Northgate Park in Morpeth is opening its doors to the local community.
On Saturday 31st August families, carers and local residents will be welcomed to the hospital for an open day, with the chance to meet the teams who work there and see some of the facilities.
Part of Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW), Northgate provides a range of mental health and learning disabilities services, including wards for autism, rehabilitation and forensic services. Northgate houses Sycamore, a state-of-the-art secure facility which opened last year and looks after men with a mental illness or learning disability, who have come into contact with the criminal justice system.
The day will also see the opening of a new shop on site. Called The Craft Shack, the shop will be run by patients who will be selling things they have made as part of their recovery programme. Items on sale will range from artwork and woodwork to plants.
Chief Executive James Duncan said: “I am delighted that we are opening The Craft Shack and showcasing the craftsmanship skill and artwork of the patients that we work with on the Northgate site. They are some of the most vulnerable and let down members of society and we want to show off and celebrate their talents and creativity as they rebuild their lives. I hope that this becomes a vibrant part of our local community.”
Dennis Davison, Associate Director for Secure Care Services, said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone to Northgate and showcasing what we do. We hope that by raising awareness of what happens at the hospital, we can reduce the stigma around secure services and mental health and learning disabilities in general.”
Activities such as woodwork and art help patients with reintegration back into the community after a stay in hospital. They are able to develop their skills and make something they can be proud of.
Lynn Williams, Recovery and Engagement Lead at CNTW, said: “Opening the shop is a celebration of the contributions our patients make.
“We are passionate about investing in real life experience and patients are given the opportunity to show their creative side. Being able to make something useful makes our patients feel good about themselves.”
All money made from the shop will be reinvested back into patients, with 50% going directly back into services and 50% going to the Trust’s charity, SHINE. SHINE supports people who use CNTW services by providing the extra things that can make a real difference.
Funds from SHINE have supported service users with everything from horse riding outings to gardening equipment, bikes and even Christmas decorations for wards.
The site will be open 12.30 – 2pm on Saturday 31st August and The Craft Shack will open its doors at 12.30pm.
As well as the shop, visitors will have the chance to see the site’s gardening project and woodwork area, where there will be an art exhibition with bespoke art created by patients up for sale.
There will also be a health and wellbeing information stall, with blood pressure checks on offer.
CNTW is a leading provider of mental health and disability services.