11th Nov 2022 InfoNOW News

11th Nov 2022 InfoNOW News

Family and Relationships

New information on InformationNOW

Arguments between couples are a normal part of any relationship and if resolved in a constructive way, can be a good example for children. However, if your arguments are frequent and not resolved it can lead to a breakdown in communication. This can have a negative impact on your relationship and your children’s wellbeing. Support is available:

Click offers relationship support for help with building trust, parenting together or apart, sex and intimacy, recovering from lies or cheating, break ups and much more. Our relationships affect every aspect of our lives. To learn how to make yours work better, create a free account – share questions and stories with the community, try fun and helpful activities, or get private support from a Click listener.

Between Us is an app to help you have a better relationship with your partner now or in the future. The app helps individuals and couples to understand better what’s going wrong in your relationship and do something about it. Download the app from your app store for

  • a range of exercises and tips
  • videos
  • information

The Family Partner Team at Newcastle City Council help people having problems in their relationships. They can talk to you to find out what kind of support you need and help you to get free specialist support. Parents with children aged 4 to 12 years can get help to improve their communication and problem-solving skills, anger and depression management and find ways to give and get support. They can help with intensive relationship support.

Pets and animals in the cost of living crisis

It can be expensive looking after a pet. As the cost of living increases you may worry if you can afford to have a pet. Food, vet bills, vaccinations, health checks and flea and worming treatments for your pet can be expensive. If you don’t have pet insurance and your pet becomes unwell or has an accident you may need to pay for medical care, an operation or medicines.

PDSA PetAid Hospital provides free veterinary care for owners who can’t afford private vet fees. This includes treatment for all popular domestic pets, such as dogs, cats, rabbits and hamsters. To qualify for help from the PDSA, you must live within the catchment area of a PDSA PetAid hospital or practice, and you must be in receipt of either Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit.

PDSA cost of living hub has more information about support available to help pet owners with health care and pet food costs.

Read more on InformationNOW about:

Grey Street improvements support the greener city plans

Newcastle City Council has announced new plans for Grey Street, which will result in a greener, more welcoming space and help the city achieve its carbon zero ambitions.

Following a review of the proposed scheme by the new Leader of the Council and his Cabinet, the council has confirmed that:

  • Pavements will be permanently widened to make it easier for people to enjoy and use the street.
  • There will be a dedicated northbound route for cycling.
  • All pay and display parking will be removed to reduce levels of traffic on the street.
  • There will also be dedicated loading bays for servicing and delivery, with further consideration being given to using those bays part-time as blue badge parking.

The street will have new rain gardens, which are planting beds that reduce the amount of water on the street to provide a sustainable drainage solution and help to reduce the risk of flooding. The expanded and improved planting scheme will support the council’s commitment to biodiversity by creating the ideal environment for pollinators, while also providing a more tranquil, healthier, green space. Replacing hard concrete surfaces with natural planting will also reduce the surface temperatures and heat retention in the city, decreasing levels of carbon dioxide.

So that people of all ages can enjoy the street’s stunning architecture in a more relaxing setting, new seating will also be introduced, with space for wheelchairs and pushchairs. The bollards will be removed, and temporary planters installed to further improve the street in the short-term.  Read the article in full here. 

New Family Advice session from Citizens Advice Newcastle

Citizens Advice Newcastle (CAN) give free, confidential and independent advice to people who live, work or study in Newcastle.

They have a new Family Advice service where you can get help with a wide range of issues on Tuesdays 10am to 12pm at Action for Children, Sure Start building, Halewood Ave, Kenton, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 3RX

You can speak to an advisor by phone, webchat, email or complete a form on their website to self-refer. For urgent matters you can drop in for advice (subject to availability) from Monday to Friday, 10am to 12pm.

They offer advice on a range of issues including: Benefits, education, employment, family disputes, health care, housing, homelessness, immigration, citizenship and human rights.

Read more on InformationNOW about Family and relationship problems

Newcastle East Jobcentre temporarily closed

Newcastle East Jobcentre, Clifford St, Byker is temporarily closed. Some building work is required to enable the office to be used again so it will remain closed for some time with a view to reopening around March 2023.

