Based in Byker, St Vincent’s Centre Newcastle is a lifeline for many, a beacon of hope for asylum seekers, the homeless, those struggling and anyone who needs support.
Activities take place at the Centre daily to boost wellbeing and social cohesion to ensure the local community has somewhere they can turn to when they need help and support. This includes ‘Vinnies drop-in lunch’ which serves a hot 3-course meal free of charge, activities such as ‘Knit & Natter’, ‘Cooking on a Budget’ craft group and yoga to name some.
The Centre is always changing and adapting to local needs. Most recently a new shower room has been created to provide people experiencing homelessness with access to clean, modern and private washing facilities, ensuring they can shower in comfort and with dignity.
More than simply meeting a basic need, the new space offers an opportunity for people to restore their confidence, improve their wellbeing and take positive steps towards rebuilding their lives.
Centre Manager, Rebecca Stevenson-Read, spoke about what the new addition means to the local community, she said:
“Access to a hot shower is something many of us take for granted, but for people experiencing homelessness it can make an enormous difference. Our new shower room provides a safe, welcoming and private space where people can care for themselves with dignity. It's about far more than hygiene, it's about restoring confidence, supporting wellbeing and reminding people that they are valued."
Alongside this great new addition, a new Counselling Pod has also been built. This is a safe and quiet area within the Centre which allows for those who are undertaking counselling to relax and open up in a calm space.
The counselling sessions on offer, which were established back in 2024, have recently just hit a huge milestone of delivering over 500 hours of free psychotherapeutic counselling to people who would otherwise wouldn’t have access to the service.
This service is delivered in partnership with PEEL Psychological Consultancy who undertake the session by students currently undertaking a Level 6 or Level 7 Diploma in Psychotherapy Counselling or Psychology.
St Vincent’s Centre Newcastle has an open-door policy which means no one will ever be turned away regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or beliefs. The staff and volunteers based at St Vincent’s are always there to support with anything anyone may need and if they can’t help directly, they will always signpost to where you can receive help and support.
If you would like to donate to the Newcastle support centre – you can do so via our just giving link: https://www.justgiving.com/page/vinniesnew-newcastle-11?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=EM&utm_campaign=lc_frp_share_transaction_fundraiser_page_donation_received_-_nth_donation
Or by sending a cheque made payable to ‘St Vincent de Paul society’ and coding ‘Newcastle support centre’ on the back.
Learn more about the Centre by visiting their website: https://svp.org.uk/st-vincents-newcastle