Welcome to the March to April edition of Citylife.
Newcastle and Gateshead have seen some dramatic improvements to their landscape of late, which were carefully planned over the last few years. Newcastle has now joined forces with Gateshead Council to plan what should happen over the next 20 years, and you can find out how you can get involved in the shaping your future.
We’ve got more information about Play in Newcastle. We spent sometime with the Gala Field Youth Centre during the half term break to see adventurous play in action.
And, talking about children, we’ve got some great stories about how young people across the city are doing fab things. We discover how Lusi is finding out what children from other countries who live in Newcastle think about the city and how to make their lives better. We speak to Donna and Carmel in Walker who are sharing their achievements with people as part of the Living Book project. We’re also expecting great things from Adam, whose family has become involved with the Home Access Programme.
Doreen Percival uses a Shopmobility scooter to get around the city centre and we went along to find out how using it helps her. We’ve also been to see Shenene in Riverside Dene, who can’t wait for her refurbished flat in The Sycamores to be ready in April.
Ever wondered how many friends and family you could fit inside a bubble? Intrigued? Be sure then to book your places for the Newcastle ScienceFest running from 12 until 21 March, where there’s lots of fun for all the family.
So, March and April are shaping up to be busy months. We hope you enjoy them!
Janet Graham-Russell and the Citylife team
News
Greggs get a gongGreggs was officially presented with the Honorary Freedom of Newcastle upon Tyne at the Civic Centre’s Banqueting Hall on Monday 1 February.
Bringing peace and harmony to NewcastleThe Archbishop of York was at the Civic Centre last month to deliver the first ever City for Peace lecture.
Ahoy there… city’s new ship makes first visit homeNext month sees the arrival of Newcastle’s adopted destroyer when she makes her first visit to the Tyne.
Whoopee for St Andrew’s WayThe new extension to Eldon Square opened its doors on 16 February, making it one of the biggest, most modern and exciting shopping destinations in the UK.
Royal opening for student buildingHaving a junior royal living in the city has meant that Newcastle has become something of a royal hotspot recently.
One less thing to think about Did you know that you can sign up to pay your 2010/2011 council tax by a direct debit date of your choice?
Discover deals for great days outThe Discover Pass is back and jam-packed with more great deals and discounts.
Happy to be gay-friendlyWe’ve leapt up a league table which lists Britain’s top 100 employers for gay staff, and confirms our ranking as the best council for LGB staff in the North East.
Features
By George! Who?We hope that other groups and communities in the city will join us to mark St George’s Day on 23 April.
Active NewcastleCelebrating women with Active Newcastle
Don’t lose your right to vote!There will be local elections in Newcastle on Thursday 6 May 2010.
Wellbeing in NewcastleWhat does well-being mean? And our commitment to well-being is recognised by WHO
Let your imagination come out to play at ScienceFest!Enjoy a family day out with a difference, as the Newcastle ScienceFest returns to the city with a 10-day bumper programme of unique experiences.
Fresh air and historyNewcastle City Guides have been taking people on walking tours around the city and beyond for almost 50 years.
Have your say on local bus linksYou’ll shortly be asked to give your views on a major new review of bus services in Newcastle, aimed at improving local and socially-important links.
One Core Strategy – planning for the futureNewcastle’s working with Gateshead Council to plan what we do with our land. This makes sense because sometimes people want to develop land that lies in both Gateshead and Newcastle and this can cause problems. This is called the One Core Strategy.
Find out what you’re entitled toWhen Mrs Smith went to a ward meeting at a local community centre, she didn’t realise she’d come out of it with the contacts which would help her husband and her financially.
Lovin’ Riverside DeneLove was what brought Shenene Fontelle, 31, to Newcastle five years ago. She met her partner, Paul, at university in North London. It took a while, but finally Shenene decided to take the plunge and move up to the north east, where Paul came from.
On the road home to recoveryOnly last November Stanley Jones, 88, was in hospital for a major operation – not that you’d believe it. Just a month later he was involved in filming a DVD and was back in his own home enjoying the run up to Christmas.
TV or not TV? There’s no question about itIf you don’t have a TV licence you could end up with a fine of up to £1,000.
Bring back the 1970s!Tyne Bridge Publishing needs your help…
Community Payback successWe need you to tell us where there’s more work for offenders
Shopping with DoreenNothing stops Doreen Percival from doing her shopping in Newcastle – not even breaking her pelvis
Safe NeighbourhoodsSafe Neighbourhoods is working to make your local area safer. You can also say ‘no’ to crime and anti-social behaviour by getting involved in the work we do.
Regulars
News from Newcastle PCTNewcastle PCT tell us about your right to make your healthcare decisions, swine flu and the telltale signs of cancer
News from Bridging Newcastle GatesheadBridging NewcastleGateshead (BNG) is working to create great places to live in parts of Newcastle and Gateshead. Want to know more? Visit www.bridgingng.org.uk, email info@bridgingng.org.uk or phone 0191 277 2666
Are you struggling with your finances?If you’re struggling to make ends meet we can help lighten the load.
Our NewcastleWe've asked you to do a number of things over the last couple of years to help look after our city. We're now asking you to do one more thing.
Do you benefit?Benefit rules change all the time. Here are a few examples you may find useful.
Competition winnersFind out whether who won our competitions from our January to February issue.
Community News
Waltzing with MedactMedact is a national charity set up by doctors. They work with International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, which was set up by two heart doctors who agreed that nuclear war was far more of a threat than heart disease while in a lift at conference in 1980.
More community newsFind out what else is going on in your community.
Great news for Parentline Plus North EastThanks to the passion of its volunteers, the North East’s Parentline Plus has been saved to help parents another day.
Snug as a dog in a rugThanks to one 90 year old at Chirton Resource Centre, the animals at Newcastle Dog and Cat Shelter are going to be toasty warm in the coming months.
Every Child Matters
Newcastle is a great place to grow upFind out what our vision is for the Newcastle Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP) 2010-13.
Living out loudThree feisty school girls from Walker have been challenging people’s perceptions of teenagers. As living books, they’re changing people’s minds about what teenagers get up to in their spare time.
On the path to playIn our last issue of Citylife we told you how Newcastle had become a Play Pathfinder, and how we’re leading the way in promoting and improving play through creative and innovative approaches to developing community play opportunities. And this isn’t just in Newcastle – it’s across the country.
Lusi leads the wayLusi Manukyan is leading the way in one of our projects, Future Leaders. They’re going to find out what young people from ‘emerging communities’ think of living in Newcastle and how we can make their lives better.
Free computers!The Home Access Programme is a government scheme to help children get a computer if their family can’t afford one.