Past activities

Our major new initiative during the year was the planning of the Fawdon and Coxlodge Greenways project, with the aim of enhancing bio-diversity and creating a cleaner, greener neighbourhood. It’s a community-led initiative to re-wild, plant, and protect our local green spaces, many of which have been neglected. We began a pubic consultation and have a number of ideas to test out, but a mid-year public meeting at Fawdon Community Centre had to be cancelled because the centre’s operators went into administration. The initiative will be resumed in the year ahead.

Fawdon and Coxlodge Together continues to manage the grant funding from the Community Foundation for Tyne and Wear, and other income, on behalf of the local Friendship Choir. A regular 20-30 singers meet fortnightly at Fawdon Community Centre to enjoy the occasions.  We applied for, and received, a small grant from the local authority “Small Sparks” programme which funded a new regular Saturday sing-along session, coordinated by one of our trustees. 

We took the initiative to organise a Christmas community party with stalls, entertainment and food, at Fawdon Community Centre in December that was well-attended.

Following the winding up of Fawdon Coxlodge District History Society, FACT - working with Fawdon Community Library - had taken on some of the role of researching and promoting the history and heritage of our local area. Two presentations were made in the year, one online and one in person. The book that we researched and had published about the former sweet/chocolate factory Nestlé (formerly Rowntree’s) in Fawdon continues to be available through Newcastle City Library, Fawdon Community Library and the publisher Summerhill Books. Much of the funds received from sales, after distribution costs, are donated to Fawdon Community Library for its book fund. An illustrated talk about the project was given at the annual general meeting of the Community Library in June 2024.

We gave assistance to Newcastle Community Asset Trust (NCAT), then operators of Fawdon Community Centre, to publicise their Christmas event at the centre in December 2024 without taking the major role that we had done in previous years. However, in the following year, after the demise of NCAT, we resumed the role of organiser of the event.

We took the initiative to organise a Christmas community party, with stalls, entertainment and food, at Fawdon Community Centre in December, generously supported again by ASDA, and well-attended.

The Jubilee Road signage for the Coxlodge Community Centre has long been a public eyesore. We sought the agreement of the City Council, of Coxlodge Community Association and of the Gosforth and Coxlodge Bowling Club to create new signage. The Bowling Club introduced us to one of their sponsors, City Signs, who did the artwork, construction and installation and we were able to secure the greater part of the funding from Coxlodge Community Association, with FACT paying the balance.

We were able to put on the long-planned heritage walk around our local heritage treasures through an exciting Treasure Hunt across our district on August Bank Holiday Monday 2021, which, despite poor weather, was well-supported and enjoyed by local people. The event included a knowledge/observation quiz, with prizes, some of which were kindly donated by the Gosforth branch of ASDA. Our appreciation goes to The Jubilee public house for letting us set up stall in their carpark, and to the local organisations that allowed us to affix information sheets outside their premises.

We took the initiative to organise a Christmas community party with stalls, entertainment and food, at Fawdon Community Centre in December, generously supported again by ASDA, and well-attended.

150th anniversary of St Nicholas Hospital, Coxlodge.  We worked with the Mental Health Trust on the occasion of World Mental Health Day in October 2019 to mark the 150th anniversary of the hospital. We promoted their open day where local organisations who work in the field of mental health came together; via Peter Nicol of the local history society we presented the history of the hospital to trust staff and visitors.

Also, to mark the return of "Clear White Light" to Live Theatre , we facilitated a visit to St Nicholas from members of Lindisfarne and the director of the production; they shared the story of Lindisfarne's Alan Hull (and his songs) during his time at the hospital which had inspired the production.

Fawdon Park - we help with litter-picking in the park and surrounding area, and helped brighten up the area with a litle planting at the shopping centre (helped by Coxlodge Allotments). There is funding available for investment in the park and we have expressed our willingness to be involved in the consultation.

We have delivered the project Engaged Communities, involving local primary schools and local residents. 

First World War armistice centenary November 2018:   We researched service personnel from the Fawdon, Coxlodge and Gosforth area who lost their lives in the Great War. Material was prepared for an exhibition inside the Jubilee Theatre, St Nicholas Hospital, Coxlodge that was put on alongside First Act Theatre's poignant production of "Journey's End", which we helped to promote; some of this material was also used in a service at St Mary's Church, Fawdon.

A platform for the voice of young people in Fawdon - "PlayinNewcastle - Youth Services" (PIN) are represented on our steering committee, and we are keen to support their work with young people in Fawdon.  Filmmaker Sharon Race created a short film for FACT of  PIN activities at St Mary's Church, with interviews with some of the young people.

We have designed and planned the project Engaged Communities.