Egg-stra special outside treats for Easter

With lockdown restrictions easing and better weather coming, our services have been able to take full advantage of our fantastic allotment in the West End of Newcastle.

During the Easter break, our Young People’s Service and Families and Parenting service have been able to fully utilise our allotment to meet with our groups face to face for the first time this year.  With added funding from Newcastle City Council’s Holiday Activity Fund for our Best Easter Ever, we’ve been able to increase activities which have included Easter Egg Hunts, maintenance of the allotment and planting of the veggie patches.

Highlighting the invaluable resource our allotment provides, Denise Gilholme, Youth Team Manager at our Young People’s Service, said:

“Use of the allotment provides a valuable space in which our young people can meet in a socially distanced environment.  The therapeutic benefits of working together, in an outdoor environment, alongside the simple act of having lunch with friends, are phenomenal in terms of supporting everyone’s mental health and wellbeing.  Just switching off from the virtual world away from what must seem 24-hour screen use, has proven to be a much needed activity for both young people and staff.”

“In more ways than one, the allotment offers a place to grow for young people.  Alongside the Holiday Activity Fund, we’ve received support from the Co-op Local Community Fund, we have been able to invest in new tools.  To bear fruit from this labour, we are also in the process of employing a Youth Worker to support the increased use and development of the work utilising such an invaluable outdoor space and resource especially in response to recovering post-Covid!”