Councillor Jennifer Reay - High Fell

Anyone with information is asked to contact police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of our website or by calling 101 quoting log NP-20221003-0995.

My heartfelt condolences are with the family of the victim and my thoughts and prayers will remain with them as the investigation continues. Truly shocked and deeply saddened to have read about this earlier this morning.

Commenting on this post will be disabled to avoid speculation.

We have launched a murder investigation after a 14-year-old boy has tragically died following a suspected assault.

Shortly after 8pm yesterday, we were alerted by the ambulance service to a report of a teenage boy in the Aycliffe Crescent area of the Springwell Estate, Gateshead, being seriously injured.

Emergency services attended the scene and located the teenager, who had suffered an injury consistent with having been caused by a bladed article.

He was taken to hospital where, despite the best efforts of medics, he sadly passed away in the early hours of this morning.

His family are being supported by specially-trained officers at this devastating time.

An investigation was immediately launched, and a 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder. He remains in police custody.

Meanwhile, a 13-year-old girl has also been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and also remains in custody.

Chief Superintendent Helena Barron said: “A teenage boy has sadly died and his family have been left devastated beyond belief. Our thoughts are very much with his loved ones at this time and we are supporting them in every way we can.

“We are determined to find out exactly what happened and a full investigation is ongoing into the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident.

“We have arrested two teenagers in relation to the incident and officers remain in the area to carry out a range of enquiries and offer reassurance to the community.

“While incidents of this nature are rare in our region, whenever they do occur we are committed to bringing those responsible to justice.”

She added: “We would ask the public not to speculate on details of the investigation.

“What might seem like an innocent post on social media to you, could in reality disrupt an on-going investigation and cause further upset to the family of the victim.

“We would ask that if you did see something or have information in relation to what has happened, please come forward directly to officers.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of our website or by calling 101 quoting log NP-20221003-0995.

It is with great sadness that Gateshead Council has heard the news of the death of Her Majesty, The Queen.

As a mark of respect, the arch of the Gateshead Millennium Bridge will be lit purple during the period of mourning.

Flags at official buildings in Gateshead have been lowered to half-mast and will remain so until tomorrow at 11am, when the flags will be raised and flown at the mast-head, for the official proclamation of the new King from St James’s Palace.

Flags will remain at the mast-head until 1pm on Proclamation Day, when they will return to half-mast until 8am on the morning following the State Funeral.

Books of Condolence that members of the public can sign will be located at Gateshead Civic Centre, Blaydon Leisure Centre & Primary Care Centre, Birtley Library, Whickham Library, Leam Lane Sure Start, Saltwell Towers and St Mary's Heritage Centre. You can sign during working hours at all sites from tomorrow (Friday 9 September).

If you are unable to sign the Books of Condolence in-person, you can sign the e-book online at https://www.royal.uk/

Floral tributes to Her Majesty, The Queen can be left at Saltwell Park's Field of Remembrance during the park’s opening hours.

Councillor Martin Gannon, Leader of Gateshead Council said: “It was with immense sadness that we received the news of the death of Her Majesty, The Queen, after 70 years serving as monarch. The nation has lost a beloved Sovereign and the Royal Family has lost a much loved mother, grandmother and great grandmother.”

We will hold fond memories of Her Majesty, The Queen, including when she opened Gateshead Millennium Bridge 20 years ago in the image below.

Rest in peace Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Regardless of anyone’s personal opinions, Her Majesty devoted her entire existence to serving our country in a way that she never planned for.

A wife, a mother, a grandmother, a great grandmother. So much more to so many. And a Queen to us all.

Today marks the end of the second Elizabethan era and it will understandably take many of us time to adjust to that reality.

May she rest in peace and rise in glory.

With more reports coming in of litter across the ward, I will be organising another informal litter pick in some hotspot areas this Friday 17th June. I plan to spend an hour on Springwell Estate, meeting at Blackhill Crescent at 2pm and then another session at 3:30pm, meeting at the Seven Stars. I have a handful of spare litter pickers so if anyone would like to join me, please drop me a message!

From September this year, we’re closing the Metro line from Pelaw to South Shields for 12 weeks.

It’s for our Metro Flow project, where we’ll be upgrading and electrifying an existing freight line, meaning we can run more Metros, more frequently.

