I N S I D E

T H I S I S S U E :

The Queen open’s

Alnwick Youth Hostel

(Alnwick Development

Trust)

2

What is Prudhoe CP?

(Prudhoe Community

Partnership)

3

A Community building

with no name

(Prudhoe Community

4

The wrappers are off

(Amble Development

Trust)

5

Another project coming

to fruition is the ACES

park (Amble

Development Trust)

5

Putting the heart back in

Haltwhistle

(Haltwhistle Partnership)

6

Bellingham Blast

(North Tyne & Redesdale

Community Partnership)

7

Work starts on Library

(Glendale Gateway

Trust)

Heritage Open Days

(Glendale Gateway

Trust)

8

8

Morpeth Heritage Open

Days

(GMDT)

Impressive new facility

(Seahouses Development

Trust)

9

9

Picnic in the Park

(GMDT)

10

Notices 11

FoNDT Newsletter

J U L Y 2 0 1 1 I S S U E 1 5

Foreword By The Chair

David Lodge

Allenheads Trust

Village Hub

Allenheads Village saw the launch of the 'village hub' on Friday July 1st.

The event was held from 5 to 8 in the evening to fit in with a popular time at the Allenheads Inn pub and also the monthly fish and chip spe-

cials at the Hemmel cafe. The initial event was to garner ideas from residents as to what the village needs, what is good, poor, missing etc. A good response brought in a batch of ideas and questionnaires.

The incentives were free wine and a free draw for meal vouchers. The event was sponsored by the pub, cafe and Allenheads Trust and a highlight of the evening was the running of the Armstrong Hydraulic En-

gine for 5 minutes each hour.

The summer is upon us already and a host of events are taking place across

Northumberland with a strong input by FoNDT members, from the Belling-

ham Blast for cyclists to a range of festivals and Heritage events culminat-

ing in the HOD's (Heritage Open Day‟s) in September. The people of Aln-

wick have had two great bits of news with the Royal opening of the Youth

Hostel which sets high standards of accommodation at a very family

friendly price followed by confirmation that the Olympic torch will travel

through the town.

On an economic front we have a range of physical developments starting

and finishing and also, another library being incorporated into a develop-

ment trust building at Wooler.

A range of sustainable development activities are being coordinated by the

Executive to support future sustainability and CVL (Community Ventures

Ltd) are a support partner in the process - lets all enjoy the summer period

and continue the good partnership work across Northumberland .

Keith Walker - Allenheads Trust Chairman

P A G E 2

F O N D T N E W S L E T T E R

Alnwick Community Development Trust

THE QUEEN OPENS ALNWICK YOUTH HOSTEL

Alnwick Community Development Trust is delighted to announce that the Alnwick Youth Hostel was offi-cially opened recently by Her Majesty The Queen. She was accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh and the Duchess of Northumberland in her role as Lord Lieutenant.

The arrival of the Royal Party was announced in true Alnwick style by the Town Crier, John Stevens who had written a special cry for the oc-casion reflecting back on his youth hostelling days. The Queen was greeted outside the youth hostel by Carys Thomas, Chair of the Trust, Geoff Watson, Trust Manager and Deputy Mayor of Alnwick, and Sir Alan Beith MP. Six year old Jack Plumley was given the honour of pre-senting Her Majesty with a posy of flowers and Andrew Harper played the Northumbrian pipes.

Inside The Queen met several members of the team responsible for getting the project off the ground including newly appointed manger and deputy manager Andrew Clarkson and Nick Hutchinson as well as local school children. Her Majesty also unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion. Once the town‟s Court House, the youth hostel building dates back to 1856. Now operating as an inde-pendent youth hostel and part of the YHA enterprise scheme, this top of the range hostel provides high quality budget accommodation for up to 57 guests, in 15 en suite bedrooms. On site are full catering and self catering options plus a classroom/meeting room available for daily hire, a games room and a quiet lounge/library. Chair of the Trust, Carys Thomas comments: “We are so delighted that The Queen was able to perform the official opening of the Alnwick Youth Hostel and visit the town. This project is hugely important to the Trust and will, we hope, make a significant contribution to the town as it becomes fully established. The hostel has only been open for three weeks but the initial response from guests has been fantastic. We are extremely grateful to all those who have supported the project in its development to date. “

“Youth Hostels are currently experiencing a resurgence in popularity, moving away from the traditional image of backpackers‟ accommodation and attracting a new type of visitor,” she says. “At the Alnwick Youth Hostel we aim to provide budget accommodation in an historic and atmospheric building, all with a four-star finish and facilities such as ensuite bathrooms, family rooms and well run catering arrangements which we hope will appeal to both the family market and the educational groups we are targeting.”

