A new website launched this week will help the Old Low Light Heritage Centre on North Shields Fish Quay with its re-opening plans.

The website – www.oldlowlight.co.uk – which has been designed as a charitable contribution by Newcastle communications studio Altogether, means the centre can do more digital promotional activity and broaden their online content to a wider audience.

Guy Moody, Old Low Light centre director, said: “We are so pleased to have the new website, which means we can provide updates much more quickly on the exhibitions and other activities, that we are planning. People will also be able to book online, for the first time, for activities and events.

“We are also very grateful to one of our Trustees, Sarah Tempest, who is co-founder and strategy director of Altogether and her colleagues for their kindness and expertise in designing the new website as a charitable contribution during the pandemic. Without their support we would not have been able to afford it.”
The website will be used in the coming weeks to provide updates on plans for re-opening and also the latest exhibition, That’s Women’s Work, about the lives of women who have worked past and present in North Shields and elsewhere in the fishing and related maritime industries.

Although the centre will not be able to resume its usual programme of walks and talks due to ongoing restrictions, it is planning to pilot some for small groups of people (maximum six including person leading), who will be asked to book online in advance.

The new website includes a heritage digital page which provides quick access to a selection of videos developed during over the past year by volunteers who were determined to make sure that even though the centre was closed for much of the time, that local people could still enjoy finding out about the area’s history, heritage, culture and natural environment.

Guy added: “At this stage we think it won’t be financially viable to re-open the café and galleries before July but we have been able to welcome back some community groups who have regular books at the centre and we are also planning to organise some activities outside the building.”

Trustees will meet in June to discuss plans to re-open the café and galleries. Updates will be available on the website and on Twitter and Facebook.