18th April 2023 InfoNOW News

18th April 2023 InfoNOW News

Carers Pop up 2023

Do you provide any unpaid care and support to a family member, relative, partner, friend or neighbour? If yes, you could be a carer.

When you visit InformationNOW you’ll notice that we’re running a pop up survey. In the lead up to Carers Action Week we want to help identify carers and help them to get support when they need it.

We’re asking a couple of questions to help understand if you’re a carer and more about your caring role. You have the option to ask us to refer you to Newcastle Carers for more support and information.

When you’ve completed the pop up, (if you’ve given us permission to use cookies on your device) the pop up won’t appear again for a month.

Read more on InformationNOW about Looking after someone

City News and Views April Podcast

Join Kate Bowman, Richard Finch and guests for their monthly look at what’s going on in and around Newcastle. Listen here

Moyra Riseborough shares more tips to help with the cost of living, Karen Watson tells us about a scheme to make volunteering flexible and Rab and James from the National Literacy Trust explain how you can help to tackle some of the challenges around literacy in our region. Plus Richard White from InformationNOW looks ahead to some of the interesting and important things that are happening throughout April.

Read more on InformationNOW about Later Life Audio and Radio Co-op

Spring 2023 Covid booster

People aged 75 years and older, residents in care homes for older people, and those aged 5 years and over with a weakened immune system will be offered a booster of coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine this spring. You will be invited for your booster, your GP may offer you the vaccine or you can book using the NHS app for Apple or Android. You can also find your nearest walk-in vaccination site from the NHS website.

Read more on GOV.UK about Spring 2023 Covid Boosters

YHN apprenticeship event

Thursday 27 April  3pm-7pm

Are you looking at the apprenticeship route or you know someone that is? Your Homes Newcastle (YHN) are running an  apprenticeship event with Newcastle City Council on Thursday 27 April at the City Library.
The first 100 people to register for the event will get a free Greggs voucher!
People can register their interest by emailing [email protected] or texting 07814753088

Read more on InformationNOW about looking for work

GrowCycle Walker

Starts Wednesday 19 April

GrowCycle Walker is a new pilot scheme for getting together to grow food and community! Each week, grow volunteers will get together to dig, weed, nurture and grow some tasty veg for a Foodcycle meal.
Volunteers will be supported throughout by a FoodCycle Project Leader. Volunteers meet at 10am on Wednesdays to start gardening and have the option to join the Foodcycle Walker meal around 12:30pm

Read more on InformationNOW about community meals

Emergency Alerts switch off for safety

23 April 3pm

A nationwide test of the UK’s emergency alert service will take place at 3pm on Sunday, April 23rd. The service is intended to warn you if there is danger to life nearby.
Your phone or tablet may make a loud siren like sound, vibrate or read out the alert even if it is on silent.
People in abusive relationships (and other situations where a vulnerable person may use a hidden phone) could potentially be put at risk if a covert phone is triggered.

Domestic violence charity Refuge has made this short video to let people know how to switch the alerts off.

Read more on InformationNOW about Domestic abuse

Newcastle East Job centre

Newcastle East Jobcentre has reopened and is back to usual business. You can book appointments to visit the jobcentre at Coquet House, Clifford St, Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne by calling 0800 169 0190

DWP Cost of living payments 2023-24

25 April to 17 May

UK households will receive £301 directly from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) between 25 April and 17 May. This is the first of three payments totalling up to £900 for those eligible and on means-tested benefits, such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit, in 2023/24. This follows the £650 Cost of Living Payment made to over eight million people in 2022.

There will also be further payments worth £150 for eligible disabled people and £300 for pensioners later this year, meaning the most vulnerable can receive up to £1,350 in direct payments. The £301 payment will be sent out automatically and directly to recipients, meaning those eligible do not need to apply or do anything to receive it.
The payment reference for bank accounts will be DWP COLP, along with the claimant’s National Insurance number.

Further information is available here.

