The CHAT Shop was established in the Arthur's Hill area of West Newcastle during the early nineties by four Christian denominations (Anglican, Baptist, Methodist and Roman Catholic). The churches were keen to give material expression to their conviction of Christ's concern for people living in a place characterised by deprivation and disadvantage of many kinds. From the outset, it aimed to address the social and health issues of the area, to promote social inclusion amongst the population and enhance and support cultural development.
The CHAT Shop is governed by twelve trustees, drawing three people from each of the four founding churches. There are currently several salaried staff, supported by a corps of volunteers. In recent years the work has been expanded to include toy library provision, an emphasis on healthy eating and opportunities for continuing learning in, amongst other disciplines, IT skills.
The work was initially centred on a drop in facility, which acted as a front for an increasing number of organisations that provided people with support. The intention was to provide a place where people knew that they could find a friendly welcome and access advice and information. The CHAT shop works both as a service provider in its own right and as well as facilitating access to other service provision.
Since the foundation of the CHAT Shop, the character of Arthur's Hill has changed considerably. The community has been enriched by the arrival of people from many other countries as well as a large student population.
The CHAT shop has seen a steady increase in the provision of the services that it makes, the support of volunteers from the area and the client base. We have already seen a broadening of our contacts with regard to ethnic minority groups. This has established us firmly within the community and in partnership with other community organisations and statutory bodies that work in the area.
We have sought to develop our links with the many other agencies working in the area and integrate our work with their activities so that we can make our resources available to them and draw on their expertise. By its nature, the CHAT Shop can provide a measure of stability in a constantly changing community.
The CHAT Shop has sought to address the challenges of cultural diversity as well as keeping abreast of the enduring issues that confront people living around and about. The availability of substantial grants from New Deal for Communities and the European Regional Development Fund, supplementing the generosity of other trusts, has enabled us to develop our work further.
In 2003, a feasibility study was commissioned to explore the need for a community cafe. Currently, following that report, the Trustees are overseeing the expansion of the café facilities and the transference of their provision to a social enterprise. This will provide a range of training opportunities for people in Arthur's Hill as well as creating a number of jobs.
The CHAT Shop aims to facilitate and enable inclusive life-long learning, building capacity within the organisation to support adults with basic educational needs, working in partnership with other organisations.
We will continue to develop a specialist toy library to support parents and carers and a leisure library for the benefit of older people. We shall also work with other agencies to establish an elders' network in the area.
The CHAT Shop aims to develop a range of activities that promote well-being and address health issues. These will be developed in association with the plans for the development of the café, again in partnership with other community groups. We shall seek to encourage initiatives developed in consultation with and, whenever possible, managed by local people. Participatory Appraisal techniques will be employed to facilitate the identification of needs and solutions.
The CHAT Shop aims to pioneer a "good neighbour scheme" to encourage members of the local community to volunteer their time and skills for mutual support. Initially, referrals will be made through community groups and statutory agencies. A fundamental purpose of the scheme will be, by the provision of training, to address skills shortages, in the first place building on the existing talents of volunteers and addressing community needs. The training will enable unemployed volunteers to access work opportunities. The scheme will link with other similar initiatives in the area, paying particular attention to people over fifty.
Preliminary research indicates that services are likely to include advocacy, cooking, transport, befriending and shopping. Accompanying the development of the "good neighbour scheme," will be the creation of a "resources database" to catalogue information on available services, resources and volunteers.
250 Philip Street Arthur's Hill Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5BH
Telephone: (0191) 226 0086
Registered Charity: 1010207
Registered Company in England and Wales: 02693748
Churches Acting Together in Arthur's Hill seeks to display the work of God by:
• Being open and welcoming to all
• Making the shop a place of friendship and support in the heart of the local community
• Providing a secure environment in which local groups and residents can meet
• Reaching out in service and witness to our neighbours
• Collaborating with others for the good of Arthur's Hill
Fr Michael Campion (Vice chair)
Fr Richard Deadman (Chair)
Mrs Jean Fisher
Mr Eddie McClen
The Revd David McDonald
Mr John Fulton (Treasurer)
Mrs Mary Jobson
Mrs Isabel Kidd
The Revd Paul Merton
Mrs Alma Miller
Miss Jean Royal (Company Secretary)
Mr Ron Wilson
Project Manager: Mrs Carol Harle
Marketing Manager: Ms Caroline Graham
Drop-in Café Supervisor: Mrs Lynne Davidge
Drop in Cafe Supervison: Mrs Ann Atkinson
Toy Library Coordinator: Mr Richard Evans
Toy Library Support Worker: Sara Thirlaway
Toy Café Sessional Worker: Dominic Townshend
Toy Library Services: www.toycafe.org.uk
Activities for Health
BBC Children in Need
BT Community Connections
Children Fund Local Network
Christ's Hospital in Sherburn
Community Empowerment Fund
Dickenson Dees
European Regional Development Fund
HealthWORKS West Development Fund
Home Group
J Paul Getty jnr Charitable Trust
Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales
Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities Fund
Newcastle City Moorside Ward Committee Grant Aid
Newcastle Early Years Development & Childcare partnership (ESF)
Newcastle Health Action Zone Community Food Initiative Grants
Newcastle New Deal for Communities
Sure Start Westgate Local Programme
The Tudor Trust
The indices of deprivation 2000 (multiple deprivation where 1 = the most deprived) indicate that of a national survey of 8414 wards, Elswick ranks at 36, Moorside at 537, Wingrove at 842 and Fenham at 979),
Home page: http://stmatthewsnewcastle.org.uk/