Tomorrow, Wednesday 27 April, we’re holding a drop in session at Jarrow Metro Station for regular customers to find out more about the project.

We’ll be there from 9-11am and 4-6pm.

Go to www.nexus.org.uk/metro-flow for more details on the project.

An opportunity for our children and young adults. A number of bus routes can get you from High Fell to Gateshead or specifically Durham Road, within walking distance of Saltwell Park 😊

I would just like to remind residents that we are here to support. Over the last few weeks, I’ve seen a noticeable rise in my casework and I’ve heard comments that people didn’t know how to contact me and my ward colleagues, else they’d have reached out sooner. So this is just an effort to make myself that bit more visible and accessible for everyone and a reminder that you can reach me at any time so please don’t hesitate if you think we can help.

Feel free to drop me a message on here, via email or give me a call if you have an issue.

The Leisure Lounge is a new community initiative near the centre of Gateshead built to raise funds against food poverty and other local support mechanisms.

Last night, our performer was unable to attend due to Covid but we had a lovely opening night with a big flurry of spectators toward the end!

I’ve been involved in supporting these young people coordinate local events through my job outside of the Council and hope to see them succeed in their efforts. It’s fantastic to see young people having some autonomy and ownership over their own projects and being able to develop themselves both personally and professionally throughout the process.

The Corporation Club might be a little far for those of you living in High Fell but it would be lovely to see some of you there!

In the New Year, we are looking to extend this in to our ward (High Fell) when we secure a venue! It will be lovely to have a new community space for us all to meet up, socialise, enjoy some good music and local talent, be able to take the kids and not cost an arm and a leg!

FREE ENTRY - Event happening 16th October (tomorrow night)

60's Night🕺

Get your grove on with our 60's night happening on the 16th October📅 Great quality music from various singer from Into the Spotlight! We hope to see you all there😊

Feel free to come along! I’ll be there 😊

Let's clean up Beacon Lough East 🧹🌳

We are hosting a clean-up day
Skips will be available in the car park outside Boxlaw shops

Dispose of your rubbish (no hazardous waste, please)
Or help with our litter pick (equipment provided)

📆 Wednesday 29 September 2021
⏰ 9am-4pm

Council staff, officers from Northumbria Police The Fire Service, and volunteers from Larkspur House will be on hand to help

Foundations Furniture will also be there to collect any furniture in good condition

If you will need help to move your rubbish, or would like more information, please call Neighbourhood Housing Officer Martin Taylor on 07526 624 219

Otherwise, just come along on the day! 😀

For anyone attempting to reach out via email, it would appear that I have been locked out of my council emails but hope to have this remedied within the next day or two. In the meantime, please continue to drop me a line on Facebook or via the phone

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🦁🦁🦁 IT’S COMING HOME 🦁🦁🦁🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

So lucky to have tickets to the final and can’t wait to be back in person after attending Italy v Austria at the weekend - I hope I can see England win the Euros at Wembley🤞

Everyone has their own opinions about football but there’s no denying that it brings people together - and we need that after this past year!

No matter how much I normally dislike Jordan Pickford for the way he behaves toward Newcastle, his performance tonight was absolutely second to none 🥅

NB: if we make it, I’ll be the one with their full body painted red and white and dressed head to toe in merchandise for when the cameras are panning 🎥

Following the media coverage of Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest on June 12, I have been in contact with Gateshead Council to establish where local defibrillators available to the public are positioned. Whilst it would appear that we only have an identified list of defibs placed in Council-owned buildings, there is an upcoming meeting to discuss borough-wide provision. I have requested permission to attend this meeting as an observer and hope to be able to let residents know where their local defibrillators in the community are located in the near future.

Having been made aware of two burglaries across the ward in the last couple of weeks, I wanted to share that additional police patrols across Friday evening and the weekend have been planned.

Following the incident of a stabbing recently also, Beacon Lough remains a high priority for the Neighbourhood team in terms of patrolling and engagement.

We must reiterate to all residents the importance of locking doors and being vigilant. Burglars have a tendency to be opportunistic and an open or unlocked door is (wrongly) regarded as an invitation. With the warm weather, we know that it is more difficult to keep all doors closed (and it is a terrible shame to feel the need to) which is why we would ask for vigilance.

