Newcastle City Council

It’s time to try the Budget Simulator! 💡 Have your say on Newcastle’s future by balancing the budget yourself. The People’s Budget is shaping up with input from residents, and now we want you to tell us how you would balance the books and which services matter most to you. Get involved via the link below 👇

Newcastle schools encouraged to lead the way in free breakfast clubs 🍽️ Local schools are urged to join the government’s free breakfast club programme, which is launching in April 2025. As part of the early adopter initiative schools can help ensure children start the school day nourished and ready to learn. Councillor Lesley Storey, our Cabinet Member for Children and Families, said “Increased access to more free breakfast clubs would be a life line for many Newcastle families. It would help more parents and carers to balance work and family responsibilities by easing the financial impact of additional childcare, as well as ensuring their children are well-fed and ready to learn at school. “This is an incredible opportunity for more of the city’s schools to lead the way on reducing food poverty and improving school readiness. Read more via the link in the comments 👇

The challenge we face in 2025-26 💬 The Leader of the Council talks about the significant challenges we face in balancing the budget for 2025-26. Rising inflation, increasing demand for services, and years of cuts mean we must make tough decisions. 👀 Watch the video and find out more about the proposals. Have your say 👉 https://lnkd.in/eqbdVEaX

Don’t Miss Out on Newcastle’s Christmas Markets! 🎄 🎄 We hope you’ve enjoyed the festive buzz in Newcastle’s city centre this year! It’s been wonderful seeing so many people enjoying the markets, grabbing gifts, and savouring the delicious treats on offer.🎁 The final day of the markets is this Sunday, 22 December – so make sure to soak up the Christmas spirit before they’re gone! From traditional stalls on Grey Street, Grainger Street, and around the Monument, to the new igloos and the magical Christmas Village at Old Eldon Square - there’s something for everyone. ✨🎅 Opening Times: • Monday – Saturday: 10am–8pm • Sunday: 10am–5pm And the Grainger Market is open until Christmas Eve, 9am–5.30pm (Sunday hours: 10am–4pm). See comments to find out more.

Bringing festive cheer to Walker 🎄🎅 Yesterday The Bostey youth centre in Walker hosted an incredible Christmas parade, joined by local organisations from Walker Workers. Together they brought joy to the community by handing out selection boxes generously donated by amazing supporters including Thompsons of Prudhoe. Thanks to funding received, including a Walker Ward Committee grant, the event was a massive success with the streets lined with smiling faces, festive spirit, and so much positivity. A huge thank you to those who made this magical afternoon possible—what a fantastic example of community coming together. 👏

That’s a wrap! 🎁 Last week, an incredible team of over 120 volunteers came together to spread some holiday magic. 🎄 From Newcastle City Council colleagues to our amazing Evry Partners, young people from Newcastle College, Department of Education staff, and people who use our services at Scroggs Road—everyone pitched in to wrap your generous gift donations and make up food parcels. Now, they’re on their way to bring joy to young people just in time for Christmas. 🎅🎁 A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this campaign a success. You’ve made a real difference to young people across our city.

Here’s our ‘cup of ambition’ 📚🎙 Earlier this week our leader Cllr Karen Kilgour announced the launch of a new initiative, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, which will give every child in the city the chance to have a bedtime story. The roll out of the international campaign here in our city will aim to give all registered children from birth to age 5 a free book every month. Reading to your child from an early age boosts their development, strengthens family bonds, and sparks their imagination. Yet, fewer than half of children under 2 are read to daily. Expected to start from April 2025 aims to nurture a love of reading and improve school readiness and family literacy. Watch this space for more information in the New Year 👀

100 tonnes of food waste turned into renewable energy! 💡 This holiday season, our food waste trial is due to hit an incredible milestone: 100 tonnes of food waste collected since September. That’s the equivalent weight of seven double-decker buses per week being transformed into renewable energy and nutrient-rich fertiliser. ✅ How it works: 🍽️ Food waste is collected weekly from 5,200 households. ♻️ It’s treated at a plant in Gateshead to generate clean energy and eco-friendly fertiliser. 💰 It’s cheaper than landfill and helps households reduce waste Cllr Alex Hay, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services, said "This fantastic service reduces landfill, creates sustainable energy, and makes Newcastle a greener, more sustainable city." By 2026, when rolled out citywide, the program is set to power 1,000 homes annually while saving money and boosting recycling rates. Read more in the comments 👇

Restoring an icon 🔩 It was great to have cabinet member for Climate and Transport, Cllr Juna Sathian and members of the Joint Bridges Committee join us on site for a special tour around the Tyne Bridge restoration works. This was an opportunity to meet the team behind the restoration, learn more about this vital project as well as see for themselves the exciting progress on site as we restore an icon to its former glory. Esh Group

A bright light in the darkness 💡 Earlier this year, when riots were causing chaos across the country following the tragic Southport attack, a number of buildings elsewhere in the UK were damaged. One of those was the Spellow Library and Community Hub in Liverpool which was destroyed by rioters and led to it being closed to the public in light of the disorder. In collaboration with our colleagues at Liverpool City Council, we’re supporting the Shine a Light for Solidarity campaign by lighting up our own community libraries to celebrate Spellow Library reopening its doors tomorrow. Libraries and hubs play a vital role in our communities, and we’re proud to show our support. As well as the City Library, we’re also lighting up Gosforth Library, East End Community Hub and Library, Newburn Library, and the West End Community Hub and Library. #ShareTheLight