Small Charity Spotlight: Friends Action North East (FANE)

This week is Small Charity Week 2026. To celebrate, each day we're going to feature a small charity and tell you about the amazing work that they do. Today's small but wonderful charity is... 

Friends Action North East (FANE)

Founded in 2004, Friends Action North East (FANE) helps people with autism and other disabilities to gain transferable skills that will help them to make and maintain sustainable friendships in their local communities. More than a befriending service, FANE is a charity that is genuinely shaped and led by the people that it works with, making sure that autistic and disabled voices shape and lead the charity’s direction. 

For many people with disabilities, once school or college finishes, it can be hard to find opportunities to be part of a social life, leading to many people being deeply isolated. FANE helps connect people so that they can offer each other mutual support, making everyday tasks like travel on public transport easier, but also creating the context for disabled and autistic people to be part of a social community. 

What do FANE do?

Alongside regular groups and friendship mentoring for their beneficiaries, FANE also runs a volunteering programme and offers training around offline and online relationships that has been co-designed by beneficiaries. 

Like many other small charities, FANE’s volunteers are at the core of the difference that they are able to make. Volunteering for small charities is a great way to gain experience, meet new people and give something back. If you’d like to find out more about FANE’s volunteering opportunities, follow this link.  

FANE have used Connected Voice’s Support and Development service when they were in search of funding to support their ongoing work. 

"The funding support and guidance helped us focus our fundraising efforts and gave us the confidence to pursue new funding opportunities more strategically."  Sally Evans, Charity Manager (FANE) 

If your organisation could benefit from support with anything mentioned above, please get in touch with our Support and Development team at connect@connectedvoice.org.uk or call us on 0191 232 7445.