All of the crimes have been passed to the Burglary team for investigation as per Northumbria Police policy.

If residents see anything suspicious, please report it.

As with all incidents these can be reported through contacting 999 if an emergency, 101 if a non-emergency or through https://beta.northumbria.police.uk/our-services/report-it/report-an-incident/.

You can also request contact from the local neighbourhood team through https://beta.northumbria.police.uk/your-neighbourhood/

Your Neighbourhood Whether it’s crime prevention advice or a cuppa with a copper, our forthcoming events cater to your interests and concerns and take place where you live and work.

On World Blood Donor Day, I’d like to take the opportunity to remind people out there just how important blood donation really is. In the UK, the NHS needs around 400 new donors a day to meet demand; and that’s before you account for the extra 135,000 each year that need replaced who can no longer donate.

Each blood donation saves a life. It is a lifeline for people in an emergency and for those needing long-term treatments.

Anyone who knows me knows how beyond words terrified of needles I am - but last Friday, I put my money where my mouth is and I took the plunge. Part of me quietly hoped I might be ineligible but after a few panic attacks and a pretty big wobble before I left, I managed to complete a full donation.

It really does only take a matter of minutes and it genuinely does save a life.

If you’re like me and couldn’t think of anything worse, trust me when I say that the staff in these facilities really are absolutely second to none for supporting you and making you feel safe.

I’m looking forward to seeing the path of my donation and how it helped. Saying I’m “looking forward” to going back in 16 weeks is a bit of a stretch but I will be there as soon as I am permitted to donate again.

If you aren’t a donor and are considering contributing in this way, you can register at https://www.blood.co.uk

We often see posts on social media of local residents trying to get rid of their unwanted furniture and often I notice these posts say that if noone claims the items by a set time then they will just be taken to the tip. If anyone does have any unwanted items that they can't shift and would like to support someone that needs it in their local community, please check out the following link and it can be collected free of charge! https://teamworkdevtrust.wixsite.com/teamwork/post/freshpurposeforoldfurniture?fbclid=IwAR0WuJePNNCWqcdpiQxOXTjQFyKrBjYsJIvgnwbuuLal6JctfNsgb48M1-Y

How to Recycle Your Unwanted Furniture in Gateshead We've all been there. The sofa you once loved no longer fits in with your new decor. You've moved home and that side table you've had for years just won't fit anywhere. Your dining table is looking a bit tired, but it holds too many memories to let go of... Our homes and their contents are more than...

I’ve had a few people message in recent days to check how the bank holiday Monday might have affected their bin collection day.

For anyone that isn’t sure of the schedule or is like me and forgets every fortnight no matter how many times they write it down and has to run out at 6am when I see the rest of the streets’ bins outside, you can always check on the following link just by entering your post code 😊

https://www.gateshead.gov.uk/article/3150/Bin-collection-day-checker -consents-updated

Bin collection day checker - Gateshead Council Find out when your bins will be collected.

Happy with my first week’s achievement 💪 Admittedly, I celebrated with a 3 course meal on the Fell but hey ho! For anyone that wants to be part of a team of like minded others in the same boat trying to shift those lockdown pounds, come along to Slimming World - Sheriff Hill & Wrekenton on Wednesdays or Thursdays at the Greencroft Club or Fell D**e! 😁

As we celebrate the volunteers in our communities during Volunteers’ Week this week, why not take the first steps and get involved in volunteering?

Current volunteering vacancies within Gateshead are:

Elgin Community Kitchen – deliveries and gardening
Citizens Advice Gateshead – various roles
Gateshead Carers – virtual carer café facilitator
Damn Cheek Theatre – various roles
Angel Court – gardener
Gateshead Council - Anti-Social Behaviour telephone support.

Visit www.gateshead.gov.uk/volunteering for more information about these roles or email [email protected]

I still volunteer within the Anti-Social Behaviour Victim Support service and you really do see the difference you are making in others’ lives!

I’m always keen to engage with and get involved in local projects going on in the ward so if you volunteer in High Fell, please feel free to reach out and let me know if I can lend a hand (or if you just want to let me know about the wonderful work you’re doing) 😊

Enjoyed helping out with Street Warriors UK tonight. Always nice to engage and connect with those who need our support most.

