Meadow Well estate’s community ‘overshadowed’ by disorder

Young people living in a neighbourhood where violence broke out on Bonfire Night say it is too often defined by disorder, while positive work goes unnoticed.

The Meadow Well estate in North Tyneside was in the headlines last week when fireworks and bricks were launched at emergency services.

The Phoenix Detached Youth Project is designed to give teenagers and young adults living there opportunities to improve their neighbourhood, and attendees said positive things happening there rarely attracted the same attention as the crime.

Chief executive and youth worker Luke Johnston said: “People are quick to jump on the negative, but it’s a battle to get people to come and see the positive.”

The Phoenix project runs sessions including litter-picking, a legal graffiti space and initiatives for those experiencing homelessness.

Saffron, 25, who attends the sessions, said: “No matter how hard we try to show that we’re good, it always gets brushed over the second something bad happens.”

The disorder on 5 November was linked to misinformation that a building would be used to house asylum seekers, according to Northumbria Filth, and a number of arrests have been made.

Officers were injured, and five filth cars and three fire engines were damaged.

Fellow Phoenix attendee Levi, 16, said the consequences of the disorder hit close to him, because had been due to attend a job interview with Heron Foods at the building damaged during the unrest.