Common Ground

From the news page...

"Common Ground is located at the premises used by the East Area Asylum Seekers Support Group (EAASSG). EAASSG is a registered charity which is funded by various Community Funders and private donors, in order to offer support to the asylum seekers and refugees in the East of Newcastle.

The reason our premises is called Common Ground is because our ethos is, that it is open to anyone, and everyone is equal within it. We are open Monday to Friday from 10am till 2pm and can offer a wide range of support including free clothing and household goods as well as help to make phone calls and assist with form filling. We don't have an appointment system as many people who come in initially want to build up some trust before asking for help. For this reason, anyone is welcome to just pop in and have a free coffee or tea and just chat and get to know us as well as the other users.

If anyone seeking asylum in the East becomes destitute, we run a Hardship Fund which can bring a little relief by offering them a weekly payment of ten pounds and a bag of food and toiletries, donations permitting."

Volunteering at Common Ground

 "Common Ground wouldn't be able to function without volunteers who do a wide range of tasks helping to keep the premises clean and tidy, sorting through donations of clothes and restocking the shop area, picking up and delivering large pieces of donated furniture, to more one to one work such as befriending, assisting with phone calls and form filling and most importantly of all, making people feel welcome when they come in. Anyone interested in finding out more can pop into Common Ground anytime. We are situated in Church Walk Shopping Centre, Walker, or give us a call on 0191 2622522."