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What's happening in your ward

Summer Reading Blast Off at Walker Library
Are you brave enough to take a giant leap to the final frontier this summer? Join our Space Hop reading challenge from Saturday 26 June where your mission will be to read six books over the summer holidays. Everyone who signs up can keep track of the books they read on a special fold out poster and it’s FREE to join. If you triumph in your space mission you will be presented with a certificate from Walker Library Mission Control and be entered into a fantastic prize draw!
During the school summer holidays from Saturday 24 July – Sunday 5 September, there will be a range of FREE Space Hop events in Walker library.
Come along every Thursday 2-3pm for interplanetary crafts.
Monday 2 August 2.30-3.30pm. Charlie’s Space Hop magic show. Fun for all the family.
Monday 16 August 2.30-4pm. Science Families Workshop ‘Electric Experiences’
Tuesday 17 August 2-3pm. Alien Spotting with author Simon Bartram.
Friday 20 August 2-4pm. Jack and Daniel’s Space Hop Quick comics.
There’s also plenty more fun to be had on the Space Hop website. You can find out about cool new books to read, comment on books you’ve enjoyed and join in games that are out of this world! Read blogs from your favourite authors too on www.spacehop.org.uk.
For further Space Hop information keep checking the website or phone Walker library on 0191278 4225. Events need to be booked, unless otherwise stated. Children under the age of eight must be accompanied by a parent or carer. It’s time to prepare for blast off!

‘Give and Gain Day’ at Waverdale
Groundwork South Tyneside and Newcastle will soon be on site making improvements to the open space at Waverdale. Responding to ideas and suggestions made at the consultation events held in March 2009 we will be:

• Improving the entrances to the site
• Creating glades
• Cutting back overgrown areas to reduce anti social behaviour
• Creating informal footpaths and clearing litter
• Installing timber edged footpaths
• Installing new gates
• Introducing new plants
• Making bird boxes

We will also maintain the site for the next 10 years and will keep you informed of progress.

On Friday 9 July we will be working in partnership with Business in the Community to bring over 150 volunteers on site for their annual ‘Give and Gain Day.’ There will be 11 teams from local businesses and young people from local schools working at Waverdale all day to help with initial improvements. If you would like to join us for all or part of the day please get in touch with Siobhan O’Brien on phone: 0191 340 9116/07894 512 745 or email: siobhan.obrien@groundwork.org.uk

Volunteer for the Youth Offender Panel
Volunteers are needed to join youth offender panels in Newcastle. If you become a panel member you will be joining the thousands of volunteers who are already seeing their efforts pay off to tackle crime in their area.
You can do it
Being a panel member is a challenging yet rewarding role. If you want to see less crime in your community, this is the perfect opportunity to get actively involved. It makes no difference where you come from or what you do, as long you are over 18 years old and are willing to make a difference in your community. For more information please visit our Youth Offender Panel webpage.
E-mail Mark Johnson mark.w.johnson@newcastle.gov.uk or Kerry Turner kerry.turner@newcastle.gov.uk or phone 0191 277 7377 for an application pack.

Health Trainers – making healthy choices easier
HealthWorks Newcastle have a team of Community Health Trainers who can help you to make better health choices. They can provide people with information about local services, community groups and projects. They can support people to stop smoking, reduce stress and anxiety, get fit and make friends and make healthy and safe relationship choices. Community Health Trainers work with individuals and groups. If you would like their support phone 273 8889.

Walkergate Neighbourhood Charter - Our neighbourhood our future
We're working on the first-ever Neighbourhood Charter for Walkergate. The charter sets out what local people tell us are the main things that we and other agencies need to do to make the area a better place for everyone. 
What is a Neighbourhood Charter?
A Neighbourhood Charter is an agreement between you, the community, and us with our partners such as the police and health service at a local level. A charter can be for any part of the city but in this case it's for Walkergate and its neighbourhoods. The purpose of a charter is to help us give you the services you want at a local level to improve your quality of life. This includes giving you a bigger say over health, housing, employment, education, policing and local facilities. Charters are designed to give local people a say in the decisions that affect their day-to-day life. They can be helpful in understanding problems, identifying what's most important for action, and measuring how well we are doing making changes. 
What Happens Next? (Update November 2009)
The priorities are now being shared with services providers so they can identity actions and responses to these with timescales. The Neighbourhood Charter will be formally launched at the March 2010 Ward Committee.
The agreed priorities will then be monitored through the Ward Committee over the coming 12 months.
View  the Walkergate Ward Neighbourhood Charter Newsletter (pdf, 584Kb)

Well Fit
Well Fit is a brand new project to give young people a chance to go to a local gym and get fitter. We will give you a £35 per month gym membership for the price of just £5 per month - first come first served. You must agree to go to your chosen gym at least once a week.
Visit the wellfit website for further information.