Trust Manager, Geoff Watson said “Getting the youth hostel from its sorry state into 4* accommodation has been a huge task but one that the Trust sees as fitting perfectly into our brief to enhance and improve Alnwick for residents and visitors alike. Now the youth hostel is open we look forward to working with local suppliers and businesses wherever possible to turn it into a thriving local business which brings people to the town.”

www.alnwickyouthhostel.co.uk

P A G E 3

F O N D T N E W S L E T T E R

Prudhoe Community Partnership

What is Prudhoe Community Partnership?

Prudhoe Community Partnership is a long-established and entirely community-led regeneration charity based in Prud-hoe, Northumberland. It is wholly committed to the „Development Trust‟ ethos of “finding solutions to local problems”.

How does Prudhoe Community Partnership work? Prudhoe Community Partnership is a Charity (number 1113927) and Company Limited by Guarantee (number 5757621). The day to day business of the Community Partnership is directed by a Management Committee of volun-teers who are appointed and elected in the summer of every year at the Annual General Meeting. The Management Committee holds public meetings to discuss and debate relevant topics and these are held every quarter (normally the third Tuesday in January, April, July and October). The Management Committee meets monthly in private to deal with strategic and project-based activities. Prudhoe Community Partnership employs staff to undertake the work agreed by the Management Committee and to deliver the Business Plan. The long standing vision of the Partnership remains that of building upon the confidence and sense of pride in the town and its surrounding communities, with the goal of promoting investment, increasing prosperity and optimising access for all to: High quality employment, training and learning opportunities Excellent communication and transport links A strong and vibrant community Good quality, affordable housing and first rate facilities. The Community Partnership aims to deliver all of these objectives within a high quality and safe environment. To de-liver this vision there are four main elements to the work of Prudhoe Community Partnership: 1] Prudhoe Info Point - The Info Point (82 Front Street) provides a one stop shop of support services for statutory, pri-vate and voluntary sector service-providers who currently have little presence in the town. The Info Point provides a key resource and service to the community in the town centre. 2] Volunteer Centre Prudhoe - The promotion and enabling of volunteering is integrated into the ethos of the Commu-nity Partnership as without volunteers many of the activities in the town would fail. The establishment of the accredited Volunteer Centre Prudhoe acts as the link between voluntary organisations and volunteers. 3] Social Enterprise activities - Prudhoe Community Partnership like many charities faces the challenges of decreasing funding opportunities and increasing costs. The Community Partnership is now trying to break free from being 100% dependent on grants and is now looking to social enterprise to generate new income streams via the activities of our Trading Arm “Prudhoe Development Company Limited” 4] Working Groups and Project Development - Facilitation and coordination. The Community Partnership initiates working groups on a variety of different topics to bring activities within the town together. Currently the Community Partnership hosts working groups that include: Town Centre Marketing and Communication Developing Health Services Low Prudhoe Gateway Tyne Riverside Country Park Health and Wellbeing Transport Prudhoe Castle

The Community Partnership is also active within a wide number of other organisations structures and groups (e.g. Northumberland in Bloom and Young People committees of Prudhoe Town Council). The Community Partnership also facilitates and assists the formation and development of community groups (e.g. U3A, Friends of Prudhoe Woods, Over 50‟s Forum).

How do I find out more? Contact the Community Partnership office: Prudhoe Info Point, 82 Front Street, Prudhoe, Northumberland, NE42 5PU Telephone: 01661 836668 Email: info@prudhoe.org Website: www.prudhoe.org

P A G E 4

F O N D T N E W S L E T T E R

Community Building with no name starts on site!

Prudhoe Community Partnership has started their exciting new £1.5m Community and Civic project which has

been designed by award winning architects Mosedale Gillatt. The project is financed by charitable grants and a

Community builders loan. The new building will provide a home for all the services at the Prudhoe Info Point

and the library. The former building has just been demolished and the new building has started to take shape in

Prudhoe town centre.

