Residents of the Byker estate are set to benefit from a suite of new community hubs as four of the estate's hobby rooms have undergone a £400k refurbishment.
The transformation of the previously disused spaces, some of which had sat empty since the 1980's, is a project led by Karbon Homes which owns and manages the Byker Estate. The new spaces are each designed to help foster stronger community connections, support resident wellbeing and celebrate the unique heritage of one of Newcastle's iconic landmark.
The hobby room on Spires Lane has become a community kitchen where various partners, including Big River Bakery, Nourish Food School and Foundation Futures youth group, are delivering food related activities and training. Another on St Michael’s Mount is now a dedicated artist’s studio, with artist in residence Lucy Minta Reeves will work with residents to co-produce creative projects inspired by the local community.
The third hobby room on Raby Street will be ran by Byker Community Coop, who will be hosting a range of weekly community focused groups and activities.
And the final hobby room on Raby Way has been transformed into a community archive to tell the story of the estate, past and present.
Victoria Keen, Head of Place Partnerships and Engagement, said: "It's fantastic to see the completed refurbishment of these four hobby rooms. It's been a joy to see these spaces come to life over the last 12 months, transformed into places where local people can build confidence, learn new skills, improve wellbeing and celebrate creativity at the heart of Byker.
"The hobby rooms are an important part of Byker’s architectural and social heritage, and this project is also helping us preserve this part of the estate’s identity. Bringing disused spaces back in use is key to building pride in place."
The Raby Street community archive received over £240k from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for its restoration, with an additional £34.5k match funding from Karbon.
Led by Northern Cultural Projects CIC, the archive will capture the evolution of the estate over the years, from its unique architecture and design features to the stories of the residents who have lived there. The space was designed by Newcastle based architects Harper Perry and refurbishments were delivered by Karbon contractor RE:GEN North East.
Silvie Fisch, Director of Northern Cultural Projects CIC, said: "This is an exciting time for this project as we open the doors to this community archive for the first time.
"We are looking forward to developing this archive with everybody who has a genuine interest in Byker, people who once called Byker their home, those who planned, designed, built and managed the estate and, most importantly, the people who live here now. We hope that Byker residents from every walk of life will join us on this journey, because this is their archive."
The Spires Lane and St Michael's Mount hobby rooms were part-funded with a £108k grant through Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Capital Fund, with work carried by property maintenance and refurbishment contractor, CLC.
The hobby rooms are spaces dotted amongst the homes on the estate, designed by architect Ralph Erskine in the 1960’s, to help foster community interaction and cohesion. The refurbishments form part of Karbon's Fair Foundations approach to placeshaping, focusing on delivering projects that help make lasting change to communities and support social growth.
Residents of the Byker estate are set to benefit from a suite of new community hubs as four of the estate's hobby rooms have undergone a £400k refurbishment.
The transformation of the previously disused spaces, some of which had sat empty since the 1980's, is a project led by Karbon Homes which owns and manages the Byker Estate. The new spaces are each designed to help foster stronger community connections, support resident wellbeing and celebrate the unique heritage of one of Newcastle's iconic landmark.
The hobby room on Spires Lane has become a community kitchen where various partners, including Big River Bakery, Nourish Food School and Foundation Futures youth group, are delivering food related activities and training. Another on St Michael’s Mount is now a dedicated artist’s studio, with artist in residence Lucy Minta Reeves will work with residents to co-produce creative projects inspired by the local community.
The third hobby room on Raby Street will be ran by Byker Community Coop, who will be hosting a range of weekly community focused groups and activities.
And the final hobby room on Raby Way has been transformed into a community archive to tell the story of the estate, past and present.
Victoria Keen, Head of Place Partnerships and Engagement, said: "It's fantastic to see the completed refurbishment of these four hobby rooms. It's been a joy to see these spaces come to life over the last 12 months, transformed into places where local people can build confidence, learn new skills, improve wellbeing and celebrate creativity at the heart of Byker.
"The hobby rooms are an important part of Byker’s architectural and social heritage, and this project is also helping us preserve this part of the estate’s identity. Bringing disused spaces back in use is key to building pride in place."
The Raby Street community archive received over £240k from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for its restoration, with an additional £34.5k match funding from Karbon.
Led by Northern Cultural Projects CIC, the archive will capture the evolution of the estate over the years, from its unique architecture and design features to the stories of the residents who have lived there. The space was designed by Newcastle based architects Harper Perry and refurbishments were delivered by Karbon contractor RE:GEN North East.
Silvie Fisch, Director of Northern Cultural Projects CIC, said: "This is an exciting time for this project as we open the doors to this community archive for the first time.
"We are looking forward to developing this archive with everybody who has a genuine interest in Byker, people who once called Byker their home, those who planned, designed, built and managed the estate and, most importantly, the people who live here now. We hope that Byker residents from every walk of life will join us on this journey, because this is their archive."
The Spires Lane and St Michael's Mount hobby rooms were part-funded with a £108k grant through Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Capital Fund, with work carried by property maintenance and refurbishment contractor, CLC.
The hobby rooms are spaces dotted amongst the homes on the estate, designed by architect Ralph Erskine in the 1960’s, to help foster community interaction and cohesion. The refurbishments form part of Karbon's Fair Foundations approach to placeshaping, focusing on delivering projects that help make lasting change to communities and support social growth.
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