A local community leader has been appointed to chair a board that will decide how a £20 million fund is spent in the Wrekenton and Beacon Lough areas of Gateshead, Tyne and Wear. Reverend Canon Danie Lindley was confirmed as chair of the Pride in Place Neighbourhood Board on 6 January 2026. The board will oversee up to £20 million of funding from the government’s Pride in Place programme, to be invested over a ten-year period.
The funding comes from the government’s Pride in Place programme and consists of up to £20 million over 10 years (equivalent to up to £2 million a year). The appointment marks a move to community-led decision-making: a Neighbourhood Board made up of local people will take primary responsibility for deciding how the money is spent, while Gateshead Council remains the lead local authority supporting the process.
The programme prospectus sets the funding split at 63% capital and 37% revenue — roughly £12.6 million for capital projects (buildings, public realm and park improvements) and about £7.4 million for revenue (programmes and staffing) — and the board’s first task will be to draft a ten-year investment plan for the area.
Councillor Martin Gannon, Leader of Gateshead Council, welcomed the appointment, saying that having a respected local figure in place would help ensure residents’ voices are central to decisions. Reverend Canon Danie Lindley, who has served the community for more than seven years and chairs the governors at Larkspur School, said she will seek partnerships to make sure the funding is used in the best way possible for local people.
While the neighbourhood board develops its ten-year plan, an initial £1.5 million from the Pride in Place Impact Fund has been accepted to deliver immediate ‘quick-win’ projects. These are intended to provide visible improvements while longer-term schemes are developed — examples include park renovations and street lighting upgrades.