Read more on InformationNOW about Cost of living help and support

Opportunities for action

Shelter North East Hub Open Morning

Thursday 20 April 9am to 11am

Shelter North East, 76 – 80 Clayton Street, Newcastle, NE1 5PG
Drop in anytime between 9am and 11am for breakfast and a look around their new offices and their co produced mural. Meet and chat to staff about what they’re doing across the North East.

To book a place please email [email protected]

Read more on InformationNOW if you’re homeless or worried about becoming homeless

Newcastle stop smoking survey and sessions

The Newcastle Stop Smoking+ Service provide a free and confidential stop smoking service across Newcastle to encourage smokers to improve their health and wellbeing by stopping smoking. The service is conducting some research into using e-cigarettes/vapes as a stop smoking aid to help people ‘swap to stop’.

You can take the Vaping questionnaire here The deadline is the 30 of April.

Newcastle Stop Smoking Service also offer free remote training sessions in Smoking Cessation Advice. Upcoming dates are:

  • Thursday 20 April, 11.30am – 12.30pm
  • Wednesday 3 May, 1 – 2pm
  • Tuesday 23 May, 11am – 12pm

Read more on InformationNOW about Giving up smoking

Consultations

Riverside Community conversations

Riverside Community Health are holding 3 community conversation events this month. They want to know what the community needs/wants are and what you would like Riverside Community Health Project to be.

If you’ve been involved with Riverside in the past, are currently involved or you might like to be involved in the future; join them for a shared meal and to have your voice heard.
They have crèche spaces and language support available during some of the sessions.

Monday 24 April,  6:30 – 7:30pm
Friday 28 April, 10am – 12pm  or 12:30 – 2pm

To sign up to one of these events you can use their form: Community Conversations register April 2023 

Read more on InformationNOW about Community Centres and Hubs

Spotlight On…

Recyke y’bike

Recyke y’bike are celebrating their 15th anniversary as a registered charity and their 30 000th refurbished bike, They are looking for volunteers to get sponsored to ride 32 miles – the exact length of all the refurbished bikes if laid end to end – to fund-raise £2500 between April 20 and 27th. Cycling indoor is also possible on their turbo trainers, throughout April at Earthlings café (off Westgate Road) and Café Beam (Ouseburn Farm). Find out more about their fundraiser here

Recyke y’bike run free monthly bike maintenance classes for women. the next sessions are taking place in:

They also run a bike referral scheme where professionals in Health, social care & Education can refer schools, community groups and people on very low incomes living in Newcastle to recieve a free bike, helmet, lock and lights.

Read more on InformationNOW about Fitness Activities in Newcastle

Free creative workshops for people 55+ with Equal Arts

Starts 2nd May

This May charity Equal Arts is launching a new Heritage Lottery funded project diving into the amazing Thomas Bewick archives here in the city.

The first 6-week block of workshops will be held on Tuesdays at Newcastle City Library 1pm – 3pm from May 2nd to June 6th 2023.

You’ll explore Thomas Bewick’s life as well as art and create ways to bring the wonders of his work to a wider audience in a public exhibition planned for later this year.
Email the team on [email protected] to register or find out more.

Read more on InformationNOW about Equal Arts

Research and reports

Spotlight on Caring and Nutrition

A recent report from Carers UK puts the spotlight on diet, nutrition, carers and hydration. The research looks at unpaid carers’ worries and concerns when the person they care for is underweight or overweight. It also looks at where people get their information and advice from, which is key to helping them address these worries and concerns.

  • Up to 8 out of 10 unpaid carers worry about some aspect of diet and nutrition for the person they provide support to.
  • The most popular place for carers to go to for nutritional advice is online, with 34% of carers

You can read the full report here

Read more on InformationNOW about Healthy eating and drinking

Resources

Energy efficient home improvement help

Newcastle has received an additional £4.14m in government funding to upgrade homes to be more energy efficient. The Sustainable Warmth scheme, delivered by Warmworks on behalf of Newcastle City Council offers Newcastle residents the chance to apply for improvements to increase the comfort and warmth in fuel poor households

