Who are we?

The Culture and Wellbeing Partnership is a group of cultural organisations and Council representatives operating in the cultural sector across the borough.

Our Vision:

We want to make the most of our world-class heritage, breathtaking natural assets, events and festivals.  More opportunities will be created to inspire and engage people in a wide and productive range of cultural activity.  By enhancing our sense of place and strengthening wellbeing we will enable people to enjoy life to the full and aspire to be the best that they can be.

What we have to offer?

The ‘cultural providers’ are a small and close knit community who make a lot of things happen – whether you are interested in sport, arts, heritage, libraries, the outdoors or events, all are represented on the partnership.  If partners don’t directly deliver the cultural activity you want, we know someone who does and can help make it happen!

There are two main resources available to the public and partners.  Firstly, human resource – our staff deliver a broad range of programmes and are involved in developing new cultural products and improving services.  Second, we manage a diverse range of buildings between us including libraries, sports centres, arts and theatre facilities, museums, parks and natural and built heritage.

Taking part in cultural activity has a value in its own right but participation has a wider impact, contributing to priorities like employment, health, community safety, the environment, education, neighbourhood renewal and regeneration.  Over the years we have collected case studies, evaluations and data sets to demonstrate the impact that culture has on the priority themes.

The Cultural Partnership produced South Tyneside’s first Cultural Strategy in December 2002, which was highly praised by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).  The Strategy has helped prioritise our activity, helped attract resources and significantly raised the profile and role that culture plays in helping meet the priorities identified by the Local Strategic Partnership.

Some of our Achievements

There are many achievements that could be reported over the last five years.  Here are a few:

  • Our events programme draws around 150,000 people to the seafront in the summer months and makes a major contribution to the local economy through secondary spend.  We stage the finish of the Great North Run, worth millions of pounds to local and national charities and attracts’ fantastic publicity for the borough. 
  • Arbeia has the second highest visitor numbers of the attractions along Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site and Bedes World would become part of the boroughs second World Heritage site if Wearmouth Jarrow is successful in its bid for World heritage Status in 2010. 
  • The Customs House has run a successful Creative Partnership programme with schools and seen major improvements being made to the building, including additional seating in the main auditorium.
  • South Marine Park is the subject of a £5m Heritage Lottery Fund programme to restore the park to its Victorian splendour.

Who we are in touch with

Members of the Culture Partnership have formal and informal arrangements with many of the Local Strategic Partnership such as Groundwork Trust, Tedco and the Primary Care Trust.  We work closely together to deliver programmes of work on key themes such as employment and health projects, education programmes and community safety issues.

We have good links with Regional agencies and departments such as Government Office North East and with Non Departmental Public Bodies such as the Arts Council ENE, Sport England NE and Museums Libraries and Arts NE.

Key Contact

Ray Spencer
Director of the Customs House
Mill Dam
South Shields
NE33

Tel. 0191 4545450
e-mail: ray@customshouse.co.uk

> More about Ray Spencer

 

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