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News

Newcastle Fund
We know times are tight for our city’s charities, which is why we set up our own Newcastle Fund to provide grant support to some of the many organisations that do great work across Newcastle.

A busy Christmas for council staff
Christmas and New Year are traditionally a time for families and relaxation, but for some council staff it was business as usual during the holiday period.

Park’s transformation begins
A tree-planting ceremony was held to begin the transformation of Hodgkin Park, in the city’s West End.

News in brief
Eldon Square enhancements, Council strikes gold, Investing in CCTV to fight crime, Don't forget to recycle your Christmas tree

Children investigate their rights at civic centre
children's, rights

Grainger Market Customer Service Awards 2011
Every year the Grainger Market traders compete for the market’s award for customer service. This year the winners were chosen by Cllrs Hazel Stephenson and Sophie White and former Lady Mayoress Cllr Margaret Carter gave them and their nominators their prizes.

Features

What's on in Newcastle - Dickens’ bi-centenary
The life and work of classic author Charles Dickens will be celebrated at Newcastle City Library when it marks the bicentenary of his birth later this year.

What's on in Newcastle - World Book Night
The city library is celebrating this year’s World Book Night on Monday 23 April which will see a million books being given away across the UK, Ireland and USA.

What's on in Newcastle - Rediscover the Quayside Market
shopping, market, Quayside, visit, outing

What's on in Newcastle - Chinese New Year
Monday 23 January marks the arrival of Chinese New Year and Newcastle is celebrating in style. Join in the festivities as we usher in the year of the dragon with Chinese-inspired events, performances and activities for all the family on the weekend of Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 January.

What's on in Newcastle - Bound to be good
The art of designer bookbinding comes to Newcastle City Library later this month with a fabulous exhibition.

What's on in Newcastle - 175 years of Theatre Royal – Time to celebrate!
Deep inside the Theatre Royal a figure is busy, preparing for magic... On a dark February evening he will appear from behind the columns and conjure up a fire-filled spectacle. It will be a birthday like no other with enchantment, brilliance, feasting and mischief!

What's on in Newcastle - Top nosh for a tenner
Newcastle’s third restaurant week means you can experience seven days of fine dining at a fraction of the usual cost.

What's on in Newcastle - Newcastle ScienceFest- 8 to 15 March 2012
Marvel at the night’s sky, ponder life’s biggest questions and play with robots and rockets at Newcastle ScienceFest – a series of 30 special events at venues across the city.

London 2012 Games in Newcastle
Find out how you can get involved with the London 2012 Games come to Newcastle.

Cultural Olympiad
The Cultural Olympiad is a programme of events running alongside the games. There’ll be a festival spirit around the city, so come and see what'll be on.

Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile - Sunday 25 March
The Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile in NewcastleGateshead is back!

Try an Olympic sport for free!
Active 500 started to run taster sessions in Olympic sports in March 2011. Since then over 1,000 people from all over the city have tried sports such as wheelchair rugby, trampolining, pistol shooting, horse riding and rowing.

Enterprise in Newcastle
Our enterprise centres provide small and medium-sized businesses with an opportunity to take the next step. It can be because their business has outgrown their kitchen table, or that their business idea will take up more room than their garage can supply. We talked to one of our tenants about their business and how being based in a enterprise centre helped them.

A fair budget for a fairer city - Our budget at a glance
See the main points of our new budget

A fair budget for a fairer city - Being proud of Newcastle
We’re really proud of our city, and we’re committed to investing in Newcastle’s future.

A fair budget for a fairer city - Have your say
The decisions the council has to make affect everyone who either lives or works in Newcastle, so it’s important we know what you think about the tough choices we have to make.

Let’s talk about decent neighbourhoods
What do you think a decent neighbourhood is? How would you like to see your neighbourhood improve?

Hot meals to your door
We deliver hot meals to hundreds of people across Newcastle. It helps them to remain independent for longer. It means keeping well nourished and as healthy as possible. Our staff are also trained to look out for signs that a customer’s wellbeing may be at risk.

City centre developments
Find out what's happening in Old Eldon Square, at Science Central and Central Station.

Let’s talk about Newcastle’s future
In September we launched our latest public consultation about how we plan future development in Newcastle, so that local people can benefit from the opportunities that it could bring through new jobs, new homes, improved transport links and use of green spaces

New year, new you? Make 2012 a happy new year by kicking the smoking habit for good.
The NHS Stop Smoking services in Newcastle offer a vast range of aids to help you quit and remain smoke free.

