SMK Campaigner Awards winners announced

Save Newcastle Baths campaign wins award sponsored by Local Trust

Local Trust is a proud sponsor of SMK Campaigner Awards this year, supporting the local campaigner category. Big Local ambassador Ellen Burns-Pearce, from Scotlands and Bushbury Hill Big Local in Wolverhampton, came to the House of Lords in London to present the award to winner Cait Read. Cait is a Newcastle resident who ran a successful campaign to keep Newcastle Turkish Baths and City Pool open.

 

The baths, a beautiful and unique community facility located in a listed building in the heart of Newcastle, were closed by the council in spring 2013. Cait successfully applied to have the baths listed as community asset and formed a campaign group to explore the feasibility of re-opening the baths. When the building was put to market, Cait’s group successfully bid with national charity Fusion Lifestyle to re-open the baths – due to re-open to the public in late 2017.

Speaking of her win, Cait said: ‘It was fantastic to have our hard work saving Newcastle Turkish Baths and City Pool recognised by the Sheila McKechnie Foundation and to attend the awards ceremony at the House of Lords in London in the company of so many other amazing campaigners.

It was also inspiring that out of the small group of winners, four were women from the North East whose achievements were recognised in these prestigious national awards.’

SMK’s Chief Executive Sue Tibballs said: ‘The SMK Campaigner Awards provide us with a unique opportunity to support some of the inspiring, innovative and often courageous people who are speaking out to effect change.

All of our winners this year are a credit to the causes they serve and our organisation is ready to provide them with mentoring and support in sustaining and taking forward their successful campaign work.’