Early in 2019, Pop Recs got a second-hand coffee machine donated, and after some reparation it was plumbed in. We could then use it for the community engagement activities, as a pop-up coffee shop. A series of events (coffee mornings, building tours, and other events) funded through OpenHeritage ran between May and November 2019 hosted by Pop Recs and other local partners, in collaboration with TWBPT and Newcastle University. These meetings and events were focussed on building connections, and were very helpful in developing the plans for those buildings in the neighbourhood, as they had been vacant for so long.
We had coffee mornings with representatives from neighbourhood organisations throughout this period and a tour of the building for people from the Swan Lodge (July 2019), the Salvation Army hostel next door. Pop Recs for example organised craft workshops (crocheting, knitting, painting, august 2019) as well as public podcast recordings and small gigs. We also organised meetings with Back on the Map, and the Community Arts Hub group who are planning for a housing development one a site close by.
