A NORTH-EAST prison, school and truck company are among the beneficiaries of a £10.5m grant.

The successful applicants to the Work/Life Balance Challenge Fund, to be paid over three years, were announced by Employment Relations Minister Alan Johnson yesterday.

Among them are seven North-East organisations: Cleveland Police, Hallgarth School, in Middlesbrough, Holme House Prison, in Stockton, Northern Rock, Middlesbrough (East) Management Services, Tees Valley Housing Group and Scania Trucks, of Washington, Wearside.

Richard Crouch, the governor of Holme House Prison, said: "The award will enable us to take forward the work we have already started on work-life balance issues.

"We hope to use our consultancy not only to survey and assess the needs of our staff, but also to help us bring about personalised patterns of working which reconcile their needs with those of the job."