A Snapshot of History

Children North East are excited to be a part of this project, organised by Newcastle City Council and Taylor Woodrow.

Marking the transformation of Northumberland Street, local schools, the Lord Mayor and Newcastle City College have contributed items which have been sealed in a time capsule and buried on Northumberland Street, outside Haymarket, to be opened in 2075. Children connected to Children North East have left their mark with artwork, handprints and letters from their parents.

This time capsule marks the renovation of Northumberland Street, an iconic spot in the North East as well as the restoration project of the Tyne Bridge completed this year. It’s also a way for the children to look forward to the next 50 years and imagine what their future will hold and encourages them to look at how they want to shape their community and generation.

Nicole from Taylor Woodrow attended our Cowgate centre and engaged some of the children visiting in STEM sessions, helping them to create their pieces and talking about the importance of making memories with the theme Spirit of Newcastle in 2025.

Children North East have a long history , established in 1891 as Poor Children’s Holiday Association (PCHA) we have been working since then to provide the tools children, young people and families need to help them grow up happy and healthy. Looking back at our own history, we’re proud to be a part of some iconic moments – we started by providing boat trips and day visits for children living in poverty, and by the early 1900s we opened night shelters for homeless youths and TB sanatoriums for Newcastle’s children and young people. Today, we work across dozens of projects across the North East to support thousands of individuals from pregnancy and early years to adolescence and early adulthood.

The current financial climate means that an estimated 31% of children in the North East are living in poverty, exasperated by the cost-of-living crisis, two-child benefit limit, and a lack of support for families. Through our campaigning work we are working to change this and ensure the voices of people with lived experiences are heard and listened to.

Our hope for the next generation is that this will change, and we will work tirelessly with communities to make that happen. We are excited to see what Newcastle will be like in 50 years when the time capsule is opened, and what the future holds for our next generation.