Waverdale schools and open space proposals

Fusion is a two-year, City Council-led scheme that aims to increase participation in physical activity amongst children, young people and family groups across Newcastle. FUSION is aimed at all children and young people aged 5-18 who live in Newcastle. The scheme offers free activities at council managed leisure centres and pools and at partner organisations. View the latest newsletter. (pdf, 595Kb)

Building Futures East
We offer a wide range of courses from First aid and Food Hygiene to Plastering and Brickwork. For more information and to check if you are eligible to train for free please phone Building Futures East on 0191 263 2752 or speak to one of our Community Connectors, Tony or Andrea on 07825 963699.

Eastfield Action Group
Eastfield Action Group are a tenants and residents group working in the Eastfield area of Walkergate. The group has been running for 11 years and appeared in Newcastle Tenants Federation News, November / December 2007. If you would like to read the full article please click here (pdf, 10Kb). For further information on the group or if you would like to get involved please contact your ward co-ordinator.

Newcastle Warm Zone are working in your area and we encourage you to talk to our assessor who will call to your door - an assessment to see if you are eligible for free cavity wall and loft insulation takes only five minutes and we don't even need to enter your property. All of our staff carry ID and wear the Warm Zone uniform. If you have any queries about the Newcastle Warm Zone project please call us on 0191 277 7373.
Click here for more information about Newcastle Warm Zone.

Newcastle East End Juniors
Newcastle East End Juniors football club have achieved FA Community Club status. Read their newsletter (pdf, 269Kb).

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Local council services

Neighbourhood Services, one of the council's departments, is responsible for dealing with the cleanliness, safety and improvement of the local environment. The manager for Walkergate ward is Kevin Ward.

The managers are in charge of the Neighbourhood Response Teams, whose job it is to respond quickly to problems that soon make a place look untidy or make it feel unsafe. This team includes the Rapid Response staff who sweep the streets, pick up litter and empty litter bins; remove small scale graffiti; make minor repairs to the footpath or street furniture; and cut back shrubs. They also deal with problems such as dead animals, blocked street drains, potholes and fly-tipping.

The Neighbourhood Response Managers make sure these teams are doing the jobs that are a priority for the local community. They work with local councillors, ward co-ordinators, tenants' and residents' groups and local people to find out what their priorities are. They work closely with other Neighbourhood Services teams in the area such as grounds maintenance, and road and pavement work.

If you want to contact your Neighbourhood Response Manager you can contact them directly, e-mail them or go along to a ward committee meeting.

The ward also has two neighbourhood wardens, who patrol the area.

Key monitoring documents

• Ward priority plan (pdf, 15.3Kb)
  - sets out the key environmental issues in the ward and what we are doing to tackle them
• Planned repairs and maintenance of roads and pavements (pdf, 25Kb)
• Service requests to Envirocall
  - shows the number of requests for our cleansing services

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Reporting problems

If you want t o report environmental problems, such as overhanging trees or graffiti, or ask for a bulky rubbish collection, you should contact Envirocall. 

Our streetlights are maintained by a PFI (Private Finance Initiative) project.

We work with the police on removing abandoned vehicles.

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Your ward committee and getting involved

Ward Committees

Your Ward Committee is made up of three local councillors. Its purpose is to identify and address local issues. The committee consults and works with local residents and businesses, agencies and voluntary and community sector organisations.

The Ward Committee meets at least every two months, on the second Tuesday in the month, and meeting are open to all members of the public. The dates for meetings are:

2010
11 May, 6.30pm - Walker Technical College
13 July, 6.30pm - Eastfield Community Centre
14 September, 6.30pm - Ray Gray Community Centre
9 November, 6.30pm - Walkerville Community Centre

The Ward Co-ordinator organises and publicises Ward Committee meetings and deals with any issues raised. They can help you with transport to and from the meeting, childcare and information in a range of community languages. 

View the public papers for Walkergate Ward Committee meetings.

Grant Aid

The Wa rd Committee has a budget which community and voluntary sector groups can apply for by completing a grant aid application form. Further information about this budget and copies of the application form are available on the Ward Committee Funding webpage, or by contacting your Ward Co-ordinator.

Deadlines for the submission of application forms for Walkergate Ward Committee are:

2010
27 April 2010 (for 11 May meeting)
29 June (for 13 July meeting)
31 August (for 14 September meeting)
26 October (for 9 November meeting)

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Community Groups

Ray Gray Community Centre
For more information please phone Jill Hall (Community Facilities), on 0191 277 2069.

Woodside Av enue Tenants and Residents
Meet on the first Thursday of the month at the Ray Gray Community Centre. Fo r further information please contact your Ward Co-ordinator.

Further Information

Residents Survey 2008
Each year the Council undertakes a survey of residents in the city to find out what you think about the Coun cil’s performance, the services we provide to you and what you think about the area you live in.
View the results for Walkergate ward (pdf, 48Kb)

Find out what consultations the council is carrying out in your ward and submit your views online. You can also see the results of previous consultations.

Cityeye gives details o f events in your ward. You can also find information about societies and clubs in Walkergate.

Use our online map to find your nearest libraries and schools. You can also find out where your nearest recycling site is and find leisure services, such as swimming pools, and heritage information, such as listed buildings and ancient monuments. 

See also the Related Pages panel at the righ t of the screen.