InfoNOW News 20 May 2022

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InformationNOW is full of useful information. We have 14 categories of information. From the home page you can click an icon and browse all the articles in that topic.

We have 300 articles of information and over 1,700 organisations listed.

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Please note that we will be taking a break from InfoNOW News for two weeks.

Elders Council secures funds for Older People’s Month performance

Elders Council has been successful in securing funding from Awards for All to enable them to provide additional work with Unfolding Theatre as part of their neighbourhoods project in Byker, Walker and West Fenham.

Unfolding Theatre will be working with local people to create a ‘performance’ to be shown in October as part of Older People’s Month celebrations.

If you live in any of those areas and would like to get involved (you don’t have to perform, just bring your ideas), please contact Clare Levi by phone: 0191 208 2701 or email: [email protected] 

Newcastle Sings

Here’s an opportunity to go and listen to some music.  There’s music at King’s Hall with the Newcastle Youth Choir or pop up choirs at the Laing Art Gallery, City Library and Newcastle Cathedral.  Visit their website to see times and dates.

Read more on InformationNOW about music and music venues

Opportunities for Action

Nominate your favourite buildings and sites for our Local List

Communities across Gateshead, Newcastle and South Tyneside are being invited to nominate locally important sites to be considered for a new Local Heritage List for their area. It isn’t important that they meet the criteria for national listing by Historic England.

A local heritage landmark could be a garden, landscape, street furniture. It may have local architectural or historic interest. To be included on a Local List, a building, object or site must meet one or more of the following criteria: historic interest, architectural interest, or an association to significant figures or historic events, townscape merit or group value.

Nominate before June 15th. You can see what has already been nominated too.
There is a local list meeting on Wednesday 25 May at Newcastle City Library from 10 am to 4 pm

You can also email [email protected]

What makes a Family Friendly Museum ?

What is the best museum, gallery, historic home or heritage site for families in the UK?  There are so many to choose from across Tyne and Wear; have a look through our museums and attractions article and make a nomination. Perhaps you went somewhere during The Late Shows or half term that was outstanding?

Make a  nomination for a museum for the Family Friendly Museum Award – Kids in Museums

Consultations

Newcastle Hospitals survey about their specialist hospital building

Help shape Newcastle Hospitals’ proposal to build a new specialist hospital building on the site of the Royal Victoria Infirmary. The new building will provide a purpose-built home for many of the highly specialist services provided to patients from around the UK including:

• adult critical care
• burn care
• assisted ventilation service
• high level isolation unit
• maternity outpatients
• women’s health unit
• day care unit
• cystic fibrosis

The plans for the building are taking shape and Newcastle Hospitals would like to share information about the proposed new building and ask patients and service users what is important to them when accessing their services. And to do this, they need your help.

Their survey: Newcastle Hospitals’ new specialist hospital building – your thoughts will remain open for responses across May 2022. There is also an Easy Read survey.

They are particularly interested in hearing from people who are current or recent patients (within the past two years) and have used one or more of the specialist services listed above.

Read more on InformationNOW about health and women’s health, men’s health, accessing health services and support groups

Volunteers Week

1st to 7th June

Newcastle Volunteer Centre is running a series of events to say thank you to volunteers and celebrate Volunteer’s Week.

Volunteer open morning at Mea House

Date: Tuesday 7 Jun 2022, Time: 11.00 am to 1.00 pm

No need to book, just turn up to take part.

Organisations with stalls include: Headliners that run the National Citizens Service (15 years to 17 years), Healthwatch looking for volunteers related to public health; RSPB need fundraisers for protection of birds; Smart Works Newcastle work with volunteers who help with interviews and styling; Home from Hospital team helping with discharge and befriending and Community Champions looking for volunteers related to public health and vaccines.

If you are interested in volunteering, go along to find out more, have a chat, coffee and cake.

This event is in Partnership with Anne Webster Co-ordination and Development Support Officer (MEA House)

Read more on InformationNOW about volunteering

National Garden Scheme

Since its establishment in 1927, the National Garden Scheme (NGS) has raised over £63 million for nursing, caring and other charities. Because the scheme is run mainly by volunteers, over 80% of money raised goes to the NGS beneficiaries (e.g. Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Parkinson’s UK and Hospice UK). The NGS is a significant annual contributor to these charities and also supports other health charities and community gardening.

Visitors pay an entry fee to wander around the garden and perhaps buy homemade teas and homegrown plants.

The Gardens and Health programme is a major focus this year, to raise awareness of the physical and mental health benefits of gardens.

