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As part of a major community participation project carried out together with other local organisations, Search has been talking to older residents about:

  • What changes are happening or planned for the west end
  • What people want to know and how they can have their say to influence decisions about the future of the area
  • What people value about their neighbourhoods and communities
  • How the area has changed

Search believes that consultation should be an enjoyable and worthwhile experience for the people consulted.  We have organised a series of activities and events that have given local older people the opportunity to try something new and to mix with other people, as well as giving their views.


Some of Search's consultation works has included;

  • Providing up-to-date information about plans and changes affecting the area in response to feedback from local residents that there is a lack of good, trustworthy information about what is happening.

  • Looking at what is needed for children and young people in the area.  Search talked to local older people about how they and their families had played as children - see Play Report (opens in new window)

  • Finding out older residents' views of what makes a neighbourhood a good place for older people to live in. During Summer and Autumn of 2006 more than 50 older people took part in discussions about what makes Benwell a good place for older people to live in and what aspects of life in the area are not so good - see Is Benwell Older Person Friendly? (opens in new window)

  • Meeting with a group of older women of Asian origin who came together to talk about what they liked and didn’t like about living in the West End of Newcastle.  This was part of a bigger project to find out what older people in the city think makes a neighbourhood "older person friendly" - see Older Asian women living in the West End (opens in new window)

  • Carrying out an evaluation of Benwell Library building in response to concerns expressed locally about plans to move the library service to a new Customer Service Centre further north.  This found that most local residents were worried about potential loss of services and facilities as a result of the move, and also feared for the long-term future of a much-loved local building.

The Centre for Culture and Heritage

Search is excited to be a partner in a new initiative to develop a Centre for Culture and Heritage for the west end of Newcastle at St James' Church, Benwell.

St James' is a lovely building, which was designed by the famous architect, John Dobson and is one of the few heritage buildings remaining in the area.  Search has a longstanding relationship with the church, and the project's AGM has been held there for many years.

The plans to develop the Centre have come about as a result of  a major consultation and research exercise carried out during 2009 which was supported by Search.  The idea is to create a multi-purpose venue to house a range of activities and resources linked with culture and heritage.  This will build on the strong tradition of creativity and pride in the past which are characteristics of this area, and which Search fosters through its popular arts and crafts and local history groups and activities.  The re-development of St James' will give the west end a high quality venue for exhibitions, events and activities.
 
Boat trip passing The Sage
 
Boat trip passing Tyne Bridge
 
Boat trip on the Tyne