InfoNOWNews 12 August 2022

InfoNOWNews 12 August 2022

News

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Hadrian’s wall gets a colourful makeover to celebrate 1,900 years

English Heritage has brought the past brightly into the future with its first modern art exhibit at Housesteads.

The commissioned artwork surrounds the 1900-year-old remains of Hadrian’s Wall, with the structure 16 metres high and about 9 metres wide.

Artist Morag Myerscough was asked to rebuild one of the gates in her own “wild” way, and she understood the assignment – coming up with a colourful, bright, locally inspired structure.  Open till October.

See the article in full on BBC

Read more on InformationNOW about 1900 Hadrian’s Wall Country and what’s on

Going greener prescribing – Low carbon inhalers

Did you know that you can get lower carbon inhalers?  There is a North East greener practice group which is looking at this and other items that have a high impact on our environment. Good news. They are a new group of GPs, so watch this space as we bring you their news.

West End Refugee Service (WERS) drop in service update

West End Refugee Service (WERS) supports asylum seekers and refugees in the West End of Newcastle. They offer support, face-to-face, drop in, by telephone, by appointment and home visits.

WERS have temporarily suspended their Information and Advice drop in and support work services from 3rd August 2022 due to staff shortages. They will restart as soon as possible.

Their final MP Drop in session will take place on 17th August. More sessions will be arranged in the future, when a new MP is in post.

They will continue to support people who receive their hardship fund and people who take part in the buddying scheme. They are unable to take on new client casework during this time.

Their Skillsmatch volunteering is still running, garden sessions, and other activities are running as usual.

Read more on Support for Asylum Seekers and Refugees on InformationNOW

Opportunities for Action

Donate unwanted bras

Can you help support asylum seeker and refugee women in Newcastle by donating unwanted bras?
Newcastle Council are collecting good quality pre loved bras in all sizes for women in Newcastle.  They are particularly keen to support pregnant and breastfeeding women with maternity and nursing bras.  This is part of an initiative by local midwives who are working with refugee and asylum seeker women to improve breastfeeding and breast health. You can bring  any bras you no longer need that are in good condition to the donation point at the Civic Centre Arches reception and we will be collecting throughout August.

Read more on InformationNOW about the community champions network
Read more on Support for Asylum Seekers and Refugees on InformationNOW

Volunteers needed for Research Study on Hot Water Baths

This research looks at how hot water baths affect aspects of the immune system and the researcher is looking for Men over the age of 60.

Participation will involve a 5 hour Laboratory session, including bath, resting and taking blood.

If you are interested and would like to find out more, you can email in confidence to: [email protected] or [email protected]

BFI Film Academy

The BFI Film Academy is part of a UK-wide network led by the British Film Institute to help train and inspire the next generation of UK filmmakers. Success stories from the North East include young people who have gone on to work as trainees on Bond: No Time To Die, Star Wars: Rise of the Skywalker and 1917.

The applications for this year’s BFI Film Academy at Tyneside Cinema are now open and anyone interested can find out more. Deadline 12 September 2022.

There is a one-off fee of £25 but if anyone is unable to pay this they can apply for a bursary to assist with travel, food, childcare or other costs.

The deadline is 9am on Monday 12 September 2022.

What to do to stay cool this summer

We are having some lovely summer days this year but be careful in a heatwave.  For children, older people or people with chronic health conditions, the hot weather can be dangerous and potentially fatal.  If a heatwave is forecast the hottest part of the day runs from 11am to 3pm.
When indoors you can stay cool by:

  • closing your curtains to keep some of the heat out
  • keeping windows closed when the room is cool. Open them when it gets hotter and at night for ventilation
  • opening your loft hatch to help cool your house
  • staying in the coolest rooms in the house
  • Wherever you are going this summer, enjoying our local beaches or walking in forests, the NHS is recommending that you carry a first aid kit with you. Sun cream is an essential item, but items like tweezers for splinters or ticks, plasters and antihistamine cream are all useful.

Remember to keep cool in the summer, read our article with more tips on InformationNOW.

Transport Consultation –  the right travel choice

Take a minute to participate in Transport North East’s survey on how to help us all travel more sustainably  Tell us what would help you to make changes to how you travel?

Take the survey by 14 September and there are drop ins as well at

Read more on InformationNOW about public transport

Spotlight on

National Allotments Week 2022

This week is National Allotments Week.  Allotments have many benefits. They bring people together and unite them through their shared love of low-cost, healthy fresh fruit and vegetables, physical exercise and social interaction.

Allotments are a valuable resource and both you as individuals and as community groups enjoy their up keep and produce. As allotment holders you are already active in your local community. However did you know that there are powers available that can help you and others in your local community shape and improve the neighbourhood in which you live? These powers, known as Community Rights, give recognition to valuable community assets such as allotments, pubs, local shops and community centres and can help ensure that these assets continue to be of benefit to local people.

