Health & Wellbeing

You don't need a passport to experience a little Scandinavian culture. From Viking history and Nordic-inspired cafés to beachfront saunas, independent shops and coastal walks, discover how North Shields and the wider North Tyneside coast connect us with our North Sea neighbours.

Andrew Thomson, from North Shields, has shared his story to inspire others to speak to someone and access help and support. Trigger Warning: Suicide. This...

From hushed conversations to life-changing confidence, Cheryl Tanner is helping women rewrite the menopause narrative in North Shields. Drawing on lived experience, specialist training and a deep sense of community, she shares how personalised movement, education and support can transform both body and mind. This article explores her journey, her clients’ powerful success stories, and why progress—not perfection—is the key to long-term health and wellbeing.

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The Red Bench Project

By Jake Rusby As someone who has spent 45 years living with ADHD, Martin Caygill has never found it easy to settle down.   His diagnosis eight...

By Jake Rusby Danish author Karen Blixen once wrote: “The cure for anything is salt water – tears, sweat or the sea.” For North Shields...

Blending creativity with clinical insight, Penny Moore's art therapy journey is anything but conventional. From an academic foundation in Experimental Psychology at Oxford to discovering the profound healing power of artistic expression, their story reveals how creativity can unlock deep emotional understanding and transformation. In this interview, they reflect on an eclectic career, the essence of art therapy, and the moments that shaped their therapeutic philosophy.

Men’s mental health is too often pushed aside — but North Shields creative Leslie Forman is helping to change that narrative. Through candid conversation, community support and the healing power of art, Lez has transformed personal loss and struggle into purpose. From founding men’s mental health groups to using mosaic-making as a form of therapy, his journey is one of resilience, honesty and a deep-rooted love for his hometown.