Friends Network with Other Environmental Groups - June 2025
As part of National Volunteers’ Week in early June, Gateshead Council held a coffee morning for environmental volunteers to say a heartfelt thank you to the incredible people who give their time to help care for our parks and open spaces. Over coffee and delicious cakes from the popular Urban Bakery in Low Fell, volunteers shared stories, swapped ideas and chatted about the highs and challenges of their work.
“The event sparked some useful conversations about how the council can better support community efforts,” said Janette Lea, Volunteer and Technical officer, Gateshead Council. “It was great to see volunteer groups communicating with one another and we’re looking forward to hosting more opportunities like this in future. The council greatly appreciates the contribution volunteers make and this was the perfect way to recognise their hard work
Gateshead Company Champions Volunteering with the Friends, May 2025
One morning in May staff from specialist facilities management company Churchill Group, based in Team Valley, volunteered with the Friends in the Orchard. The team spent the morning preparing the soil, planting wildflower seeds, learning about the origins and development of the Orchard and meeting new people.
“We all had a fantastic time getting stuck in, working with other volunteers and helping develop the Orchard further,” said Luke Smith, Group Procurement Manager and Co-owner. “We would highly recommend volunteering with the Friends to anyone with spare time or to local businesses wanting to support a local community group.”
We hope the Churchill team will visit the Park again over the next few months to see how the wildflower seeds have grown.
Time to renew membership for 2025/26
If you have not already renewed your membership for 2025/26 and resubscribed to our newsletter, then now is the time to do so!
Your membership supports everything we do and also helps to protect the park for future generations.
Wherever you are, our website is available on computers, tablets and phones, check it out regularly for latest news, events and park photos
The Great British Spring Clean. April 2025
We all have a role to play in making Gateshead cleaner, greener and more welcoming.
Find out what Friends of Saltwell Park have been up to over the Great British Spring Clean to highlight the amazing work environmental services and all local community groups do here in Gateshead.
CLICK HERE to discover more about The Great British Spring Clean with Gateshead Council 2025.
A-Wassailing We Go! March 2025
A merry crowd joined us in the Apple Bee Community Orchard one morning in early March to waken the trees from their winter dormancy and encourage a good harvest this year.
Derived from the old English ‘Waes hael’, a greeting meaning ‘good health’, wassailing is a long-standing tradition that typically involves dancing, singing and drinking. For more than 1,000 years it has been an English folk custom, particularly in cider-producing regions, to ward off evil spirits, bless the trees and encourage them to bear fruit.
Dressed in colourful vintage jackets and hats we walked round the trees, banging pots, drums and tambourines and singing wassailing songs. We were accompanied by musicians playing a whistle and strumming the guitar. The aim was to scare off any evil spirits that might harm the crop. A ceremonial king and queen were chosen to lead the toast. Little cups of birdseed were scattered among the trees to attract robins. These birds help to naturally control pests and are traditionally the guardians of orchards. Apple juice was handed out to pour on the roots to feed the trees. We all then gave a big wassail chant to wake them from their winter state, followed by three cheers of 'hip, hip, hooray!' and more raucous banging of instruments.
We also had a 'mindfulness moment' of stopping, enjoying the sun and listening to the many birds which were singing on what was a beautiful sunny spring morning.
As the morning ended everyone was encouraged to visit the Park in the coming weeks to see the trees coming into blossom.
Update from Gateshead Council. February 2025
New Bowling Green Pavilion
Following the consultation held in Saltwell Towers last November, the proposed design for the new pavilion was passed and has now progressed to the planning stage. The design was warmly received by the Friends of Saltwell Park and other Park users, whose ideas and requests were considered and incorporated into the exterior and interior layout. The pavilion will act as a hub for volunteers, giving them a location to operate from and a place where they can store equipment and enjoy refreshments after tasks. We will update you on progress in future issues of this newsletter.
Repainting Park Railings
Last year we began repainting the outer perimeter railings. This is a long process, as the old paint needs to be stripped off first, but the new paint has made a big difference on the now completed East Park Road section and looks smarter and more welcoming. We will continue with repainting other parts of the perimeter railings in spring when the weather gets warmer.
Please Clean up After your Dog!
The council is taking action against the increase in dog fouling in the Park. Dog Warden patrols are now more frequent and additional signs have been erected to warn visitors that it is their responsibility to pick up after their dog. We have also placed a dog waste bag dispenser next to Saltwell Towers in case visitors have forgotten to bring their own bags.
Please help us keep the Park clean, safe and pleasant for all visitors!
Kevin Hills
Gateshead Council
Time for some refreshments. January 2025
After their January break, Prism Coffee has now reopened in the Almond Pavilion, Saltwell Park, Gateshead.
Stop off here for some welcome refreshments during your walk around the park, or meet up with friends for a catch up!
Christmas carols and cheer. December 2024
Well over 100 people gathered at a very festive looking bandstand in Saltwell Park on the Sunday before Christmas to enjoy a carols concert organised by local churches.
Hot spiced apple juice greeted visitors on arrival and warmed us up against the cold wind. The music was provided mostly by children, accompanied on the keyboard, clarinet, trumpet and cello.
Everyone joined in and a spectacular sunset made a beautiful end to the proceedings as we made our way back home.
Planting new life in the park. October 2024
Last autumn two eco groups from Brighton Avenue Primary School planted daffodil bulbs, crocus corms, herbs and flowering plants in the raised beds of our orchard. The children learned how to dig the right sized holes and plant them in the soil without disturbing the roots. They will be returning to see how the bulbs and corms have sprouted and how the plants have fared over the winter period.
We would like to thank Scotswood Garden in Benwell for their kind donation of plants that enabled more children to take part.
A young hedgehog foraging in the Orchard was spotted by the children during the October planting session. It was too small to survive the coming winter so the Friends of Saltwell Park rescued it and took it to a local rescue centre where it will be fed and sheltered over the winter and released in a safe place when the weather is warmer.
Update from Gateshead Council. October 2024.
The weather is getting colder but the Park continues to look stunning in its autumn colours. We hope you have noticed the newly painted aviaries - black with silver finials. The tarpaulins covering the roofs have also been renewed and sign written. Over at the tennis courts work has continued at the new learn-to-ride track, with spinners added to the traditional games.
We will be adding fencing along the side of the multi-use games area to prevent children falling off the edge.
The NGS Buzzing Garden is now five years old and to celebrate this milestone it received a visit from the Swedish Consulate. The visitors declared the Garden beautiful and appreciated the work carried out by volunteers.
We are now starting to plan improvements for next year, which will include heritage signage.
I would like to thank the Friends and all the volunteers for everything they do in the Park.
Kevin Hills
Gateshead Council
What an Apple Turnover! October 2024
National Apple Day, the UK’s annual celebration of apples and orchards, was made special once again this year by the children from Brighton Avenue Primary School.
The choir, led by music teacher Miss Morgan, sang songs about fruit and vegetables that they had learned for harvest festival.
The children’s families and the Friends of Saltwell Park greatly enjoyed their performance and some apple-themed refreshments were appreciated by all.
The children and their parents enjoyed posing for portraits in the decorative face-board.
We would like to thank Tesco Extra in Trinity Square who again donated an apple and a carton of apple juice for each child to take away.
First raised bed complete. 04th September 2024
Today's work in the Orchard has been both productive and satisfying. We have completed and planted the first of our 9 new raised beds. This bed now has herbs planted in it.
If you would like to volunteer and help us in our orchard and raised beds area, please get in touch about volunteering options, or become a full member and support our activities to ensure Saltwell Park is looked after and developed for future generations.
