The Lighthouse Project at St Michael’s, based in the heart of Byker, has a bold ambition to create an inspiring youth and community space that will support quality youth and community engagement and have a lasting impact on the community of Byker for many years to come. The vison for The Lighthouse Project has been 15 years in the making. Now with a £4.2 million grant from the Youth Investment Fund, together with the generous support of the Lord Crewe Trust and The Squires Foundation, that vision can become a reality.
Right now, young people just haven’t got a safe place just for them, youth work takes place out on the streets. Stacey Davidson, a Trustee of The Lighthouse Project said:
“This is fantastic news for everyone in Byker. There are very few places for young people to go and very little for them to do – we’ve been crying out for something like this for years.”
A sanctuary in the city
The project has community at its heart, it’s a holistic approach. It’s called a ‘youth and community hub’, bringing everyone together, so generations can be inspired by each other. The whole ethos is designed to create a sense of pride in Byker, paying tribute to Byker’s roots of being a sanctuary in the city, and to make a lasting social impact.
Young people’s excitement for the Lighthouse Project and Byker is palpable. It’s a golden opportunity to fulfil their hopes and dreams and develop a safe space to be themselves, have fun, learn new skills for life and work and to connect with their vibrant community.
The Lighthouse Project at St Michael’s is due to open in 2025, will be a space offering a wide variety of community activities and services for around 1,500 young people and families each year, alongside a reimagined worship space.
Unveiling the plans
The Lighthouse Project’s ambitious plans were revealed to the public at a media event, bringing together partners to celebrate the funding, including Mark Squires, Trustee of The Lighthouse Project and The Squires Foundation, Ben Roman, Operations Director, The Lighthouse Project, Chair of St Michaels Centre Partnership Byker, the Reverend Phil Medley, Keith McClure from Bradley McClure Architects and Lighthouse Project Trustee, Stacey Davidson.
Planning permission for the scheme to proceed was recently awarded by Newcastle City Council and the scheme has enjoyed universal support from the Byker community, delivery providers, the Diocese of Newcastle, local charities, and community organisations.
We are absolutely delighted to announce these exciting plans for the transformation of St Michael’s into a state-of-the-art youth and community hub for the people of Byker. The Lighthouse Project will offer a broad range of sessions and activities, along with access to vital services. We plan to start the redevelopment works on this stunning development before the end of this year and expect to be commissioning the finished building and grounds in early 2025, in time for our grand opening in March 2025.
Ben Roman
Operations Director, The Lighthouse Project
A responsive approach
The capital project will be a major renovation and repurposing of the St Michael’s Church building on Byker Hill into a flexible, multi-purpose, youth and community space with youth sports and activity facilities set in the grounds. The new designated youth space housed within the extension will enable young people to create and own a purpose-built space for themselves and future generations. The plans for the Lighthouse Project are holistic, ambitious, and innovative. The Youth Investment Fund has enabled the team to be aspirational and responsive to the needs of both young people and the wider community.
A place to be you
The Lighthouse Project is making the best use of the space in creative ways, with music studios, quiet chill out zones, homework spaces, and a huge art space with special flooring to accommodate the messiest art project. There’s a special zone called the Lighthouse Lounge where families can hang out together in a home from home environment, cook meals and be with their children whilst they do their homework. And there are some lovely features designed to connect young people with the outdoor space, including an outdoor protected sports pitch, a woodland walk, pond, space for growing produce, enabling Forest Schools activities.
There will also be a wide range of activities including health & wellbeing programmes for young people and families, mentoring & detached youth workspaces; crime & drug abuse and prevention education programmes; alternative classroom provision; arts & performance spaces and programmes, including a music studio and rehearsal space; office, meeting and storage facilities for local community partner organisations; and a new home for Byker Scout Group.
More than anything, the Lighthouse Project will give young people a place they can call their own: A place to be creative, involved, proud, inspired, together and vitally, a place to be you.