In the meantime Work Coaches from the Jobcentre will be based at the Jobcentre plus office in The Spire at the bottom of Pilgrim St in the city centre (next to the Tyne Bridge). People who have appointments and would normally attend at Byker will attend The Spire instead and will be informed of this.

Front of house services such as benefit enquiries, digital support etc. will be delivered from Newcastle City Jobcentre at Cathedral Square so anyone without an appointment who needs to be seen face to face should be directed there.

Read more on InformationNOW about Support to prepare for work or a job and to find the contact details for Jobcentre Plus

Healthwatch Newcastle and Gateshead Online Forums

Healthwatch Newcastle online Forums are an opportunity to hear more about their work, share information and ask questions.

This month the forum theme is loneliness. Local people and organisations are welcome to share information about services that help with loneliness.

Join them on Thursday 17 November, 6.00pm – 7.00pm, via Zoom.

Future Healthwatch Online Forum forums will take place on:

  • Tuesday 13 December 6.00pm – 7.00pm Healthworks – Cancer Awareness
  • Wednesday 11 January 2023 6.00pm – 7.00pm Guest Speaker Mental Health Concern
  • Thursday 16 February 2023 6.00pm – 7.00pm Speakers to be confirmed
  • Tuesday 14 March 2023 6.00pm – 7.00pm Speakers to be confirmed

If you’d like to know more about Healthwatch or our online forums, please email [email protected] Text 07498503497 or Freephone 0808 801 0382.

Read more on InformationNOW about Having your say about health and care services

Health and Social Care Careers Workshop

17th November 10am to 12pm or 12.30pm to 2.30pm
Westgate College, West Road, NE4 9LU

Health & Social Care Academy are running 2 workshops where you can find out more about the range of careers in health and social care. Pick up some new knowledge to set you on your path to an exciting new career. To book call Westgate College on 0191 277 3520

There is a new Care Academy course starting next week – you’ve just got time to get in touch and enrol.
Get free ICT training and a qualification, job application support and guaranteed interview support. Contact [email protected] or call us on 0191 277 3520.

Leading the Way programme for community leaders

Closing date: 16th December

Virgin Money Foundation and Power to Change re-opened applications for Leading The Way: A leadership programme for community businesses, organisations and trading charities in the North East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber.

The programme has been designed for leaders who have not benefitted from significant investment in their personal or organisational development. They are keen to work with people who are ‘getting on and doing it’, and who might feel that other leadership programmes aren’t for them. Applications are particularly encouraged from groups under-represented in leadership positions, including people from minoritised ethnicity communities, and people who are disabled.

The programme includes one-to-one work with a mentor, cohort-based learning days, one-to-one coaching, one-to-one specialist support and a grant to help you to participation in the programme.

Overall, the programme offers support of approximately £25,000 in value.

Applications for the programme close midday on Friday 16 December 2022 but it would be good for people to apply before then. The first step for anyone who may be interested is to check your eligibility by completing the form here.

Getting Vaxed: Understanding User Experiences of the COVID-19 Vaccination Process in Newcastle upon Tyne

Healthwatch Newcastle would like to hear from people who’ve had one or more Covid-19 vaccination in Newcastle. They want to hear about what works well and what could be improved. The project focuses on the booking process and experiences at the vaccination site.

The survey should take less than 5 minutes to complete and can be completed by one who has received a vaccination at a site in Newcastle. Complete the Survey online here

Here’s a direct link to the poster advertising the project.

They will be speaking to people about your experiences of using services at Elswick Pool on 16th, 23rd and 30th November and St Martins in Byker on 22nd and 29th November.

For more information about this project contact [email protected]

Read more on InformationNOW about Having your say about health and care services

Movember

Movember is a month-long event in which people are encouraged to grow moustaches in order to raise  awareness of research related to men’s health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health and suicide prevention

The Movember movement is about opening up channels to talk about men’s health and remind men to go to a GP and talk about their worries.  To support the campaign you can grow a moustache and donate; host a mo-ment and take on a challenge or run.

Maggies Newcastle, based at Freeman Hospital, offer support to people with any type of cancer and those who are bereaved as a result of cancer, including Maggie’s Monday Morning for Men, weekly at 10 to 11.30 am and Men’s Support Group weekly, 12 to 1.30 pm

Locally and nationally there are  services and support groups that meet face to face or online for you:

Read more on InformationNOW about: suicide prevention, support groups, cancer and mental health.