The Sustainable Warmth scheme is targeted at Newcastle City Council residents who:

  • own their homes or rent from a private landlord;
  • have a gross household income of £30,000 per year or less;
  • live in homes with a low energy rating (as shown on an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), where the rating is either D/E/F/G)

The scheme can fund measures such as:

  • wall, loft and floor insulation,
  • low carbon heating
  • solar panels

Applications for the scheme will be available soon. To register interest please email Warmworks: [email protected]

You can find out about the scheme and other energy saving support through Energy Services at Newcastle City Council

Read more on InformationNOW about Help with heating problems and Energy saving tips

Upcoming Events & Activities

Visit our Events & Activities section to see what’s happening near you this week on our calendar. Or search by location or postcode

Parkinson’s support groups in Newcastle

World Parkinson’s day on April 11th raised awareness of people living with Parkinson’s, their families and carers. There are several groups in Newcastle for support and activities

Badminton for people living with Parkinson runs weekly at Tyneside Badminton centre.

Accessible Yoga runs at Tyneside Badminton centre, Yoga exercises can be adapted to use chairs and other support.

Online Speech confidence sessions ran by Parkinsons UK have Speech and language therapists who do various speech activities.

Get Moving – Movement to music run by Dance City is a dance class using  different dance-based exercises for those with neurological conditions such as Parkinsons

Book club murder mystery

Saturday 22nd April  2pm

Do something different on a Saturday afternoon at City Library.

Let a colourful cast of characters entertain you or take up the invitation to join-in and become a suspect yourself! Families, groups, or individuals can all be a part of the fun, solving clues and analysing alibis to ultimately solve a crime.

This event is recommended for children aged 8 and above.

Hot drinks and juice will be provided but please feel free to bring your own snacks and drinks for your table.

Find out more and book online on InformationNOW 

Local History Month

May is local and Community history month, ran to increase awareness of and community participation in local history. This May there’s a range of interesting and unusual events such as:

Tuesday 2 May  Tales from the North East with Ken Smith throws the spotlight on stirring true-life tales from the Northeast coast

Thursday 4 May The Tyneside Triangle is a fascinating look at the History of UFOs over Newcastle, Northumberland, and Durham.

Thursday 18 May Newcastle United a remarkable history a talk on United’s history over the last 140 years. From how football arrived on Tyneside to the present-day as a Premier League giant
.
Thursday 25 May Glimpses of Old Newcastle with Andrew Clark shares then and now photographs of Newcastle

Saturday 27 May  a Family history fair includes representatives and talks from other local family history societies, including Cumbria and The Borders

Thursday 1 June  Local fashion history for kids workshop, Find out what Tynesiders used to wear in past centuries. Have fun dressing up, play with old fashioned toys

Read more about Newcastle Upon Tyne history and heritage

ReCoCo new courses available now

ReCoCo: The Recovery College Collective run a variety of creative, educational and support-based classes. All courses are free and open to anyone who would find them helpful in their recovery from mental illness, substance misuse, trauma or distress, or to anyone who might find them beneficial to their wellbeing.

Download their brand new prospectus for Newcastle and Gateshead to read articles, find out more about their groups, courses, art, activities and information.

If you would like lovely hardcopy newspapers contact ReCoCo to arrange delivery. They come in bundles of 50.

Read more on InformationNOW about Mental Health

New or Updated Organisations

Tuneless Choir – Newcastle

Whether you can’t sing, or lack the confidence to sing in a group, a Tuneless Choir is for you to experience the physical, emotional and social benefits of communal singing

Read more on InformationNOW about Tuneless Choir

Everyturn Mental Health (formerly Mental Health Concern)

Mental Health Concern are now known as Everyturn Mental Health

Read more on InformationNOW about EveryTurn Mental Health

Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT)

AKT support LGBTQ+ young people aged 16-25  who are experiencing homelessness or living in a hostile or abusive environment.

Read more on InformationNOW about AKT

Updated and new articles

Parkinsons Disease

Read more on InformationNOW about Parkinson’s Disease

Last updated: April 18, 2023