You are able to list your allotment as an Asset of Community Value and this is where the Community Right to Bid comes in. It can help to protect vital community assets such as allotments in your neighbourhood. Allotments add to the wellbeing of local communities and you and your neighbours can therefore nominate your allotment to be put on a list of Assets of Community Value by your Local Council.  If an Asset of Community Value is then put up for sale, local community groups can pause the sale for six months while they raise the funds to bid to buy it.

There is information about allotments and neighbourhood planning too.

Newcastle’s assets of community value page

As part of National Allotments week you are being asked to take part of this bug survey

Moorside Allotments Open Day
20 August

Date for your diary :Newcastle Allotment & Garden Show

  • Leazes Park, Newcastle
  • Saturday 17th September (Growers Competition)
  • Sunday 18th September (Public)

Take part in the growers competition

Read more on InformationNOW about Gardening and health 

Research & Reports

Promoting the wellbeing of people living with dementia

The paper Place, people purpose and power is the new paper from Dementia Change Action Network  discusses the potential of personalised care and support to promote the
wellbeing of people living with dementia. It explores the evolution of thinking and practice
around person-centred dementia care, including its relationship with personalised care
and support more generally. Recommendations include:

  • change the narrative of living with dementia and promote reasonable adjustments, tackle prejudice and promote understanding
  • an active strategy to increase the prominence and strength of the voice of people living with dementia will help rebalance power and shift debate towards their priorities and insights.

People living with dementia represent an already large, growing, fluid and diverse group of people. Dementia is a progressive degenerative condition which encompasses a collection of symptoms, including a decline in memory and communication. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease.

Over 700,000 people are estimated to offer unpaid care and support to people with dementia in the UK. Many more either share their lives, or who have a relationship with, a person living with dementia that influences their own personhood, identity and wellbeing.

Read more on InformationNOW about dementia and dementia services

Kings Fund report Towards a new partnership between disabled people and health and care services

60 per cent of those who died from Covid-19 in the first year of the pandemic were disabled. The health inequalities disabled people already faced were made worse by the pandemic and a decade of austerity. In this context, it’s vitally important to include disabled people in designing and planning health and care system responses.

Towards a new partnership between disabled people and health and care services by the Kings Fund with Disability Rights UK advocates for disabled people’s voices to be valued and prioritised in the planning and delivery of health and care services.

Recommendations:

  • Both health and care organisations and Disabled People’s Organisations need to improve their understanding of how people’s multiple identities shape their experiences and embrace diversity of voices, opinions and challenges as an opportunity to think differently.
  • Ensuring disabled people’s voices are heard requires constant attention. While there are some examples of good practice, they heard many stories heard where involvement wasn’t happening or felt tokenistic.

Urinary Tract Infections pharmacy support

If you have suffered a urinary tract infection you will know how deeply unpleasant it is and how important it is to get help and relief quickly. So it is good news to know that some pharmacies can now help deal with UTIs.  Keep checking the North East pharmacy services website for the list of pharmacies able to offer this service, near to you.

Read more on InformationNOW about UTIs.

Events & Activities

Search here for the following

Welcome to Badminton for migrants, asylum seekers and refugees
Wednesdays and Sundays

Tyneside cinema summer programme

Maternity clothing event
20 August

Tote bag decorating for families
17 August
Three times of the day

Young adult carers group
Wednesdays

Thursday walks with Search

  • September – coming up
    U3A open day in Newcastle
    Heritage open days 9 to 18 September
    LLARC are running a podcasting masterclass on 15 September

New organisations

Altogether Travel

Altogether Travel offer bespoke holidays, experienced care staff
door to door service, accessible transport and mobility equipment hire and a travel companion service.  Care Inspection Reg: CS2012309151

La Leche League

La Leche League provide breastfeeding information and support at: face to face meet-ups, on their national Helpline, on their website, by email and social media support groups. Trained breastfeeding counsellors , who have all breastfed their own babies, work as volunteers to provide a network of support.

At their regular local meet ups you can talk to their trained volunteers to get information and support.

Daisy Chain Project

Daisy Chain Project  provide specialist advice and guidance to neurodiverse young people, adults and their families, no matter what stage of the journey they’re on. They offer virtual support and have a National Autism telephone helpline.

Newcastle University

Newcastle University offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

VIEWS Newcastle

VIEWS Newcastle is peer-led group with a focus on social, empowering and enabling activities for visually impaired people of working age. They are a group of visually impaired people supporting each other through socialising and shared experiences.

Updated articles

Self care and disability

Self care and disability covers roles and titles of staff in the NHS, managing a long term condition or disability and local services that can help.

Learning disability support services

Learning disability support services covers all the local services, both charitable and statutory that are available including within adult social care services.  The article also covers lifestyle and leisure, employment support and Safe Places in Newcastle.

Last updated: August 12, 2022