InfoNOW News 17 February 2023

InfoNOW News 17 February 2023

InfoNOW News update

InfoNOW News is taking a break over half term. The next issue will be sent in March. Please send your events and news items to [email protected] Don’t forget to give us the

  • Title
  • Brief description of your event or news
  • Date (if needed)
  • Contact details
  • Check your organisation details are correct on InformationNOW so we can signpost people to your service

Our podcast for the month is still available on the InfoNOW news page.

Help at home is available

Your Equipment Newcastle gets you to products that can make getting around easier. Items include: help with standing from a chair, sitting to chop or wash up in the kitchen, tap turners, lid and bottle openers are all on this website with a product catalogue too.

Need to talk to someone about difficulties with daily tasks or caring for someone.  Community Health and Social Care Direct can give you information on services and signpost you to help and support.

Tinnitus Support Groups

Tinnitus is the perception of noise or ringing in the ear and 15 to 20 percent of people experience it. It’s not actually a condition, but a symptom of an underlying condition. These can be age-related, related to hearing loss, ear injury, or a circulatory system disorder. The symptoms include ringing, buzzing, clicking, roaring, hissing, or humming in the ear and it varies depending on the person.

Deaflink runs a support group every 2nd Tuesday of the month.

Read more on InformationNOW about support for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing

Support for bereaved families extended

Bereaved cohabitees with dependent children can now claim additional financial support. Following Parliamentary approval of the draft Bereavement Benefits (Remedial) Order 2022, parents who were not married or in a civil partnership with their late partner can now claim Widowed Parent’s Allowance or the higher rate of Bereavement Support Payment. Some people may be eligible for backdated payments if their partner died before the law was changed on 9 February 2023.

More details on how to claim can be found on GOV.UK.

Read more about bereavement and grief including support services on InformationNOW

Climate change and the internet

Did you know that the average person has around 500 unread emails, often from clicking a marketing box. If we deleted 500 unread emails (assuming they’re not important emails), that would delete 175 grams of carbon dioxide if each email contributes 0.3 grams of CO2.Video conferencing also causes a CO2 footprint – turning on the camera emits 25 times more CO2 than calling/audio alone.

Read more on InformationNOW about Getting Online 

Support the Late Shows, 19 and 20 May 2023

The Late Shows are part of the Newcastle and Gateshead culture.  The main objective of The Late Shows is to encourage people to visit a cultural venue that they may not have visited before and in particular, to attract a younger audience whilst sharing audiences between venues.

Like to get involved?  They are now accepting entries from venues.  Download the guidance and admission form and submit your event to [email protected] by Monday 27th February 2023.

The Late Shows 2023 – A guide for Participants
The Late Shows 2023 – Event Submission Form

Interested in volunteering?  They are looking for volunteer stewards at this year’s event. To find out more and apply follow the links below:
Apply to volunteer – Friday 19 May
Apply to volunteer – Saturday 20 May

Transport North East public consultation

Transport North East has launched a public consultation on the proposed North East Active Travel Strategy. The consultation period will run until 5 March 2023 and they hope as many people as possible have their say on the development of this strategy.

The North East Active Travel Strategy aims for walking, wheeling and cycling to become the natural first choice for short everyday travel, combined  with public transport for longer journeys. To achieve over half the short journeys to be active travel would need a 45% increase in active travel across the region from current levels.

The draft strategy outlines plans for a major package of investments in the region’s active travel network totalling £500m. This initial list of regional schemes up to 2035 is a live programme, which is expected to grow over time.

Read more on InformationNOW about travel and transport

Give us your views on current & future support needs for the voluntary and community sector

Newcastle City Council want to hear from stakeholders about their views on current and future infrastructure support services.

Newcastle City Council continues to place great value on the contribution that the voluntary and community sector makes to the life and social fabric of Newcastle. It recognises that a thriving and vibrant sector is vital to ensuring that residents enjoy a high quality of life with opportunities to improve their own health and wellbeing, the wellbeing of their families, friends and neighbours, and the communities they live and work in. The purpose of the service is to provide independent infrastructure support for the sector, supporting it to develop and improve its internal capacity and shape the sector.  This could include: information, advice, business support, networking and volunteering opportunities and an opportunity for the Council and public services to keep the sector informed.

You are invited to take part in this consultation to provide as much feedback as possible about your needs and requirements from this service, your experiences of services you have used, your awareness about services (whether or not you have used them) and your future needs, so that Newcastle City Council can shape the contract appropriately.

This online survey is part of the opportunity we are offering for you to give us your feedback. The Council officers will also hold an in-person event on 1st March in Newcastle.

We can provide the survey or questions in different format, such as large print and you can contact [email protected] with any questions.

Director of Public Health’s report

Directors of Public Health (DPH) produce an annual report on the health of the local population

The latest report, written by Interim Director of Public Health, Lorna Smith, was presented to full council recently. It sets out the biggest opportunities to improve the health of Newcastle residents as they grow up and get older, focussing on the wider determinants of health, and taking action through local empowerment and leadership. Read the Public Health 2022 report here 

Read more on InformationNOW about healthy eating and drinking,

Healthworks Newcastle Healthy Lifestyle digital resource kit

Healthworks Newcastle’s new Healthy Lifestyle digital resource kit is available now.

Read more on InformationNOW about  Healthy eating and drinking

Ways to Play – February half-term events at Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums

This February half-term, families are invited to enjoy a great value day out across museums and galleries on Tyneside.

At a time when everyone is conscious of rising costs, Tyneside’s museums are offering a range of high quality, low-cost events at well-loved family destinations across South Tyneside, North Tyneside, Newcastle and Gateshead. All of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums’ venues are near a Metro Station, so families can take advantage of free travel for children under 11, with a fare paying adult. This February Half Term, adults can travel for £2 one way, or £4 all day using a Pay As You Go Pop Card.

The Ways to Play campaign is inspired by the range of ways a child can play, which encourages children to be active, creative and imaginative. Highlights of the Ways to Play programme include; the Angel Of The North’s 25th Birthday celebrations at The Shipley Art Gallery, Heritage Train Rides at Stephenson Steam Railway and a series of mixed media workshops, inspired by the Wilhelmina Barns-Graham art exhibition, at the Hatton Gallery.

Visit the Ways to Play webpage for the full list of events 

All the TWAM Museums with contact details are listed on InformationNOW

Last updated: February 17, 2023