Council Agenda: Borough's spirit shines through during hard times

As I look back on 2025, I can’t help but feel a real sense of pride in what we’ve achieved together here in South Tyneside.

This year has been full of challenges, but also full of moments that remind me why I love this borough and the people who call it home.

South Tyneside is a place like no other – vibrant and close-knit.

While the borough is predominantly white British our community is enriched by residents form a range of background with at least 77 languages spoken and a strong sense of belonging, our community spirit shines through in everything we do.

Many of us live just a short stroll from a park or public garden, and our six Green Flag parks are a testament to how much we value our green spaces.

Staying connected has never been easier, thanks to our digital infrastructure – 100% 4G and 99.4% 5G coverage – and gigabit broadband available to nearly 90% of homes.

This isn’t just about technology – it’s about making sure everyone, from families to businesses, can thrive in a modern world.

We’ve made a real difference where it matters most.

This year alone, we unlocked £11m in unclaimed welfare benefits and debt support and provided extra winter payments to hundreds of pensioners.

Our Social Navigators scheme has gained national recognition, and our efforts to tackle food poverty earned us the Sustainable Food Places bronze award.

Investing in our children’s future is at the heart of what we do.

We’ve built three new children’s homes, welcomed positive Ofsted visits, and launched a new vision for Children’s Services.

Our health visitors are making sure every child gets the best start, and more than 40 venues have joined our Breastfeeding Family Friendly Scheme.

We care deeply for our young people – 91% of our schools are rated good or outstanding and nearly all children receive their vaccines on time.

For our older residents and those with additional needs, we’ve built new homes and developed extra care facilities.

Our ‘Guiding You Home’ programme is helping people leave hospital safely, and our new Adult Social Care strategies are all about supporting

independence and dignity.

Elsewhere, events like Connectfest brought hundreds together to tackle loneliness and build connections.

We’re also investing in our council housing stock and building new homes, making sure more families have access to safe, high-quality, and affordable places to live.

This commitment to housing is a cornerstone of our vision for a fairer, more inclusive South Tyneside, with all council housing meeting ‘Decent Homes’ standard.

We’re also making South Tyneside a healthier place to live.

Over 1.6 million visits to our leisure facilities this year, new outdoor spaces, and initiatives like our Alcohol Harm Strategy and ‘Swap to Stop’ smoking campaign are helping people make healthier choices.

Our leisure centres are doing well, with more than 11,500 active memberships and nearly 15,000 Get Active discount cards in use.

Of course, we still have many challenges.

Our jobs market is growing, but we know that over a quarter of households have no adults working, and nearly a third of our children live in poverty after housing costs.

These are tough realities and tackling them remains at the heart of our work.

We’ve been working hard to tackle child poverty launching the North East’s first child poverty strategy in 2025 and lobbying to help deliver changes like expansion of free school meals and the removal of the two-child benefit cap.

We’re targeting support to make things fairer – directing resources towards those who need it the most and reshaping services in a way that makes sure they are sustainable in the long term.

We’ve secured £20m in ‘Pride in Place’ funding for Biddick Hall, launched new diversity and inclusion initiatives, and give ongoing support for our armed forces community.

Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, I’m excited about what’s next.

Despite our financial challenges we’ll focus our limited resources on making the biggest difference in our communities.

We’ll continue championing South Tyneside to bring in the investment we need and to fund major capital projects like the college relocation, wider improvements in South Shields town centre and major investment for Jarrow and Hebburn in the coming years.

Together, we’re making a difference – and together, we’ll keep delivering for South Tyneside.

Wishing you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Here’s to a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2026 for us all.