Students from Bishop Auckland College shows that communities can be strengthened by taking time to come together to play!

The young women joined forces to organise a Community Fun Day for local residents with children aged up to five. From outside play to craft time to a hearty lunch, there was something for every child to enjoy, whilst parents and carers meet other families in their area.

One parent, commented, “It was such a lovely positive environment from the moment we walked in. It was nice to talk to the girls and staff too.”

The students put a huge amount of work into creating and delivering a fun day for everyone, from organising the activities to getting the word out to families. Regular sessions to learn, share and put into motion their plans.

Feedback from parents included, “It was a great opportunity for the girls to put into practice what they have learned. From what I observed, it also seemed to be a chance for them to relive their own younger years, and this enthusiasm reflected in how the children engaged with them.”

 Social action, a force for good – for all

 #iwill defines Youth Social Action as the activities that young people do to make a positive difference to others or the environment.

Why does the #iwill Social Action matter? #iwill started because young people from low-income backgrounds were less likely to access the benefits that taking part in social action offers and, in turn, their communities were missing our on their incredible talent, energy, passion and ideas.

The UK-wide #iwill Social Action movement collaborates with organisations like Children North East to hear young people’s ideas for supporting their community – like the Bishop Auckland Event – and empowering them to make it happen.

Sarah Robson, Participation Manager at Children North East, comments, “Giving young people the opportunity to shape the world they live in is an incredibly powerful way to empower young people. The #iwill Social Action movement, who Children North East have a strong, collaborative partnership with, connects young people into their communities and grows their confidence to take social action.”

Not the end…

We are excited to share our Bishop Auckland Social Action project has secured funding to continue its great work from the The National Lottery Community Fund!

Initiated by 15 young people we are working with, the latest 12-month youth-led project will work with 50+ young people who will plan, design and lead four social action projects. Watch this space to see what they achieve over the next year.

Every year, Children North East reaches thousands of babies, children, young people and families across the North East and beyond… Our ‘Week in the Life’ blog series shines a spotlight on some of the amazing people who help make that impact possible, from practitioners working in the heart of communities to teams behind the scenes keeping the lights on.

In this edition, we meet Julia Ruane, who joined us as a volunteer at the Cowgate Centre and last year took on the role of Family Support Worker. The work she does is wide-ranging, from delivering fun activities for the little ones to supporting families going through our specialist Domestic Abuse Recovery and Education programme (DARE). Let’s learn more…

What’s the first thing you’re doing on Monday morning?

The first thing I do is a run around of the centre. It’s a chance to catch up with everyone who’s in that day, get updates on their life and what’s happening… but also to tidy. When you have this many children coming through there is always a runaway puzzle piece or teddy and I like to find some order, even if it’s only for a moment. Then it’s getting started with emails and texts from the families I’m working with.

What does a typical day look like for you?

You have to plan but it never goes to plan! Some days I’ll be based in the centre supporting the families coming through, but often I’m focused on my casework.

I currently have two families I’m working closely with, who are faced with a number of challenges. The work is wide-ranging and you really have to respond to things as they come up. One day I might be supporting someone with limited English (after living away so long l seem to find it easy to communicate with people from different cultures and languages) to apply for a passport, sometimes it might be going with them to a meeting with the school or job centre or social services to ensure they’re supported through processes.

In the school holidays, my attention is on the DARE programme, working intensively with young people who have experienced domestic abuse. I work with the teens specifically, delivering sessions on subjects like feeling safe and managing negative emotions, but my main focus is getting them to open up about what they’ve experienced so they can start processing the trauma.

What most excites you about your role as a Family Support Worker?

That’s easy. When something clicks with support and you get to see families smiling and opening up. When you see the children smile, it means the world. Also, sometimes I can sense I’m the right person for a family, you find a way to communicate really well and often I get the impression they haven’t had that before from family services. Someone texted me the other day saying “Thank you for letting me be me”. I can’t explain what a fabulous feeling that was. I feel lucky to be able to help.

What did you do before you Children North East?

Where do I start? I was supposed to have retired ten years ago! I’ve had a life full of adventures. I lived in the Middle East for a long time when I was younger. I was a parent and worked different jobs. It was a great life. I’d always find myself in unexpected but interesting situations… I once ended up having dinner with Patrick Swayze!

I’ve also always had something going on to help people in my community. When I lived in an area with a lot of abandoned dogs it was rehoming them. Then there was a period where I was connecting young people and families to free furniture when they were in need. I can’t leave a problem alone if I see an opportunity to help!

What do enjoy outside of work?

Spending time with the family is always number one. When we can find the time in everyone’s busy lives, we come together to have a Sunday Lunch… those are the best moments. I also love meeting up with the girls I grew up with and travelling – but to faraway places, for example, I recently went to Japan. For my 50^th I did Chicago with the girls, THAT was a good time!

Learn more about Julia’s work in our DARE Programme case study, which shares information about what happens on the DARE programme and insight from some of the team who deliver it (including Julia!).

