FAR Centre Creates New Opportunities For Families Thanks To Reece Family Trust

What began around a kitchen table in the 1980s has grown into one of Newcastle’s most valued community organisations.

Founded in response to their community not being heard or represented, FAR (Fenham Association of Residents) started by bringing neighbours together in each other’s homes to tackle local issues and create opportunities where few existed. Since then, FAR has continued to evolve, responding to the changing needs of local people while remaining firmly rooted in the community it serves.

Today, thanks to funding from Reece Family Trust, FAR is now expanding its work once again – creating new opportunities for children, young people and families through stronger partnerships, enhanced facilities and life-changing experiences.

A community built by the community

The FAR team recognised there was a lack of provision for local children and young people in the community, and rather than becoming simply another hall available for hire, the organisation wanted to create a place that actively improved lives.

A capital grant enabled the building to expand post-pandemic, allowing FAR to increase both its capacity and the range of services it could offer. That investment laid the foundations for the organisation that exists today.

Creating opportunities for the next generation

Reece Family Trust funding is now helping FAR invest even further in local children and young people.

One of the biggest developments is an enhanced partnership with Footsteps nursery, who have a pre-school group based at the centre. Together, the organisations are transforming FAR’s outdoor space with new play equipment, creating an engaging environment where young children can learn, play and explore.

The partnership brings together Footsteps’ expertise in early years education with FAR’s decades of knowledge and trusted relationships within the community. The investment in play equipment for their outdoor space will strengthen an already successful collaboration while creating a richer experience for local families for years to come.

Giving young people positive experiences they’ll never forget

The funding is also making possible something that simply wouldn’t have happened otherwise.

This summer, groups of young people aged 9-12 and 13-19 will travel to the TCR Hub near Barnard Castle for residential outdoor activity camps designed to build confidence, resilience and friendships and for many, it will be their first time leaving Newcastle.

Building stronger communities for the future

Alongside these new opportunities, the funding is also helping FAR invest in resources for newly redeveloped community spaces, increase the capacity of existing sessions and continue building partnerships that will benefit local people long into the future.

The organisation has previously used small grant funding to introduce activities such as bushcraft sessions, demonstrating how relatively modest investments can open up entirely new experiences for local children and families.

For an organisation that began with a handful of determined residents meeting in each other’s homes, every new partnership, improved facility and life-changing opportunity represents another chapter in a story that has always been about one thing, creating a stronger, more connected community where everyone has the chance to thrive.

Thanks to the Reece Family Trust support, FAR is continuing that mission, giving children, young people and families opportunities that will make a difference not just this summer, but for years to come.