Street Warriors distribute hot food, hot drinks and goodie bags to take away to those in need each Monday outside the Laing Art Gallery between 7 and 8pm.

They can help out in a number of other ways with toiletries and food parcels so if you or anyone you know needs additional support like this, you know where to find me. Tonight, we had 80 recipients so there really is no need to feel uncomfortable approaching us.

You don’t have to be without a house to reach out to us!

Let’s look after each other out there 😊

With it being Action on Stroke month, I thought this relevant to share.

Stroke / blood cots have a new fourth indicator - the tongue.

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can COMPLETELY reverse the effects of a stroke. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S *Ask the individual to SMILE.

T *Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(i.e. Chicken Soup)

R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

NEW Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue

Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke.

I will be out across the ward this weekend doing some litter picking to help tidy the area up a little. If anyone has any particular areas that they know of and would like me to try and get around to on my travels, do drop me a message (if you comment, I might miss it!). I will only be doing a couple of hours each day so I know I won’t get around the lot but every little helps.

Ideally, I would be able to do weekly sessions at the same time each week so that we could get a few people out together as a number of residents have asked about this but my calendar doesn’t really allow for that at the minute, sorry!

The ticketing site is now live for our Save the Staiths Event 2021! As I was the one to develop their ticketing platform, I was adamant to be the first participant signed up but we have people that keen to support the cause that we had tickets sold before we even launched!!

Many of you will remember the arson attacks that the Staiths have been subjected to and we all know the historical value of the structure in terms of our heritage here in the North East.

This event has been organised to raise funds to support the regeneration of the Staiths - you can run or walk this event in your own time (because of Covid, you can choose your own date!) and it is even suitable for wheelchair users!

You can choose to be part of the 5K or 10K challenge (if you're not the most fit, like me!) and you even have time between now and then to get downloading your Couch to 5K apps to get yourselves prepared!

All of the proceeds go toward restoring our wonderful Dunston Staiths!

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/rwmevents/529472/?fbclid=IwAR2tD7X6J6l2vAYqmvpizooYsgp16s2cwCJSbXIWOAo1kqsT0wfsy5dF0vw

Buy tickets / Join the guestlist for Save the Staiths 5k/10k Challenge, Sat 31 Jul 2021 6:00 PM - Sat 14 Aug 2021 6:00 PM Save the Staiths 5k/10k Challenge, Sat 31 Jul 2021 - Sat 14 Aug 2021 - ‘Save the Staiths’ is a fundraiser for the Dunston Staiths Restoration Project. Our first 5k & 10k Challenge was a huge success last year and we are delighted to be launching the 2021 event, which promises to be bigger an...

FREE Big Bike Revival Rides - 1st June, 10am - 2pm.

Wayout in Gateshead (who are fab by the way!) are going to be running 5 free introductory cycle rides and bike maintenance sessions on Newcastle Quayside throughout the summer.

Lockdown has certainly showed us the joy and value in exercising outdoors so if you’ve recently taking up cycling like me, why not pop along? These sessions are suitable for beginner cyclists or those returning after many years absence. All equipment including bicycles, helmets, repair equipment and professional instruction included at no cost.

To book or find out more email:
[email protected] or call 07506176888

Homeowners can now claim their FREE BOILER GRANT.

If you own your home and either yourself or someone in your household receives any of the qualifying benefits, you could be eligible for a free boiler installed completely free of charge.

This is a government-funded scheme so you won't pay a penny if you claim this grant.

Apply now to avoid missing out on this opportunity.

https://www.boilergrants.org.uk/

https://thefreeboilerscheme.co.uk/

https://www.newboilergrant.co.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8-TB3J_i8AIVcwUGAB3F9wC9EAAYASAAEgLKtvD_BwE

https://eco3energysolutions.co.uk/boiler-grant?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8-TB3J_i8AIVcwUGAB3F9wC9EAAYAiAAEgL86vD_BwE

https://www.boilersforfree.co.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8-TB3J_i8AIVcwUGAB3F9wC9EAAYAyAAEgLS1_D_BwE

https://www.freeboilergrantscheme.co.uk/

Listed above are a number of different providers operating this scheme as it would seem that some are in a position to offer marginally different programmes for those that aren’t eligible – so you may still be lucky enough to qualify for other energy-saving measures such as underfloor insulation if you don’t quite qualify for this particular scheme.