Remembering Grief workshop

Date: Saturday 19 Nov 2022         Time: 10.30 am – 12.30 pm or
1.30pm to 3.30pm    Cost: Free   

Book your place on the Remembering Grief workshop

This is a 2 hour workshop where you will explore your thoughts and feeling about death and grief. When someone close to you dies there is often a feeling of physical loss.

The workshop will take place in the Great North Museum: Hancock where you will have access to a selection of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman clay objects which were created to represent someone who had died. They will be using these to start the conversations.

The workshop is part of a larger research project funded by the Wellcome Trust and Newcastle University, which aims to find new ways of processing grief. Your experience and contribution are valuable. Following the workshop there will be an opportunity to work with an artist to create a sculpture memorialising the person you are grieving. Information about this will be given at the workshop.

Should I take part? Do you feel comfortable talking about your loss and grief? Are you interested in exploring your thoughts in a small group? There’s a maximum of 10 people in each group

Who is it for? This is for anyone who has experienced the death of someone close to them. This could be someone you shared your home or workplace with, or who was a significant part of your life.

The workshop is for adults aged 18+. You can attend alone, with a friend or partner, or as a family unit (with all members aged 18+).

You will be discussing sensitive topics within the session, so they ask that you consider if you are ready to explore these topics within a group. The workshops are confidential. Nothing said within the group is discussed or shared outside it.

Who is leading the session? Katie Cuddon is a sculptor and Reader in Fine Art at Newcastle University. She works with clay to create sculptures which explore universal life experiences from birth and parenthood through to death and grieving.

Jennifer Dean is a researcher at Newcastle University within the Centre for Cancer. She has a background in Health Psychology and is interested in how people make sense of loss and grief.

Refreshments will be served during the workshops.

Book your place on the Remembering Grief workshop

Read more on InformationNOW about Bereavement and grief

This week’s Events and Activties

Visit the events calendar for more information about upcoming events

Sunday Sounds online chat group for older people: Sunday 13 Nov @ 2.00 pm – 3.30 pm

Badminton sessions for refugees at Sports Central: *New times for these sessions
Sunday 13 Nov @ 5.00 pm – 7.00 pm

Ekta Asian Ladies Group: Monday 14 Nov

Flourishing Together in Shieldfield: Monday 14 Nov @ 2.00 pm – 3.30 pm

Ukrainian Evening (Український Вечір)

Date: Friday 2 Dec 2022 Time: 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm Cost: £10

A Ukrainian Evening at Jesmond United Reformed Church. The evening will include Ukrainian food, music, and dancing.

Profits will go to Jesmond Library and refugee charities.

Read more and find out how to book on Information Now

New organisations

Tower Cafe

The Tower Cafe Limited is a family run pizzeria and art cafe in the Leazes Park, Newcastle. They serve coffee, tea, snacks, ice cream, paninis and fresh stone-baked pizzas. There is a seating area by the lake.

Students and NHS staff receive a 10% discount on production of their badge.

Health and care research

Research improves the health and social care provided by the NHS and others. Advancing medicine to find new cures and better treatments for future generations. It also helps to improve diagnosis, prevention and quality of life for everyone. In some cases it can change lives, or even save lives.

National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network North East and North Cumbria work to improve health and care outcomes for the people of the North East and North Cumbria through research. There are lots of ways to get involved in their health and care research. Patients, carers and the public can get involved in:

  • giving your thoughts and opinions
  • helping develop research materials
  • identifying new research topics that are relevant to patients, carers and members of the public
  • making sure that researchers ask the right questions in a way that the public understand

NIHR Patient Recruitment Centre: Newcastle is where you can learn about and take part in clinical research studies. Their research facility in the Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Fenham is where you can take part in a research study, including video consultations and virtual trials (where you don’t need to attend in person). Parking is available. Find out what studies you can get involved with on their website.

Research+Me is the NHIR online research registry. Register to get involved in research. They will only contact you if there is a study that you are eligible for. Some research studies need healthy volunteers and others are for people with specific medical conditions, so anyone over 18 years old can sign up.

The NHIR is part of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

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Best Wishes

Lauren

Lauren Hoy: Prevention, Information and Advice Lead at Newcastle City Council

Last updated: November 18, 2022