It’s great news that North Shields is putting together a bid to be a Town of Culture in a competition recently launched by the Government. There’s no guarantee of success given the number of interested towns across the country, but the experience of North Shields 800 puts us in a strong place. Celebrating 800 years of North Shields history was a revelation in many ways.
Firstly, when people and organisations came together, they revealed just how strong a community can be. But they also revealed many of the great things, including cultural things, have happened in North Shields but just as importantly what’s happening now and are planned for the future So I hope everyone will get behind the North Shields bid however strong the competition.
But it’s not just NS 800 which seems to have restored a greater sense of pride in North Shields.
£20 million of investment over the next decade from the Pride in Place Fund for Percy Main and the riverside area is an opportunity to regenerate communities in that part of North Shields not simply by bringing in funding but crucially by putting local people in charge of the decision making.
And as if on cue there was more good news when more schools including some in North Shields got the Governments green light on breakfast clubs so that no child’s learning is held back by being hungry.
I’ve always believed that North Shields has a strong sense of community and I’m optimistic that if we resist the voices of doom and division even better days lie ahead