Who We Are
WECDC is a partnership between the following organisations:
- Angelou Centre
- Riverside Community Health Project
- Scotswood Area Strategy
- Search Project
- West End Health Resource Centre
Angelou Centre
The Angelou Centre is based in Brighton Grove opposite the Newcastle General Hospital. Its aim is to promote the economic independence of black and minority ethnic women through training and development. During recent years it has worked with an increasingly diverse range of women, reflecting the growinhg diversity of ethnic groups resident in the west end of the city.
The Centre provides training, guidance and support. Childcare is available to women accessing training and other services. It also holds events to raise awareness, and carries out research into the barriers preventing black and minority ethnic women from entering training and employment. A sigtnificant area of development currently is work with young women.
Annually over 200 women use the Centre for training and other core services.
To contact the Angelou Centre, phone on 2260394.
top ^Search
Search is a community-based advice and resource centre for older people and their carers. It is based at 74 Adelaide Terrace, Benwell, and its work covers most of the inner west. The project has a voluntary management committee which includes local older people.
Search was set up by local older people who recognised that retired people needed somewhere they could get independent advice and information about their rights. It has been running since the 1970s, and has extended the range of its work considerably in response to local needs.
Search provides an information, advice and welfare rights service through drop-in sessions at 74 Adelaide Terrace (Monday-Thursday 10-1), appointments systems, telephone queries, and home visits for older people who are unable to get to the drop-in sessions. Talks and information events can be provided at clubs, sheltered housing schemes and other venues by arrangement.
Search offers a range of leisure, learning and healthy activities for older people aged 50+, both at its premises and in outreach venues across the area. The current programme includes walking groups, gentle exercise, arts and crafts, local history, knitting, and computers. Individual complementary therapy sessions are also provided at low cost for local older residents.
Search has a small meeting/activities room called Space for Age which is available free of charge for use by local community groups.
As part of WECDC, Search has run many activities and events over the past two years to enable older people to participate in planning and discussions about their neighbourhoods. This has included a photographic project Exploring the Past and the Present - Changing Benwell and Scotswood which has been exhibited at Newcastle Civic Centre as well as various local venues, and which is soon to go on display at Cragside.
Search co-ordinates an Older Person’s Network for people working with older people in the west end. This meets quarterly to share information and ideas and identify opportunities for joint working
For more information, see Search’s website at www.searchproject.co.uk
For general enquiries and telephone advice, ring Search on 2737443
top ^Riverside Community Health Project
Riverside Community Health Project is a locally managed charity based in Benwell Library. It works with families with children under 12, and targets the inner west wards of the city. Riverside uses a community development approach to tackling issues that relate to health in the broadest sense, working with local residents to identify the issues that prevent good health and create practical solutions to promote well-being.
Riverside has worked in the west end for over 20 years. It runs the Riverside Centre in the basement of Benwell Library, which was set up by local parents who were project users and who saw the need for a safe, welcoming place where parents and young children could drop in, access advice and support, take part in activities, and meet other parents. The Centre has a large registered crèche room for use in conjunction with events, activities and courses run in the library building.
As well as a programme of activities, events and courses in the Centre, Riverside runs outreach activities within the community. Its projects include Young Voices, which works with children and young people from Asian backgrounds.
As part of WECDC, Riverside has run various events and activities designed to enable local families and children to participate in discussions about plans and developments affecting the area. This has included a recent consultation event for black and minority ethnic communities organised as part of the formal consultation process for the Scotswood and Benwell Area Action Plan.
To contact Riverside Community Health Project, ring 2260754
top ^West End Health Resource Centre
The West End Health Resource Centre is a local organisation that tries to find new and interesting ways of reducing inequalities in health, by helping people to maintain or improve their health – whatever their age, health problems, physical or mental ability, ethnicity or background.
The WEHRC is a registered charity and limited company run by a voluntary management committee. It works from its Centre next to the Adelaide Shopping Centre and through outreach projects.
The WEHRC’s building was opened in 1996, following six years of planning and discussion with local people, voluntary organisations and funders. The Centre provides activities and services for local people to keep well, to recover after being ill, and to improve their fitness. There is a fitness suite and a range of exercise and activity classes – provided at low cost to local residents. Through special sessions and targeted outreach, the Centre has been particularly successful in attracting people to participate from groups who are usually less likely to take part in such activities, such as older people, black and minority ethnic community residents, and people with mental health problems. The Centre is also used for a range of community activities and services, such as welfare rights advice and community events.
The WEHRC’s outreach work includes a team of health trainers who encourage local people to take up healthier lifestyles, and a healthy eating project.
WEHRC is a partner in the West End Community Development Consortium. It provides support to local groups and organisations in the west end through
- Offering advice on funding, financial management and monitoring
- Providing information, advice and signposting
- Managing a small grants fund for local capacity building initiatives
- Encouraging networking and joint working among local groups and organisations
- Providing training on topics such as Community Development and Health
For further information, see the annual report.
To contact the West End Health Resource Centre, ring 2724248
top ^Scotswood Area Strategy
The Scotswood Area Strategy was set up by local residents about 12 years ago as part of a campaign to improve the quality of life for everyone living in Scotswood. It is now a registered charity and company limited by guarantee employing 33 staff. As well as the paid staff, the organisation involves about 40 volunteers in its activities.
The Strategy is led by its members, who are local residents. Responsibility for managing and overseeing the work lies with 11 trustees elected from the membership.
The most visible part of the Strategy’s work is the community support centre in the former Co-op building in Armstrong Road – known locally as the Pink Palace. In addition, it delivers a range of projects and services across the west end, including :
- A family project which incorporates a community business running a café and bakery
- A parent and child support service
The biggest set of projects are those directed towards young people, and especially those young people who are struggling. These include:
- Two Youth Inclusion Programmes
- A pilot project around drugs and sexual health
- A youth project for black and minority ethnic young people
- A programme running in schools
Over 2,000 young people participate in the youth programmes run by the Strategy
To contact the Area Strategy, ring 274 2429
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