Byker Bairns
The name of our organisation “Byker Bairns” draws on our personal upbringing of being from the North-East of England, and often being asked if we have been to “Byker Grove” – the youth group setting of a famous TV show. Although there is no Grove in Byker, with the place being fictional, the grove in Byker created safety and sanctuary for a group of youths to “come of age”.
The issues tackled in the programme are relevant today, including substance misuse, deprivation, homelessness and establishing identity. Therefore, we have used this to not only acknowledge our personal background but the underpinning of what the grove created and how it provided support for young people.