Tim Mosedale, Director of Mosedale Gillatt said „This is an exciting time to see drawings on plans become a

physical reality on site - having worked closely with all the stakeholders on the design everyone can now see

that this significant project is quickly taking shape‟

After a rigorous tendering process the building contract was awarded to Northern Construction Solutions. Rev.

Charles Hope, Chairman of Prudhoe Community Partnership said “We are delighted to have appointed North-

ern Construction Solutions as contractors for the Library build project. They have done a good job to date and

have been very considerate in accommodating the needs of the local businesses, neighbours and the community.

We are also grateful to the Coop for their support in enabling us to erect a site compound in a section of their

car park. This shows the good will and the positive steps we have taken in Prudhoe to work together on this pro-

ject”

The project is due for completion in Spring 2012, Dave Gardner, Director of Northern Construction solutions

stated:-

“Northern Construction Solutions are pleased to be appointed as Principal Contractor for the new Prudhoe

Library. Having worked successfully on previous community projects with the Architects, Mosedale Gillatt, we

are keen that the library is delivered to the residents of Prudhoe with minimum disruption to both local busi-

nesses and the community. We aim to provide a flagship building that the people of Prudhoe will be proud of”

Legal advice for the project has been supplied by North East law firm, Swinburne & Jackson LLP. James

Mackie, a solicitor at the practice, said: “This community building will become an integral part of the local com-

munity and as such, it is a privilege to be involved. There have been a number of complex issues to advise on

however these have all been resolved and it is fantastic to see things moving forward apace.”

The only outstanding issue for this complex project is to give the new building a suitable name, and the local

community is being asked to submit ideas directly to Prudhoe Community Partnership at info@prudhoe.org or

call in to see them at the address below:

Prudhoe Community Partnership 82 Front Street Prudhoe Northumberland NE42 5PU

Prudhoe Community Partnership

P A G E 5 Amble Development Trust

The new shop front on the former Co-Op department store in Amble has eventually been

revealed and has received many positive comments. The scheme funded by English Heritage

and NCC has attempted to take the building back to replicate some of its former glory –

although no-one can remember how it originally looked.

Once the internal work is complete the Trust will relocate its preserve making business in to one

of the units, which includes a viewing area to watch the products being made. The other two

units are currently up for lease, although they have attracted quite a lot of interest already, so

hopefully wont stay empty for long.

During the summer months the Trust will display artwork from James Calvert Spence College

within the units.

Anyone wanting to make

enquiries with regards to renting/

leasing a unit should contact

Julia Aston on:

01665 712929

F O N D T N E W S L E T T E R

The wrappers are off – at long last!

ACES Park

Another project coming to fruition is the ACES park – Amble Community Extreme Sport park

(Skateboard Park). The grand opening will be held on July 22nd and is currently being organised by the

young people who have worked in partnership with the Trust from consultation stage through to design

and development.

Amble GPX is in the final stages of testing and has already got many admirers. Potential customers are

lining up to get their hands on this interactive tourism treasure hunt game.

Thus project was funded through the Paul Hamlyn Foundation with the remit of enhancing speaking

and listening skills in young people. These skills have been developed though interactive communica-

tions with local people and organisations: interviewing, interpretation of responses, Q&A sessions,

marketing and media skills. The GPX game is a legacy that will hopefully provide funding for the Trust

for future projects.

Julia Aston

For further information about Amble Development Trust, please visit

www.ambledevelopmenttrust.org.uk

P A G E 6

F O N D T N E W S L E T T E R

Haltwhistle Partnership

Putting the heart back in Haltwhistle

Haltwhistle is celebrating after the completion several projects that will help to put the

heart back in the pretty rural market town.

The town‟s market place has been refurbished providing new walkways and reset cobbles, and

new signage and interpretation panels and leaflets have been produced to help visitors to enjoy

their stay in the town.

New street furniture and planters have provided the finishing touches to an area which has been

designed so that it can host a range of events and community activities.

The market place improvements and signage and interpretation work have been completed

thanks to funding of £80,000 from Northumberland County Council and £48,000 from the Rural

Development Programme for England.

