‘Landmark’ project celebrates first anniversary

A Newcastle youth and community hub is celebrating its first anniversary after welcoming almost 1000 members and recording nearly 6000 attendances during its opening year.

The Lighthouse Project in Byker marked the milestone with a community celebration featuring sports, cooking, DJing and outdoor activities.

Children from nearby Byker Primary School and St Lawrence Catholic Primary School joined local residents at the event, which also celebrated the second birthday of Otis, pictured below, the project’s resident cockapoo, who is being trained as a therapy dog.

Ben Roman, chief executive at The Lighthouse Project, said: “We’ve surpassed our expectations for the project’s first year and it’s been great to celebrate everything that we’ve achieved with the community that it was designed for.

“We’ve focused building trust and developing our presence in the community. 

“This local engagement is proof that hyper-local community spaces are in real need and that we’re fulfilling the role we’d hoped to when we first opened our doors.

“Otis is loved by everyone who visits us and marking his birthday alongside the building’s gave us a great chance for a double celebration.”

Created through an 18-month renovation of St Michael’s Church on Saint Michael’s Mount, The Lighthouse Project provides activities and support centred around young people.

Its programme includes junior and senior youth clubs, homework clubs, family health and wellbeing programmes and a forest school, alongside mentoring, special educational needs support and detached youth work delivered with local partners.

Facilities include a purpose-built youth club annexe, arts and performance areas, an e-sports suite, music rehearsal space, outdoor sports area and nature trail.

The building also provides office, meeting and storage space for community organisations and is home to the Byker Scout Group.

During its first year, the project took pupils from its two neighbouring schools to Westminster for an event highlighting the benefits of youth clubs, where they spoke to MPs about their experiences.

Ben added: “This is a landmark, long-term project that is already delivering a huge range of benefits for the people of Byker and the wider city.

“We’re only at the beginning of what we believe we can achieve and will be launching lots of new projects in the new year that we hope can make even more of a difference here.”

The Lighthouse Project was supported by a £4.2 million grant from the Department for Culture, Media & Sport’s Youth Investment Fund, alongside funding from the Lord Crewe Trust and The Squires Foundation.

Regional businesses including British Engines and Ringtons are also supporting the hub through long-term funding and partnership work.

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