Six community hubs tackling social and financial problems could be set up in North Tyneside.
According to North Tyneside Council, new centres could be introduced as the cost of living crisis continues and changes to Universal Credit are rolled out. DWP figures released to the council earlier this year showed that 40% of Universal Credit claimants in North Tyneside were also in work.
Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, Killingworth, Wallsend, Cramlington and Longbenton have been earmarked as locations for the new hubs.
The aims of the centres include "increasing individual prosperity, improving digital skills, improving reading and literacy skills, and improving participation in local communities".
Whitley Bay councillor John O'Shea said: "These are awful times that families in Whitley Bay are going through, with prices increasing for energy. So, I am really pleased the council has brought forward to use of the Whitley Bay Customer First Centre as a hub for people to use the facilities there.
"People can use them to keep warm and to meet people."
Wallsend councillor Matthew Thirlaway said: "North Tyneside Council is looking to create an additional six community hubs across the borough. This is proof that, despite years of funding cuts imposed on us by central Government and now a cost of living crisis, the council continues to invest time and money in local people and local communities, not just in Wallsend but across all of North Tyneside".
The hubs will run within a network of other services such as schools, libraries, Citizens Advice, YMCAs and Age UK. The local authority has also recently announced a warm spaces programme across the borough to help people facing fuel poverty.
A spokesman for North Tyneside Council said: “The way that people use our Customer First Centres and Libraries has changed since the pandemic so we’re proposing to adapt our offer to ensure they’re the best possible asset for our communities. This will help to support a thriving North Tyneside by offering increased access to services across our sites and making better use of our buildings to meet the needs of local people.”
The council plans to engage with councillors, trade union officials, and library services to schedule the programme. A fully pledged plan is scheduled to be delivered to North Tyneside Council by March 2023.
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