Did you know the big building on Linskill Terrace is running a special campaign, The Big Give, from the 2nd to 9th of December? Find out how you can support Linskill to keep on delivering low-cost and free activities that help the whole community thrive. We spoke to Simeon and Melanie to find out more.
The Linskill Centre has faced many challenges and changes since opening as a school in 1932. After being threatened with demolition in the early 2000s, the people of North Shields came together to save the treasured historic building. Run by the North Tyneside Community Development Trust, Linskill has become an anchor for the local neighbourhood and a nationally recognised model of community-led regeneration and sustainable management. Simeon Ripley, CEO, and Melanie Adams, Operations and Marketing Manager, showed us around and explained just how the charity supports the lives of local people every day.
A tour of the current site reveals the vast expanse of the buildings and the impressive standard to which they have been renovated. The Linskill Centre now houses a wide range of independent businesses, charities and community groups, as well LNTDT’s own comprehensive community programme. Twelve rooms of varying sizes are available to hire, suitable for a range of purposes from office space to hosting exercise classes, while the newly refurbished Trevelyan Hall and the Linskill Garden provide stylish function spaces for weddings, parties and corporate events. There is also a licensed bar and an in-house catering service. As Melanie states: “Not many people realise that we are a charity. If you choose to book your wedding or private party here, you will be directly supporting your local community.” Income from weddings, room hire and their onsite cafe, Café 32, is reinvested to subsidise Linskill’s busy community programme of low-cost and free activities.
Indeed, the Linskill Centre is much more than just a venue or workspace. Encompassing a vast array of services, this is a unique community hub whose success story has received national attention: “We are seen as a national example of best practice for developing a self-enterprising community asset and support many other charities going through the process. We have about 260,000 visitors per year!” Simeon proudly states. Melanie continues: “We provide countless opportunities for volunteers and work collaboratively with all the charities that are based here.” Charities at the Linskill Centre include Deaf Awareness:NE, PROPS North East, Independent Advocacy North East, Remembering the Past and Sarah’s Star, whose founder, Sarah Harrison, was awarded Lorraine Kelly’s Woman of the Year 2025. The Linskill Centre is also a base for essential local services such as Adopt North East and Moorbridge Alternative Education Partnership School. There is even a nursery, which benefits from a forest-school ethos and a unique setting at the heart of the community, taking advantage of facilities such as the communal garden and various family activities that take place throughout the week. Sessions for children at the centre include Sensory Stars, Baby Massage, Supastrikers and a general baby and toddler group.
Adults who want to be creative can sign up for Signed Singing, the Saxophone Workshop or one of the community choirs for those who can or can’t sing! If you enjoy moving to music, there are sessions including Bella Ballroom, Zumba Fitness, Groove with Melanie and Dancing Fit. Fitness classes to suit all abilities range from Boxercise and Kettle Bells to Light Aerobics, Pilates, Functional Balance and Body Alignment Yoga. Meetings are held at the centre by Weight Watchers, Slimming World, the Women’s Institute and U3A. The Linskill Centre is home to several businesses including Activate Physio, Anna Leigh Vocal Studios, Juliette Adie Solicitors, Keddie Pedi, Kumon Study Centre, Squiggles and Giggles, Studio A49, 26.2 Health and Fitness and clinical aromatherapist, Sheila Clark. In 2020 LNTDT took on two other community hubs – Royal Quays Community Centre and Battle Hill Multi-Use Centre, increasing their total number of permanent tenants to 30 across the three sites and providing even more activities to people across the borough.
Alongside groups that hire space at the centre, Linskill runs its own low-cost and free community programme, including creative writing, Tai Chi, iPad classes, Saturday Craft Club, Knit & Natter, photography, book and film clubs, heritage talks and walks, and ‘Linskill Lates’ evening events – giving people lots of ways to connect, learn and volunteer. Linskill Riders, a community cycling club subsidised by the charity, runs regular rides from various locations and has been recognised nationally for helping people – especially women returning to cycling – to get back on their bikes. Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival funding has also enabled free ‘Dr. Bike’ maintenance sessions throughout the year. Another successful initiative by LNTDT is the Men’s Community Shed. Simeon explains how one of their disused garages was converted into a space for men (and women) to meet, socialise and take part in repairing and woodwork activities: “It’s a welcoming space where men come together to make, mend and create – improving skills, building friendships, a sense of purpose and better mental health along the way. We are expanding the service by repurposing another building so we can double the amount of time given to them. With this new venue, the group will triple in size!” Linskill’s Men’s Shed has recently been nominated for this year’s ‘UK Men’s Sheds Awards’ to be held at Westminster, reaching the final three in the ‘Shed of the Year’ category.
Other units at the Linskill Centre will continue to be developed, and as with the rest of the refurbishments, care will be taken to ensure the building’s sustainability. Melanie is keen to highlight the organisation’s focus on the environment: “We encourage energy efficiency wherever possible. The building now benefits from new roof insulation, suspended ceilings and double glazing. We replaced the old 1930s pipe work and installed four new energy efficient boilers and two air source heat pumps as well as 190 solar PV panels and over 400 LED lights.” EV charge points are available for the community to use during centre hours and after closing, and there are on-site recycling points for small electrical items, vapes and batteries. The charity continues to invest in greener energy and practical recycling solutions as part of its long-term mission to protect the building and reduce its carbon footprint. New trees have been planted in their outside spaces and the Community Upcyle Garden employs sustainable practices such as transforming old fish boxes into planters and waste hops from local breweries into fertilisers. The garden provides produce for use in community cooking sessions as well as Cafe 32, open to all members of the public, Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4pm.
The name of the cafe comes from the year the building was founded: 1932. Heritage is an integral part of the Linskill Centre, which has played a central role in the North Shields 800th anniversary celebrations this year. Their ‘North Shields 800 Community Day’ took over the building with talks, live music, exhibitions, marketplace stalls and crafts. The ‘Portrait & Heritage Day’ was held at Linskill as part of the local heritage programme, with sketching workshops, memory-sharing and exhibitions. As Melanie points out: “The history of Linskill is important. Many people come and share their memories of attending school here. People want to keep this building going. We want to ensure its future legacy.”
Consultations were held with the public to come up with the new tagline for the Linskill Centre: “Connecting people and enhancing lives.” One centre user is quoted as saying: “It gets me out of bed in the morning.” As Simeon affirms: “It’s the building that pulls people together. It’s a thriving charity that the North Shields community should be really proud of. But like any other charity, we rely on donations and support.” Melanie is keen to stress: “Every pound you spend at the Linskill Centre is reinvested into our community activities.” This includes everything from buying a coffee or attending a class to booking a room or holding an event. From the 2nd to the 9th of December, LNTDT is taking part in ‘The Big Give’ Christmas Challenge – every pound you donate will be doubled. Funds raised will go towards their ongoing charitable work, from wellbeing activities and volunteering programmes to community projects that bring people together every day.
The Linskill Centre is fully wheelchair accessible with a large free car park. So next time you’re passing, pop in and have a look around – you might just find what you’re looking for!
Find out more at: https://linskill.org
