Latest news

We've just launched an exciting new £3 million programme funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF)to provide valuable help to out-of-work residents in who are looking to progress into good employment.

The three innovative projects will provide support to people who are economically inactive.

The programme will help people with complex or multiple challenges to work and be adapted to their individual needs. Projects will provide much needed support through activities such as one-to-one mentoring, job application advice, skills courses, help with budgeting, and health and wellbeing services.

However we know everyone's circumstance are different we would like to provide help that works you!

If you are unemployed or have recent experiences looking for work, we want to hear from you. Please have your say by completing our short survey.

The survey aims to understand the challenges different people in the area face when trying to find work. The survey findings will help us determine how best to allocate our funding for employment and skills support for the next financial year.

After you've completed the survey please remember to share the survey link with friends and family. The more people that fill it in the better the insight we'll get to what services are needed.

Thanks

Please fill out this short survey for your chance to win a £100 John Lewis shopping voucher. https://tinyurl.com/unionexamples

The survey closes: 6 April 2023.

Please contact helen@energydemocracyproject.com if you have any questions about the survey.

For the Future of Farming in the North East Workshop, please sign-uphere.

For the Future of Construction in the North East Workshop, please sign-up here.

The workshops are open to anyone interested in working in these sectors, currently employed in these sectors, and people studying a relevant course in these industries.

The workshops will take place in late February and early March 2023. Participants will be paid £30 for their attendance.

The workshops are an opportunity for people involved within these sectors to have their voices heard by a wider audience and directly shape the recommendations of regional just transition policy.

For further information about the project and the workshops, please contact the team at: helen.coulson@northoftyne-ca.gov.uk and ben@energydemocracyproject.com

- the construction sector and retrofit, and

- supporting a sustainable future for agriculture

You do not need to be an expert in any of these areas. We want to hear from as many people as possible so we can learn from your input to successfully plan for the new green jobs and green skills that we need to shape a sustainable, thriving North of Tyne region.

We appreciate all your comments and are grateful for the time you have taken to engage with the project so far!

If you would like any further information or have any questions about the surveys, please contact the Just Transition Team at: helen.coulson@northoftyne-ca.gov.uk and ben@energydemocracyproject.com

Please note both the surveys will close on 28 February 2023.

Click here to complete for your chance to win a £50 Eldon Square gift card.

The survey closes 12 December 2022.

Do you manage or own a business in the North of Tyne area? We want to hear from businesses to find out what they need to go green, be more sustainable and reduce energy costs!

All businesses are likely to be impacted in some way by changes to a lower carbon economy in the years to come and are already impacted by the current energy crisis. A survey that addresses these issues is now open to business owners and managers of any size, in any sector, primarily based within the North of Tyne region. It takes about five minutes to complete.

Click here to have your say! The survey closes 12 December 2022.

If you would like to find out more about the Just Transition Project or get involved, please contact the Just Transition Project Coordinator at helen@energydemocracyproject.com

Read through to the end and find out about our online workshop on 9 August where you can find out how you can make your idea happen!

Protection of All Saints Church Gosforth are going to restore their church grounds making the green space accessible to the community and reinstate the Calvary Cross! They have raised an incredible £10,991 and NTCA has pledged £8,886 and are close to meeting their target.

Sensory on the North Sea has raised £6,616 to give children with life-limiting disabilities and their families the chance to be a skipper for the day on a Catamaran out on the North Sea! The Special Lioness are already delivering their project for families in the North East.

The Greening Wingrove Bike Garden are about to Turbo Charge the Bike Garden, making it a green hub for the community NTCA's £13,224 pledge has helped this project pass its target ready to deliver cycle tours in Nuns Moor Park.

With an incredible 91 backers, Coquetdale Repair Café have smashed their target raising 157% of their initial goal with help from NTCA's £1999 pledge This September they will be hosting their first repair café where the community can recycle damaged goods.

Being Woman are crowdfunding for their Virsa Bus, aimed at going to Northumberland Communities to get communities to participate in a range of services. You can support this project along with NTCA's biggest pledge yet of £13,774 to get them to their project goal.

Shilbottle Gets Active have raised £2,554 and can now get sports equipment for their school and community to use, helping young people get active.

Headway Arts is launching Blythfest after raising £2,184 to celebrate Blyth's arts & culture and bring the community together 2 weeks of fun, festivals, and family will be in Blyth soon!

Cresswell Pele Tower have managed to raise a massive £5,241 and are all set to reinstate the Orchard Garden and host some bee colonies to promote biodiversity. The community can participate in the upkeep of the garden and help create a green space for all to enjoy.

#CrowdfundNorthofTyne has smashed our previous record by contributing £67,540 to community crowdfunders. Hundreds of residents have already contributed to these campaigns and you can too on Spacehive https://orlo.uk/ENBRP

And finally if you have an idea for a community project or would just like to know more about Crowdfund North of Tyne then come along to our Project Creator Workshop on 9 August - book here https://orlo.uk/Dkk3b

Building upon the great work that NTCA has already undertaken on climate change, such as the Climate Change Citizens’ Assembly , the Just Transition Project is a new collaborative research endeavour led by the Energy Democracy Project (EDP) that is working to ensure that the move to a low-carbon economy is inclusive and fair for residents and workers in the North of Tyne.

