Growing spirit on ‘left-out’ Longbenton estate

Jul 18 2009 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

THE Good Life is gaining ground on Tyneside. Environment Editor Tony Henderson reports.

Learning curves

LONGBENTON estate resident and volunteer Tracey Embleton is now a director of the Good Life.

She says: “We have learned so much. Many people didn’t know how to make their own soup, for example.

“I didn’t know what a courgette was before I got involved but now we know about crop rotation.

“There is also the social element of people getting together. I would love to see sort of thing develop nationally.”

The Good Life is helping other community ventures by passing on what has been learned.

One new project which has benefited from the Good Life’s input has been a community garden at East Howdon in North Tyneside.

At East Howdon Linda Whitworth, 56, who spent 20 years working for the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) in Sudan and Iraq, helped set up the A Team, a residents’ group in to lead a drive to regenerate the area.

The group has brought new life to East Howdon’s community centre, and has seen a play area and multi-games area developed.

The community garden on what had been derelict land is their latest venture.

Justice Prince is also helping the Cedarwood project on the Meadow Well estate in North Shields, which has set up a community kitchen.