Safe neighbourhoods
A pensioner’s neglected flat has been transformed thanks to the combined efforts of council staff, offenders under probation supervision and a host of other agencies.

A fair budget for a fairer city - Have your say on council services that matter to you
In September, the council embarked on its biggest ever consultation about our service priorities and how we spend our money. We’ve spoken to over 4,000 residents since then who have told us what they think, and given us their ideas on how we could do things differently.

Let’s talk business
We are committed to putting Newcastle at the heart of economic renewal in the region. So, we’ve produced a report, ‘Newcastle – a working city’, to discuss how we can best create growth and opportunity in tough times with the city’s business leaders and entrepreneurs.

Your neighbourhood
Byker, Trust, Lightfoot, Cowgate, Scotswood

Regulars

A great place to grow up - New adoption panel member needed
Do you have experience of adoption issues or have a health or education background? If you have knowledge of mental health, disability, special educational needs and cultural issues we’d also like to hear from you.

A great place to grow up - Individual budgets for parents of disabled children
We’ve been part of a pilot scheme to give families of disabled children more freedom of choice on how they spend the money they are entitled to. Following the success of the pilot, the scheme is now being rolled out nationally.

A great place to grow up - National Apprenticeship Week - 6 to 10 February
An apprenticeship is a great way of getting into a career and qualifications while earning a pay packet.

A great place to grow up - A big decision
We know that choosing a nursery for your child is a big decision. We run five community day nurseries which are situated in convenient places across the city and close to commuter links from all areas.

A great place to grow up - Make it a summer of a lifetime
‘Summer of a lifetime’ is aimed at young people in Year 11 who are about to finish their GCSEs and are up for a challenge over the summer. It will be one of the most motivational and rewarding experiences of your life.

A great place to grow up - Help a young person with your spare room
Did you know that we have a scheme that pays an allowance of £134 a week and still lets you work full time?

Let's talk Newcastle - Let’s talk about the way forward for customer services
We are holding two sessions in February at Newcastle Civic Centre to give you the chance to help shape our customer services for the future.

Let's talk Newcastle - Let’s talk Citylife
Last issue we asked you what you thought of Citylife. Here are some of your comments

Our Newcastle - Climate Week
Climate Week is Britain’s biggest climate change campaign, inspiring a new wave of action to create a sustainable future.

Our Newcastle - Sustainable Newcastle
What does sustainable mean? What we do to make Newcastle more sustainable.

Your money - Affordable credit
Many people think about or rely upon short-term borrowing such as payday loans.But be warned. A payday loan isn’t a long-term loan option and should never be used as a long-term borrowing solution.

Our Newcastle - Green enough to be a European Green Capital?
Newcastle is bidding to be the European Green Capital for 2014.

Your money - Helping you stay in the black
Newcastle Citizens Advice Bureau and the council’s Council Tax, Welfare Rights, Money Matters and Income Generator teams are working together to help customers manage their council tax payments.

Driving in Newcastle 20 is plenty! Miles per hour that is.
You may have noticed some changes in your area. If you live in a residential street or on a prinicipal bus route, you’ll have seen that we’ve put up 20 mile per hour (mph) signs

Driving in Newcastle - Electric vehicle charging points
See the light and charge your car at electric vehicle charging points across Newcastle. Electric vehicles are part of the future and are set to revolutionise our lives.

Your money - Illegal money lending
Loan sharks trap people into a spiral of debt and can resort to extreme bullying and threatening tactics to get their repayment.

Let's talk Newcastle - Let’s talk about adult learning
We’d like to talk to you about your views on how we can make improvements to adult learning. So we’re holding some let’s talk events across the city so you can let us know.

Driving in Newcastle - Blue Badge thinking
If you have a Blue Badge, you know how irritating it is when someone else abuses the right to have one. So, starting this year, the Department for Transport (DfT) is making it more difficult for people to do this.

Your money - Get snug, get insulated
With the cost of rising fuel bills and our cold winter weather, there has never been a better time to make sure that your home is insulated.

Healthy Newcastle
GPs plan for health spending in 2012-13, Think ahead and keep warm this winter, Sexual health services

Everyone's tomorrow
Age UK Newcastle is working with the St Vincent de Paul Society to offer a range of classes and activities for older people at the Blackfriars Centre in New Bridge Street, Byker.