Rural youngsters are among those to benefit from £175,000 in new grants from the Virgin Money Foundation.

Five projects across north-east England will benefit from the grants, with a focus on helping the homeless and supporting young people to find work.

They include £24,518 for the Wheels to Work initiative in County Durham.

The scooter hire scheme helps young people access employment, training or education that would otherwise not be possible due to poor public transport connections.

The Virgin Money Foundation award will be used to employ staff to operate the project across County Durham.

Young people who secure a job receive training on riding a scooter and are provided with a scooter to enable them to reach their place of work.

For young people growing up in rural County Durham, this innovative scheme opens up employment opportunities that previously were out of reach.

Wheels to Work chairman Feisal Jassat said: “We are really excited about this award, which will enable the Wheels to Work Project to offer support to young people across County Durham.

“It will particularly help those living in rural and isolated areas, enabling them to realise their ambitions and to take up job opportunities which otherwise may not have been possible.”

“We know that this scheme enables people not only to take up employment opportunities but also to be better socially connected to friends, family and the wider community.

“This too will be so important to the new beneficiaries of the scheme.”

Other beneficiaries include Southwick Neighbourhood Youth Project (£31,609), Hospitality and Hope (£33,800), Changing Lives (£50,000) and East Durham Business Services (£35,200).

Virgin Money Foundation executive director Nancy Doyle said the grants were the first of more than £1.2m that would be awarded by this summer.

She added: “Tackling the root causes of disadvantage is key to regenerating communities, and these grants are specifically aimed at helping people into work and addressing homelessness.”