Tiny Tyneside, Discovery Museum

DISCOVERY MUSEUM RAISES £10,000 FOR ‘TINY TYNESIDE’ UNDER 5s PLAY SPACE  

Newcastle’s Discovery Museum has successfully raised the final £10,000 needed to complete ‘Tiny Tyneside’ – a new play space for under 5s, opening in mid April.

The Museum’s fundraising campaign was boosted by Newcastle-based electric train service Lumo who pledged to match £5,000 of public donations, doubling their impact.  

The grand total raised – including Lumo’s contribution – was £10,256 from 123 donors, which is rounded up to £11,216 when Gift Aid is included. 

Development of the new Tiny Tyneside space at Discovery Museum is already underway following grants from the Sir James Knott Trust, the Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust and the Wolfson Foundation.  

 Now, thanks to Lumo and the generosity of the public, the work can be completed. 

Tiny Tyneside will open to visitors in April 2025. It will be a free, fun, safe place for young children to play and learn and follow the themes of the museum including transport, engineering, inventions, and bridges adapted for young visitors to enjoy. 

Martijn Gilbert, Managing Director at Lumo, said: 

“We’re absolutely thrilled to see the fundraising target for Tiny Tyneside achieved. This project is a brilliant example of how communities, organisations and supporters can come together to create something meaningful for future generations. Giving children the opportunity to play, explore and be inspired by the world around them has strong alignment with our commitment to connecting people and places.  

“We’re proud to have helped double the impact of every donation and to be part of bringing this imaginative, inclusive space to life for young families across the region and beyond.” 

Thomas Elwick, Learning Officer at Discovery Museum, said:  

“Research shows that access to play and exploration has a positive impact on the development of young children’s memories, problem-solving, communication and motor skills.  

“We’ve developed Tiny Tyneside with this research in mind to create a fun space but also one where our youngest visitors can start to explore the themes of the museum. 

“We’re very grateful to our funders and also to Lumo for generously match funding our appeal. We’re proud that Lumo is North East Museums’ Early Years partner.”