The ward has a busy high street at its heart on Shields Road which contains a variety of shops and community facilities, including the East End Customer Service Centre and the East End Swimming Pool and Library on Corbridge Road.
There are two Community Housing Offices in the neighbouring wards of Byker and Ouseburn. The East End Community Centre is on Shields Road where residents can access a variety of council services and YHN residents can pay for their rent. YHN residents repairs should be reported to Repairscentre on 0845 1138888.
The ward contains one school, Chillingham Road Primary, there are lots of activities happening at the adjoining Sports and Arts Centre phone 0191 2244356 for more information. Also there is Heaton Adult Association which is a voluntary organisation based at the Heaton Complex on Trewhitt Road. It provides a diverse programme of adult education courses at the complex and at various outreach locations throughout the city. The ward has an active community centre with lots to get involved with from a lunch club to Karate, phone 0191 2766712 for more details.
In the north of the ward is Iris Brickfield, a popular green space for local residents which includes allotments. The ward is close to both Armstrong and Heaton Parks via Heaton Road and Heaton Park View. Facilities in the parks include a bowling green with pavilion which has an active membership. There are tennis and basketball courts and also an informal football area with permanent five-a-side goal posts, and seating is situated along shaded pathways throughout the parks.
South Heaton ward is in the east of the city its with boundary starting at the intersection of Ouseburn Road and the East Coast Mainline. The boundary then heads east along the railway line to Heaton Road and turns north along Heaton Road (even numbers within the ward) to Simonside Terrace. It then turns east along Simonside Terrace (even numbers included) to Chillingham Road and north along Chillingham Road (even numbers included) to number 346. It turns east on to Sackville Road, then immediately north (behind Chillingham Road properties) to Ravenswood Road. The boundary then heads east along Ravenswood Road to number 181 Addycombe Terrace then south along Addycombe Terrace to number 144. It then travels east along Sackville Road before turning south behind Addycombe Terrace properties and moving east to the rear of Rokeby Terrace (odd numbers included). It heads north to the rear of Whitefield Terrace (odd numbers), then east along Sackville Road including, and to the rear of, Whitefield Terrace. It continues south behind Whitefield Terrace properties to the playing field path then proceeds east to the rear of numbers 142 - 224 Sackville Road (following the path) and onto the intersection of Benfield Road and the East Coast Mainline. It then heads south along Benfield Road to the electricity sub station, continues to the rear of Walkergate Hospital and then back onto Benfield Road and due south to Walkergate Metro Station. The boundary crosses the Metro line at Shields Road and then heads west along Shields Road before turning south along Valentia Avenue to the Fossway. It then proceeds west along the Fossway to Millers Road and then southwest onto the Shields Road bypass (A187) to the intersection with Shields Road west. Finally it heads west to the Ouseburn then north to the intersection of Ouseburn Road and the East Coast mainline.