But where will Santa park his sleigh?

A car park doesn’t sound very exciting. If there were any awards for ‘Most Boring Thing To Fundraise For’, it would be up shortlisted alongside ‘plumbing’, ‘electrics’ and ‘glazing’. But you can no more run a centre for disabled people without a safe drop off and collection point and secure parking spots for essential workers than you could if the building lacked radiators, lights or windows!

Our project: Last year we embarked on an exciting project to purchase and refurbish a new headquarters in Byker, in the east end of Newcastle. With the help of hugely generous individuals, trusts and businesses, we raised all of the money we needed to undertake a top-to-bottom internal refurbishment, completed this over the past year and we now have the bright, modern and well-equipped centre that our learning-disabled users deserve. 

How you can help: We are almost good to go – but there is just one more, crucial thing we need to raise money for.  The building’s attached car-park – essential for both staff and users – is in a terrible state. It needs to be enlarged and made safe. We think that £5,000 will go a very long way to clearing the site of rubbish, repairing the road surface, removing grassed areas to maximise space, moving and re-laying curbs and installing signage.

We now need your support to complete the project! Can you help us raise £5,000 by Christmas to ready our carpark for when we open our doors in the New Year. 

Any gift that you can make towards our total will contribute in a very practical way to us opening our doors in the new year and help to provide better lives for disabled people in the North East for many years to come. What a fantastic Christmas Gift to give!

More about us: For 36 years Skills for People has been at the forefront of providing life changing services for disabled people and their families across Newcastle upon Tyne and the rest of the North East. We support disabled people of all ages and their family carers to improve their wellbeing and health, to lead rich and independent lives and to overcome the challenges they face. Most of our work is with people with a learning disability, autism or complex support needs.

Our relocation to 4 Glendale Terrace in Byker represents a once in a generation opportunity to help around 2,500 extra learning-disabled people per year with advice, information, advocacy, training, guidance and support – all to improve their mental and physical wellbeing and increase their independence.  It puts us within easy road reach of people from South-East Northumberland and North and South Tyneside, it is a flexible space that will allow a greater range of activities and it is cheaper to run than our old building – meaning more money for direct services.