Community donates Christmas presents for those affected by Benwell explosion in Newcastle

Kris Jepson visited the community centre which has offered a helping hand to families since the Benwell explosion

A community centre in the west end of Newcastle has continued its donation effort to support those affected by the Benwell explosion during the festive period.

Since mid October, flowers on the streets of Benwell evoked raw grief felt by a community, for seven-year-old Archie York and 35-year-old Jason Laws.

Both were killed by an explosion on Violet Close in the early hours of 16 October, an event which displaced 140 people from their homes.

Around 83 of those people are unable to return, facing Christmas without a house to call their own.

As the demolition of affected buildings on the street and surrounding area continues, normality for the affected families may be one Christmas wish too far. But with community support, gifts are being prepared and handed out.

The Cornerstone in Benwell has been gathering donations since the explosion and supporting residents.

Operations Manager Amy Sturdy said: "There’s been a lot of sadness. We’ve had a lot of tears together. I’m not ashamed to say that our team have cried with them after hearing some of the horrible stories that have come out of there.

"We have also heard some really happy stories, there’s some people who are absolutely thrilled with their new houses. We do know there’s been, as you can imagine, a lot of people with some difficult mental health problems and struggles.

"Just reliving that night, especially over the bonfire period when all of the explosions and fireworks were going off."

Donations have been received from as far north as Alnwick, down to Middlesbrough. Items include clothing, toiletries and cleaning products. Now, gifts that can be offered at Christmas are also available.

Councillor Paula Maines, the Housing Lead at Newcastle City Council said: "We have put in support services. They’ve linked in with the housing officers and we’ve got them sort of trauma counselling and lots of people to talk to.

"[Residents] got a named person they can ring anytime, so that they can talk through issues, and also the support of all the community groups who’ve absolutely been amazing, welcoming them with cups of coffee, having a little natter, and just making these feel as normally as they possibly could."

Criminal proceedings surrounding the explosion on 16 October are ongoing. One man has been charged with manslaughter and the production of cannabis in relation to the blast.

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