Harnessing Citizen Power to Shape the Net Zero Economy

A shift is underway around the world as we move to a more environmentally friendly economy. But we don’t want to repeat the mistakes of the past. There is no ‘just transition’ without placing workers, communities and organisations at the centre of the process. Therefore, we want to hear from you, so we can plan together for a more sustainable future!

Helen, EDP Just Transition Project Coordinator, said: “It is crucial that citizens of the North of Tyne have a real voice in shaping how we address the climate emergency, and decarbonise society in a fair and democratic way. We want everyone to be involved in a just transition to a ‘Zero Carbon, Zero Poverty’ North of Tyne. A key part of this is to ensure that good-quality, secure, low-carbon jobs are inclusive and accessible to all residents – and that people have the relevant ‘green’ skills required to flourish in a low-carbon economy.”

One of the first steps in this process is the launch of two surveys which were opened today. Please see below for a short description of each and click on the link to take you to the relevant survey:

- a short questionnaire (3 minutes) on the Commonplace Platform open to all people who live or work in the North of Tyne to share their views on the low-carbon economy and the move to sustainable ‘green’ jobs,

- a longer, in-depth survey (15 minutes) to gather the views of workers currently employed in high-carbon industries (such as construction, manufacturing, energy and agriculture) to hear their views about how to plan for the long-term, sustainable jobs and industries of the future.

Elected Metro Mayor for the North of Tyne, Jamie Driscoll said: “We want to ensure that new ‘green jobs’ are inclusive, good-quality, and boost the local economy. We want to learn from your expertise and experience. So, if you live or work in the North of Tyne area, we want to hear from you – so we can make positive changes, together."

EDP wishes to hear from residents and workers anywhere in Newcastle, North Tyneside, or Northumberland on these issues – even if you haven’t thought about them before. The more local voices that have their say, the better we can plan together for environmentally sustainable jobs for our region for years to come. Let us know your views and there is a chance you could win a £50 Eldon Square gift card.

If you would like to find out more about the Just Transition Project or get involved, please contact helen@energydemocracyproject.com

Who are the Energy Democracy Project?

Energy Democracy Project (EDP) was set up in 2003 to support educational and research activities around climate change. It has focused on building support for energy democracy and a just transition in the UK since 2014. EDP focuses on engaging and consulting trade unions, unionised and non-unionised workers, and communities in building visions and pathways for a just and rapid climate transition.

Shieldfield Art Works’ Community Garden has officially opened to the community.

The project was funded by NTCA, headed by Mayor Driscoll, and by generous members of the public, who donated via NTCA’s crowdfunding platform #CrowdfundNorthofTyne.

The garden features a wildflower walkway with seating for people to relax and enjoy the beauty around them, raised planting beds for growing fruit and veg, and a small herb garden.

The busy opening event had crafts and activities for children and live music, as well as a community meal – with dishes made by local residents and produce grown in the garden.

Local resident and volunteer Helen said: “Being involved in the local things is very important. The community garden is great for people who do not have outdoor space or gardens.”

Local resident Ken, who supports community gardening in her role as Dwellbeing Shieldfield’s ‘Community Bee’ said “We supply seeds and tools and knowledge. While we work together, we grow friendships together”.

Metro Mayor Jamie Driscoll said: “Lockdown taught us to treasure communal green spaces and gardens. They boost our mental health. They provide habitats for birds, bees, and wildlife. They improve the very air we breathe.

“It was great to join in the celebrations with Shieldfield Art Works and to see how NTCA funding has helped to create this green haven in the city.”

Shieldfield Art Works Director Lydia Hiorns said: “We’re really excited to formally launch and celebrate our community garden with friends and supporters from Shieldfield all gathered together. The design and build of the garden has been shaped around what people in the local area said was important to them, including space to grow food as well as seating areas for eating together, or space to just be and reflect.

We are grateful for the funds from NTCA as well as many individual supporters that have made it possible to transform this patch of grass into a community resource. We are confident the garden will be well used and cherished by the community, as SAW also looks to continue our broad range of work at a time when securing funding is challenging.”

More information about SAW can be found here .

If you have an idea you'd like to pitch to Crowdfund North of Tyne then go here .

The charity also provides formal and informal maintenance training, including women-only sessions, to help people learn how to keep their bikes in good repair and acquire new skills. Want to learn how to fix your own bike? Find out how here.

Meadowell Connected Centre

In North Tyneside, we supported Meadowell Connected Centre to give local people the chance to learn about beekeeping especially working across different generations. Stephen Douglas of Pure Buzzin who, along with volunteers, has built 10 beehives in the Meadow Well community garden in North Shields to help combat social isolation, improve confidence and build new skills.

The team work together to build, create, repair and look after the honey bees they have on site – creating our a range of honey-based candles and products to sell on to raise funds.

Grow Hexham

In Northumberland, we supported Grow Hexham to match un-used gardens with people on the Hexham Town Council allotment waiting list to increase to create a circular economy in fresh food.

The result is more locally grown produce, shared between the owner and the gardener with surplus going to the Community Grocery . Using recycled tools, shared skills, knowledge and food for the benefit of the grower, the owner, the fresh food bank and the environment all contribute to a zero carbon, zero food waste project that is of benefit to the environment and the town. Check them out on Facebook here .

Have an idea for a community project that could access support from Crowdfund North of Tyne? Check out the project website to find out how to make it happen.