice, voluntary and community sectors, amongst others, to create a South Tees bid, in an effort to spread access to improved services across a wider area.
Councillor Steve Kay, Cabinet Member for Health, Housing and Welfare at Redcar and Cleveland Council said:
“We are absolutely delighted to have received this funding. It is crucial that people in these situations get the cross-agency support they need to help them make a positive change and get on with their lives.
“The funding will allow us to put together teams of key workers, including people who are experts by experience. Their knowledge and advice will go such a long way to putting strategies in place which really work."
Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston said: “As a Council we always must strive to be a force for social good.
“We're well aware we have social problems that go back decades and for too long have held our town back.
“This cash will help transform futures and ultimately reduce pressure on social care budgets and those of the police and NHS.
“We'll always aim to give people the best possible chance to lead a healthy, safe and prosperous life."
South Tees Joint Director of Public Health, Mark Adams, said:
“Our teams do important work to influence people's lives and support them to make positive changes on a daily basis.
“We always want to do more though and go deeper into the issues that affect individuals' lives and can have a knock-on effect on family life and wider society.
“This funding will allow us to work ever closer with partners and give people the best chance of contributing positively to their communities."
The Changing Futures Programme is for local organisations to work in partnership to better support those who experience multiple disadvantages.