In 2022, 44 North East gardens will take part in the NGS with some opening by arrangement for small group visits. They range from country estates to small urban plots, and include traditional, cottage, natural wildflower and tropical designs. Ring or find a garden online.  Tel:0148 321 1535

Open by special arrangement in May This means you can attend on a certain day or you can arrange your own group visit:

• Blagdon, Seaton Burn
• Lillurn Tower, Alnwick
• The Beacon, Stocksfield
• Woodlands, Springwell Village
• Fallodon Hall, Alnwick
• Kirky Cottage, Mindrum

Read more on InformationNOW about gardening and health

Resources

Annual Health Checks for adults with Learning Disabilities

Healthwatch Newcastle has published a report which shows that people with learning disabilities can have poorer physical and mental health than others. Annual health checks can to detect, treat and prevent new health conditions. They asked for people’s experiences of the health check in Newcastle. Read their report.

Read more on InformationNOW about learning disability and local support

Research and Reports

New research finds 90,000 people die in poverty in the UK each year

Marie Curie’s report, Dying in Poverty: Examining poverty at the end of life in the UK, and based on research carried out by Loughborough University revealed that people of working age are at a high risk, with more than 1 in 4 (28%) of this group dying in poverty.

This makes those who die at working age more than twice as likely to die in poverty than those who live past pension age.  The report also shows how women and people from minority ethnic groups are particularly vulnerable to poverty at the end of life.

These data say that 28% of working age women who die spend the end of their life in poverty. This rises to a worryingly high 42% among working age people from minority ethnic groups.

Juliet Stone, from the Centre for Research in Social Policy, at Loughborough University, said: “Our research, for the first time, not only tells us how many people die in poverty but shines a light on who these people are, where they live in the UK and the triggers, such as terminal illness, which push them below the poverty line.

Alongside early access to the State Pension for terminally ill people, Marie Curie is launching its Dying in Poverty campaign and petition, calling for a range of measures to help terminally ill people who are struggling with the cost of living at the end of their lives.

Find out more about your local Marie Curie team

Read more in our End of Life section on InformationNOW

Resources

Dying Matters Awareness

Dying Matters Awareness week took place at the beginning of May. Their resources, linked to the campaign #InAGoodPlace are still available to download.

They aim to open up the conversation around death, dying and grief, remove the stigma that surrounds it and call for meaningful change so that everyone gets the quality end of life care they deserve.

Watch their video.
Read more on InformationNOW about palliative care

Byker Lodge

If you experience a crisis or have just been diagnosed with dementia, you may spend a short time at Byker Lodge.  Find out more about the service on the Newcastle City Council Corporate page as well as jobs you can apply for now.

Read more on InformationNOW about dementia and housing for older people

Events & Activities

• Food Market on Saturday at Armstrong Bridge
• Semitones
• Organ Recital

West End Library Reading Group
1st Monday of the month
Brunswick Club for men and women weekly

Coming Up
Volunteer for  Asthma and Lung UK
9 June, online meeting to find out more

Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

Beacons will be lit along the 73 mile length of Hadrian’s Wall to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee this summer. Organisers hope to light 1500 beacons with the longest chain along Hadrian’s Wall.  This is to celebrate 1900 Hadrian’s Wall Country alongside the Jubilee.

Beacons will be lit from 9.45 pm on Thursday 2nd June across the Country.  Look out for more news on our local beacons. The Council will announce more details nearer the time on their events page.

We have had a few confirmations of events across the North East, so please scroll through to see your options. Wishing you all a great Bank Holiday.

New organisations

Rights of women

Rights of women give free legal advice and information to women on issues including: domestic violence, child contact, sexual violence, the criminal justice process, immigration and asylum, divorce, relationship breakdown and sexual harassment. They have 4 free telephone helplines, offer a safe space to talk about your situation and get expert legal advice. Helping you make important decisions about your future.

Read more on InformationNOW about where to get legal advice

Home Care Association

The Homecare Association is a membership organisation with a code of practice. The Homecare Association’s mission is to promote high quality, sustainable homecare, so people can continue to live at home and in their community.  You can search on their website for member organisations that subscribe to the code of practice.

Trained Guides and Guide Training

Become a trained guide with the British Guild of Tourist Guides.  Training is available to become a North East Guide (or any other region).  You an train to become a White, Green or Blue badge guide.

Updated articles

Keeping safe from radicalisation

Keeping Safe from radicalisation contains information about the Prevent framework to oppose or counteract terrorism. The Government published their Government’s counter-terrorism strategy CONTEST which is designed to safeguard vulnerable people and communities from the threat of radicalisation and being drawn into terrorism.  Find out how to play your part.

Separation and Divorce

Separation and Divorce covers counselling, divorce, mediation and child maintenance. Links to key organisations that give you help and advice are within the article.

Last updated: June 30, 2022