Free Boiler Grant Scheme 2021 | Apply in Under 60 Secs Check if you qualify under the free Government boiler grant scheme in under 60 seconds with our FREE tool or call 0800 046 9928

Finishing off my last cheat day with a very full order from Hotway Tandoori before restarting Slimming World with Stacey Evans later this week at Fell D**e 🥡

Over the last couple of weeks, I have reported a number of fly tipping incidents across the ward. As we know, fly tipping in the area is a constant concern. Reporting fly tipping on the app can be a time consuming task when you always have to fill in your personal details. My colleague Councillor John Adams has spoken to the digital team at the Council about this and a change has been made so that the app will now auto fill your details for you if you create an account to save you time!

Please do continue to report fly tipping that you find on our streets and if you would like to report to myself as well, please do drop me a line any time on [email protected]

https://www.gateshead.gov.uk/article/3505/Fly-tipping?fbclid=IwAR1Q5Rfre7jOg-vra9_irzyGX4wSAa39BWQthfyYnR2MO_sANyyx2qXICz0

Fly-tipping - Gateshead Council Find out more about illegal dumping of waste and how to report it.

Today we remember the 22 lives lost in the Arena bombing 4 years ago. We lost some people that day very close to us here in Gateshead in Courtney Boyle and Philip Tron and we send our love and prayers to their families and loved ones.
It was 8 years ago today that we lost Fusilier Lee Rigby and we remember him also.
Gone but never forgotten.

I am delighted to be serving as the Deputy Mayoress of Gateshead for this coming year.

Empowering young people is at the core of my politics and everything I try to achieve and so for me and Cllr Waugh to be serving in these roles at this age is a true honour.

^^LEISURE SERVICES UPDATE^^

Subject to the ongoing review of infection rates within Gateshead, Gateshead Council will be looking to open leisure facilities as follows:

• 7 June 2021- gym and sports hall activities will reopen at Gateshead Leisure Centre
• 14 June 2021 – gym facilities will reopen at Heworth Leisure Centre
• We will work to reintroduce swimming at Gateshead Leisure Centre, Heworth Leisure Centre and Birtley Swimming Centre during July

We are unable confirm a date when Blaydon Leisure Centre will reopen as yet, owing to ongoing support to the NHS at this site.

Further updates and information can be found here: www.gogateshead.com

As we all know, the Council has prioritised its COVID-19 response efforts in order to protect our residents during the pandemic which has meant the temporary redeployment of some of our staff within the leisure service. Our leisure sites support vital testing, vaccination and our community hubs network.

I appreciate that not all of our services within leisure (saunas, steam rooms, studios in some cases) are due to reopen at this moment in time which will affect the number of service users returning for the time being but those that know me know how passionately I feel about our ability to provide leisure services and a quality wellbeing offer to residents of Gateshead. To continue doing this in a sustainable way, however, we NEED service users.

I use our Leisure facilities on a daily basis and know how much of an impact they have on not only our physical, but also our mental health too. The quality of equipment in our gyms is truly second to none and it is a safe place for the less confident among us to exercise comfortably with no judgement.

If you haven’t yet, why not consider arranging an induction to take a look around?

Don’t forget, subsidised prices are available for those that are eligible to make it more accessible to all of our residents 😊

** Do NOT visit any leisure centre if you or any of your household are feeling unwell or displaying any of the following symptoms:
• a new, continuous cough
• a high temperature
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste

GO Gateshead - GO Gateshead GO Gateshead, home to five state-of-the-art gyms, 12 swimming pools, two athletics tracks and over 200 weekly fitness classes.

If you're aged 34 or over, you can now book your Covid vaccine. We're starting to get a feel for normal life again with the restrictions easing so let's all play our part in protecting ourselves, and each other. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/coronavirus-vaccine/?fbclid=IwAR35XxingjUi2V_-1AyiTuoOxkpUBhEXkEE5CoaypKyr4YZi1YYVQiCNzNQ

Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine NHS information about coronavirus vaccines, including vaccine safety and who can get the vaccine.