Save the Avenue Centre, Meadow Well, North Shields

I would like to support the petition because of my link with the original Cedarwood Centre where I worked and lived with a colleague when the Centre opened in 1979. The ongoing work of the current centre is of great value to the residents of the Meadowell estate and development of the building opposite as a community centre will add much needed facilities and support.

Why not fix the newly built homes that are smashed to bits opposite the Avenue? That's proof more houses is not the answer, more police been called out, since they were built! Let alone an eyesore!

I'm sure Cedarwood would be able to do even more on the estate if they were able to purchase this building.

Please support cedarwood it does lots of good work on the estate.My kids love joining in with holiday activities and spending tine with the staff. This would really benefit the estate as it would mean cedarwood could do more work within the estate and have more room for different activities.

As former parish priest of St Joseph's on the estate and former Cedarwood Trustee I am delighted to support this venture for the Trust in the building which celebrated its first birthday in the year I came to North Shields.

Since relocating back to the North East in 2011 with my 2 children due to relationship break down and being a single parent with very little family support I have been a service user of the Cedarwood I have had support in all areas and continue to get this support from various members of staff I have enjoyed outings with my children and they have grew in confidence through this I feel that without the help given through Cedarwood myself and my children would not be in the position we are in today where we can and will continue to thrieve in all aspects. Cedarwood have leafleted the local residents and also held meetings within the centre with very little community support they plan to take over the avenues to offer more services to the youth and anyone else who needs help and support this is your area and your community please get behind Cedarwood and show your support

As a resident, I hugely support Cedarwood and the proposal of buying The Avenues. I would not be where I am today without Cedarwood. I have been coming to the centre for the last 13 months and they have made a massive difference to mine and my daughters life. They need a bigger venue to help other people as the centre we currently have is too small. Cedarwood already have many activities available for children and being in a bigger centre allows even more!

If we have great services for kids why are they hanging around streets coursing trouble and why have new flats been vandalized. Cedarwood try they best but the center is to small and fhey need bigger premises so they can do even more for the community. Why haven't the council informed people they want knock Avenue's down and build flats.

If there is lots of things on the estate for kids to do why do we get kids hanging around the shops and Avenue's at night and during holidays. My kids have done lots of things with cedarwood but no other club's have said they do anything with kids on the estate.

It seems that there are a few people who have turned Cedarwoods wish to move to bigger premises in to some sort of competition or an attack on what Cedarwood have or have not done. Cedarwood plan to carry on what they already do and have done successfully for 36 years and maybe offer things that are needed. Maybe we should stop being so negative and remember why the building was originally built. There is a need for all of the organisations that are on Meadow Well and i think its time people stopped attacking an organisation for wanting to expand and do better things. I am resident who has at one point used all of the services and realise the need for all of them.

Don't close this unit it's needed flats opposite are smashed up so don't need more

If you take a look opposite the Avenue you will see the last houses/flats that got built! All smashed and damaged, which isn't good for our neighbourhood, The extra police on patrol is the proof of that!!! As all the bother has been since the flats got built!

Well I'm a resident with kids on this estate and have never been told a thing or invited to anything with the cederwood but my kids have been to 2 other clubs for kids when they were younger and now as young adults there is stuff on this estate already that do plenty for the community 1 of my kids has had massive support to get into employment through these places and I'm glad they are there to help. I don't know how everyone is welcome when I live round the corner and never get any information.

This is a place for the entire newcastle population and provides a great service please dont shut it down

Cedarwood do lots for the community and they need a larger premises so that everyone can access the services on offer

Those bricks and that mortar belong to the community let them have a go at making that building work!

when i moved to the medowell estate to r un 1 of the local pubs in 2012 i met a lot of nice people through the cedar wood sadly we had to move back to scotland but i still go and visit ev1 when im visiting they do a lot for people on the estate and off x

Many thanks for all of the comments. A couple of questions have been raised which may be useful to answer. Consultation has been taking place over a period of 36 months, including public events, street events and over 4,500 individual conversations and listenings, which led to the Cedarwood Trust expressing an interest in the Avenue. We were approached, as were other local organisations, before the building was vacated to see whether we would be interested in taking it over and we affirmed this, it was declined by other organisations. Our current premises, between Holts butchers and Shacka's off licence, does not meet the current requirements of the Charity which worked with over 4,500 people last year and ended up having Easter, Summer and Christmas activities outdoors as we had no room inside. It is obvious to us that the Avenue Centre, which is a purpose built community facility that was closed down 18 months ago without the replacement of services for children and young people, could meet the requirements of the Charity and be a fabulous community resource. My conversations with residents on a daily basis revolve around lack of accessible resources, particularly for young families and the elderly - and since the closure of the youth service, young people too! In terms of the consultation regarding the building of houses on the plot, there has been none, in terms of consultation with residents about the future aspirations and needs on the Estate there has been much, by Cedarwood and by other partners too. We believe that this centre, built and covenanted for the benefit of the residents of the Meadow Well Estate, provides an anchor for the promotion of the aspirations which have been stated by those we have consulted. We believe that the work that has been delivered in partnership with local residents at Cedarwood deserves a decent base, not a converted shop squashed between a butchers and an off licence. We believe that OUR community deserves better.

I would like to say that i work at Cedarwood and can say that what ever Cedarwood do they all way make sure that residents get information on what is going on in a street that Cedarwood is doing and event in Cedarwood had done a few play events in some of the streets in Meadow Well that has been well attended by many of the Children. Cedarwood is a Charity that care about the community that they help, Cedarwood door is all way open from Monday to Friday and we never know what each day is going to bring as a staff member i can say that Cedarwood work with the resident off the Meadow Well and other areas that no other Organisation will help them. Cedarwood has been around for 36 years this year and i think that it time that residents came into Cedarwood and asked what they do for the community, I have lived on the Ridges/Meadow Well from the day i was born all my Family live on and a round Meadow Well I have been involved with both The Meadows and Cedarwood in many way and for many years. I know that Cedarwood help the residents that can not afford to pay for thing that they need, and both Organisations help the community in different ways.

I am a resident of the estate and have worked on the estae for over 15 years. Cedarwood do let local residents know if they are having meetings I have hand delivered leaflets to houses surrounding Cedarwood myself on many occasions. If people dont turn up then their view cant be heard, usually when meetings are held at Cedarwood it is residents from the streets further afield that turn up. I also love my estate MEADOW WELL however there is a deffinate need for more services, there is a lack of provision for children aged 10+. I was on Avon Avenue last night from 7.30pm and there are so many young people with no where to go, surely everyone can see this need. There is an issue there and if it not tackled it can only get worse. People from oustside the area should be able to support this, lets not forget the people who have lived on this estate all of thier lives, brought their families up here and moved as they have got older , these people still feel very strongly about what happens on Meadow Well.