The HoodEx Hub - North Tyneside

20/07/2026

17/07/2026

What an amazing start to the EE Payments Support Team's 'Into The Unknown' challenge!

Yesterday we were delighted to welcome the first EE Payments Support Team to The Hub as they kicked off day 1 of their 4 day fundraising adventure in support of HoodEx Charity.

The team brought great energy, enthusiasm and plenty of smiles as they set out on a challenge that will see them collectively cover the distance from Tyneside Contact Centre to the BT Tower... and back again!

Thanks to the generosity of everyone who got involved, they raised £67 at The Hub, with a further £100 already donated through JustGiving – and that's before taking their entry fees into account. An incredible start!

The challenge doesn't stop there! More EE Payments Support Team colleagues will be taking on 'Into The Unknown' today (17 July) and again on 20 and 21 July, so we're looking forward to welcoming more teams to The Hub and cheering them on.

Every pound raised will help HoodEx continue supporting young people across our community through mentoring, fitness, employability, and opportunities that help them build brighter futures.

A huge thank you to everyone who has donated, visited The Hub, and supported the challenge so far. Good luck to all the teams still to come – we're behind you every step of the way!

12/07/2026

We need a plumber to put this in asap. Does anyone know anyone that can do it?

Needed in yesterday.

09/07/2026

☕ Fancy a coffee and a quick catch-up?

A few months ago, this was the old Hoult's Butchers. Today, it's The Hub – a welcoming community space that's beginning a whole new chapter.

This short video shows the journey from "before" to "after", and it simply wouldn't have happened without the incredible support of local tradespeople, businesses, volunteers and community groups who gave their time, skills and encouragement to help bring this vision to life. Thank you to every single one of you.

Our soft opening yesterday was a huge milestone, but it's only the beginning.

The café is now open, along with our retail sports sales area, and we'd love you to come and see what we're building together.

☕ Pop in for a coffee.
💬 Have a chat with the team.
👋 Find out more about HoodEx and our Turn-Around mentoring project.

Upstairs, you'll also find our developing fitness suite. Over the coming months it will become home to fitness sessions, soft sparring, exercise classes and well-being activities that support young people through positive mentoring. In the meantime, we're looking for regular evening and Sunday users who'd like to hire the space.

There's still plenty to do. We need to improve the outside of the building, install new signage and continue developing the facilities. Every coffee bought, every item purchased and every pound raised helps us continue our work to turn around young lives.

We're open:
🕒 Mon-Fri 9 am - 3 pm | Sat 8 am - 4 pm
📍 Come and see us, enjoy a coffee and discover what The Hub is all about.

For fitness suite hire or to find out more, contact us Annie 07934 255688 or email [email protected].

This is only the beginning, and we'd love you to be part of the journey.

09/07/2026

After much harder work than anticipated, we've transformed Hoults Butchers and turned it into our first HoodEx Hub, a streetwear shop run by the very young people at risk The HoodEx Charity helps, who will then receive 1-1 physical training packages upstairs at our own site fitness suite training alongside mentors with the lived experience those young people need to avoid.

We're also housing LeoVanni's Community Café so please pop in for a cuppa and sandwich to find out more from our staff.

DM the page with any questions.

02/07/2026

HoodEx is coming...

1-2 Nile Street (The Old Hoults Butchers)

23/06/2026

16 days at work in Denmark done. I now get back for my 12 days of HoodEx and I need to magic up the following out of nowhere before I head back to graft:

• Weights bench and weights
• Treadmill
• Cable pulley machine thingy
• Exercise mats
• Boxing equipment
• Any random fitness equipment

If anyone can help in any way, pop me (Ricky Gleeson) a DM please, and I'll arrange a chat.

Many thanks people!

13/06/2026

Hi all.

I'm Ricky Gleeson, the founder and commercial and fitness manager of HoodEx. I racked up a load of convictions as a young man, then sorted myself out, got into the armed forces in my 30's, spent 14 years doing that, and now I build wind turbines offshore for a living. Throw in a decade of homelessness and a sprinkle of drug addiction for good measure and it's safe to say I've lived a life.

This whole thing started with me selling hoodies, then using the money to pay for gym memberships for ex‑offenders and young people at risk of offending… Hence the name HoodEx.

For my bit of The Turnaround Project I'm gonna run a vintage and HoodEx branded sports clothes shop downstairs in The Hub, but I need 6 volunteers to help me. We'll hand‑pick items, treat them, up‑cycle stuff, and make our own branded clothing on site.

The catch is that whoever volunteers to do that with me, has to then train in the gym upstairs, often with one of our fitness instructors, eat the healthy food we provide, and basically get into tip‑top shape so we can set an example to the young people who come to join us.

We'll then be on hand to advise and mentor any young people that get referred to us.

Would be well suited to people who've been in a bit of bother (no s*x crimes or crimes against children obviously) and know that's a crap way to live, and would like to steer people away from making the same mistakes we did.

DM me if this sounds like something of interest.

12/06/2026

It's always good to get out and meet people who care about their community.

Recently we attended NE29 Youth organised by Northumbria Police, where local organisations and Police Cadets came together to learn more about what's happening across North Tyneside.

For us, it was all about conversations. Meeting new people, sharing ideas, hearing about the work others are doing, and exploring how we can all play a part in creating more opportunities for young people.

As The Hub continues to take shape, those connections matter. We want The Hub to be a place where people feel welcome, where communities come together, and where positive things can happen.

Thanks to everyone who helped organise the event. We look forward to seeing where these new connections lead.

Photo caption: Darren Stapleton with Christiane Hiley, Turn-Around Project Coordinator