Speaking about the interpretation project, entitled Heart of Haltwhistle, Tom Teasdale, chairman

of the Haltwhistle Partnership, added: “We hope that the signage and interpretation project will

greatly improve the experience for visitors to the town, and help and encourage them to extend

their stays here.”

The signage and interpretation project includes six new lectern style interpretation panels at key

points around the town featuring information about Haltwhistle‟s rich history. These have been

complemented by a set of four town heritage leaflets that visitors can use to delve further into the

area‟s past.

As part of the project a new „Centre of Britain‟ feature has been set into the Market Place so visi-

tors can stand at the heart of the nation. At night time visitors to the town will see the Holy Cross

Church lit up – a sight which will be able to be viewed internationally online via a new town web-

cam.

All of the improvements at Haltwhistle are part of a three year programme under the Market Town

Welcome programme which also includes £250,000 investment in improvements to shop fronts.

The town has also become a hub for walking and cycling – having Walkers are Welcome status

which attracts those who enjoy hiking and rambling not only during local walking festivals but all

year round.

Seven new circular routes for cyclists have also been produced and are available from local out-lets including Haltwhistle tourist information centre and the Haltwhistle Partnership.

Gillian Cowell Project Officer

P A G E 7

F O N D T N E W S L E T T E R

North Tyne & Redesdale Community Partnership

BELLINGHAM BLAST 24/25th September 2011

The Bellingham Blast is an exciting brand new 100km cycling event based on Bellingham,

Northumberland, and routed through the Northumberland National Park, Kielder Forest and

Kielder Lakeside Way along the normally private forest roads. There is also a shorter leisure

ride of 15 km the Sunday for less intrepid riders and families.

This event is community lead and is being coordinated by the North Tyne and Redesdale

Community Partnership. Other Partners include Bellingham and District Trade and Tour-

ism, Northumberland National Parks, British Cycling and the Forestry Commission. Bel-

lingham is surrounded by fantastic scenery and there is already much on offer to cyclists of

all abilities from the Lakeside Way, fantastic mountain bike courses to a warm welcome in

local pubs and cafes to name a few. This new event will appeal to serious cyclists as well as

learners and families and will generate income in the area for the local businesses and com-

munities. North Tyne and Redesdale Community Partnership have assisted by identifying

and securing funding for the first year to enable the event to build up a fund to continue in

the future, it will also coordinate the event this year.

For more information visit http://www.bellinghamblast.com

Rachel Pearson Partnership Officer

North Tyne and Redesdale Community Partnership

P A G E 8

F O N D T N E W S L E T T E R

Glendale Gateway Trust

Glendale Gateway Trust start work on Library

11th July 2011 – contractors moved in to start the exten-

sion work to Glendale's Cheviot Centre which will

house the new library for Wooler. The project is a part-

nership between the Trust and Northumberland County

Council and is the culmination of 2 years of negotia-

tions.

Building work should be completed in September and

new shelving and fittings added for a grand opening in

November.

The new library will be accessible 7 days a week (compared to the current 12 hours) and will be

managed in conjunction with the Tourist Information Service. “This is a win win situation for

Glendale – the Library is secure and more accessible to the public and Northumberland County

Council are able to save money on the delivery of the service.”

Wooler Heritage Tour A chance to see some of the hidden gems in the Market Town of Wooler nestled in the foothills of the Cheviot Hills. The highlights of the tour will be: Wooler Police Station which is a striking Victorian building. Step back in time and visit the court room and gaol which are still in their original form. Please note, this part of the tour is not available on Saturday 10th September, and, since this is a working Police Station it may be closed in the event of an operational emergency. The view from the top of clock tower of St Mary's Church (built in 1765 and the oldest in Wooler) offers an excellent panorama of the town and the surrounding countryside, but is rarely seen be-cause of the difficult access. However, an intrepid (and some say foolish) local resident has clawed his way to the top of the tower to take a series of photographs which will be shown continu-ously as a slide show inside the church. But while you are inside the church why not take the self-guided tour to admire the spacious nave of the church, the outstanding stained glass windows and the array of memorials. Built just 20 years after St Mary's, the United Reform Church takes pride in its art nouveau stained glass windows which are not to be missed. Wooler Youth Hostel was originally built as a Land Army Hostel for the hardy women who volun-teered to work the land during WWII. Walk around the hostel to view a series of display panels illustrating the life of the land girls and telling their often amusing stories. Meet at: The Cheviot Centre, Padgepool Place NE71 6BL Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 1pm. Special event for HODS. Max 20 per tour. Booking required. Please contact 01668 282412.