We’ve joined forces with Streetwise to launch a significant new package of sexual health services across Newcastle championing the health and wellbeing of young people.

Thanks to funding from Newcastle City Council, we will deliver a wide range of services supporting young people with their sexual health, with a focus on healthcare, wellbeing and healthy relationships.

Aiming to reach over 4,000 young people each year for the next three years, traditional services focused on physical health, such as access to contraception and STI checks, will be combined with free confidential advice and support on challenges such as Period Poverty, respect and consent, and staying safe.

The funding is also enabling the us to work with communities on the things that matter most to them, such as hosting sessions for LGBTQ+ young people or those living with a disability. An ‘On the Go’ mobile service will also be on hand throughout the years for booking by any organisation working with young people who could benefit.

Together, the partnership has have over 30 years’ experience delivering sexual health services across the region and work with tens of thousands of young people each year through their wider services, which include youth groups, counselling and domestic abuse support.

Leigh Elliott, Chief Executive, at Children North East, comments, “This funding will make a difference to thousands of young people. Access to free, non-judgemental sexual health services is important for empowering them to stay safe and make informed decisions about their physical and mental health when it comes to relationships. We are very excited to partner with Streetwise who have been doing great work in this space for many years.”

Mandy Coppin, CEO at Streetwise comments, “Following on from two years of lockdown we are extremely excited to be relaunching our sexual health service delivery across the city, providing accessible and welcoming relationship and sexual health support, advice and information 5 days per week, working in partnership with Children North East and NHS New Croft Centre”

BE KIND! That was the message our awesome FAB Group brought to the Children North East allotment on a bright Spring afternoon this April.

With paints, pens and brushes in hand, they set off creating artworks calling for kindness, including a set of posters and a mural covering on side of the on-site shed. Watch our short video capturing the excitement of the day above, along with some of the photos of what we got up to further down this page!

The Be Kind message was the perfect addition to the allotment, which is often used for therapeutic and wellbeing related support for children and young people accessing Children North East services, as well as fun sessions for our youth groups. Growing plants and food, enjoying nature and cooking sessions based around the BBQ are all part of the wonderful ways the charity makes the most of its outdoor space.

The day was made possible with funding from the Newcastle Council Community Health Fund, which supports community-led activities that pass on public health messages through creative ideas and ‘Community Champions’.

The FAB (Fantastic and Brilliant) Group is a group of young people aged 11 to 25 who have SEND. Every month, the FAB Group come together to make friends, share experiences and exchange insights into support for young people with SEND in the local area and beyond. You can learn more about the Group on our website.

Young people from across our community had a ROARing good time at a performance of Beauty and the Beast last month thanks to the Sunderland Empire inviting a forty strong group to ‘Be Our Guest’ and enjoy a visit to the theatre.

As the possibility of a storm teased outside, inside our Graingerville Youth Services building the excitement was also rising. Transport was checked and princess themed clothing was donned (including Belle socks in the case of our Project Coordinator Teresa).

Josef, one of the young people who joined, shared his experience. He commented, “It felt really special because I have only been once before and it was a long time ago. One day I want to dance on the stage with them”.

For many, the trip offered a moment of fun and celebration after the weight of lockdowns, for others a chance for a new experience.

“I enjoyed it, it made me feel happy. It was funny and made me laugh lots. I would like to go again, it was my first time. I had never been to the theatre before”, commented Marketa. Another young attendee shared, “I have never been to a theatre show before. I hope I get to go again”.

But what about the show? Feedback included, “This show was amazing. It’s the best thing I have ever seen in my life!”, “I loved listening to the music and the orchestra they were amazing”, and, saying what we were all thinking, “They did crazy backflips in the show. I wish I could do that!”.

Children North East are grateful for the generosity of the Sunderland Empire for making this trip possible and giving us the chance to share a different experience with the young people we work with. As one of the attendees shared, “The Sunderland Empire was warming and welcoming”. We couldn’t agree more…

P.S. We’ve hidden the name of three Beauty and the Beast songs in this story, can you find them?

Children North East are pleased to share the appointment of the new Head of Games, Ted. E. Bear.

The Head of Games role has been created to support the organisation to work towards our purpose, that all babies, children and young people are given the opportunity to grow up healthy and happy, in innovative and thoughtful new ways.

Ted will work with the CEO and the Families and Parenting leadership team to implement pioneering approaches to games, including:

– Increasing the portfolio of moves utilised in Boogie Bairn sessions so dancers can achieve the higher Boogie Woogie Accreditation

– Taking on the role of Giggles Ambassador, ensuring all opportunities for giggles generate maximum ROI

Ted brings a raft of experience to the role, having previously worked with respected games specialists Lego, Mary Poppins and Santa, the latter with whom he oversaw the launch of a new digital department during the 90’s tech boom.

Ted commented, “It’s great to be joining Children North East, an organisation that shares my ethos that games are for everyone, no matter what their background. I hope to bring the most fun, most giggly, most silly games to babies, children, young people and their families across the region and beyond.”