Partial Disabled Access.

Tom Johnston, Trust Director.

Click picture for more information on discovering Glendale and Wooler Heritage

P A G E 9

F O N D T N E W S L E T T E R

Greater Morpeth Development Trust

Morpeth Heritage Open Days 8th-11th September 2011

Heritage Open Days celebrates England‟s architecture and culture by allowing visitors

free access to interesting properties that are either not usually open, or would normally

charge an entrance fee.

Heritage Open Days also includes tours, events and activities that focus on local archi-

tecture and culture.

Visitors are provided with a unique opportunity to explore and enjoy these sometimes

hidden, often curious, and always interesting places. It is a once-a-year chance to dis-

cover hidden architectural treasures and enjoy a wide range of tours, events and activi-

ties which bring to life local history and culture.

Heritage Open Days is a national event co-ordinated by English Heritage and locally

by Greater Morpeth Development Trust (GMDT).

For more information about events in Morpeth, please contact the Greater Morpeth

Development Trust on 01670 503866 or visit www.gmdt.net.

All Heritage Open Days events are free of charge to attend but many have limited

places and will need to be booked in advance. For up to date information, please refer

to www.heritageopendays.org.uk

Seahouses Development Trust

IMPRESSIVE NEW FACILITY The second phase of the Seahouses Sports and Community Centre refurbish-ment is complete and everyone who has recently visited the building agrees that the result is excellent. It‟s a superb venue that will be a valuable asset to the local community for many years to come. The centre is now available for a wide range of activities, functions and community events:

Graeme Cooper, Project Officer and Enterprise Support

A meeting room, which is extendable, can accommodate small to medium sized gatherings.

The large sports hall is suitable for a variety of uses and the catering facili-ties make it an ideal venue for functions such as children‟s parties, confer-ences and presentations.

There is a new ground floor café area, with kitchen facilities.

The building is powered by solar panels and fully insulated to maximise energy conservation. There is full disabled access, using a ramp into the building, dis-abled toilet facilities and ample car parking. The Trust will also be launching a trial of a community cinema at the centre, in early September, so look out for further announcements regarding a short series of autumn film shows. To enquire about bookings or to view any of the facilities, please contact: Sea-houses Resource Centre. Tel: 01665 721868 Email: nssdt@seahouses.org Visit the Seahouses Community Website: www.seahouses.org

P A G E 1 0

F O N D T N E W S L E T T E R

For further details on Picnic in the Park, please contact :

Emma Cochrane on 01670 503866

Notices

Contact details for FoNDT: Caroline Clough, Admin Assistant

c/o Carlisle Park Lodge, Castle Square, Morpeth, Northumberland NE61 1YD

Email: admin@fondt.co.uk Phone: 01670 503866

P A G E 1 1

F O N D T N E W S L E T T E R

All Change! Julien Lake has now been appointed CEO at Berwick Community Trust following the departure of Russell Sandbach. Julien has been with the Trust since 2005 as Project Manager and already has a detailed knowledge of Berwick, the Trust and local issues. Taking over in June from Russell, who has left to sail around the world, Julien is already seeking to maintain the direction of the Trust while working more aggressively to generate earned income and replace the grant funding the trust has to date relied upon. The Trust has also recently sadly said goodbye to Marjory Tharme. Marjory has been working on environmental sustainability projects and organising the annual Border Green Festival but after almost four years feels the need for change and will be return-ing to Edinburgh University in September before pursuing a career in education. In the near future the Trust expects to recruit a replacement for Marjory and also a Project Officer to pursue more general activities.

Berwick Community Trust, The Willaim Elder Building,56-58 Castlegate, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1JT

A date for the diary of enthusiasts

A talk and presentation on:

“Armstrong and his hydraulic engines”

To take place on:

Sunday October 2nd at 5.30pm

Venue: Allenheads Heritage Centre.