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Thanks for your comments guys. As one of the people behind the new Help Hub, thought I'd clarify a few things: 1) We are not at present getting any grant money to operate it on an ongoing basis (we did get a salary for one person for two months from Vodafone [thanks Vodafone] to help us with setting it up, but that's all finished now. 2) And that is part of the explanation as to why it is run mainly by volunteers [Actually, one guy will be paid for 2 days, but we plan to open the bub 3 days a week, and need at least 2 people on duty all the time, so the rest is volunteers]. We don't have the money to pay people. And people in County Church are happy to volunteer in this way to help the Communnity as a whole 3) is it needed? We'll let's see. One point I would make is the difficulty in applying for benefits, tax rebates etc. I had to phone the tax office the other day and they only give an 0845 number. I was on the phone for 20 minutes, pressing one option, then another, listening to recorded announcements, before they finally said all their operators were busy and cut me off. If I had only had a mobile phone, that call would have cost me about £10. In the bub its free. 4) The Job Centre themselves obviously think a service like this is needed which is why they have joined forces with NEWS (Northumberland Employability and Work Service) and Northumberland Business Services Ltd to open similar services (theirs just 1 day a week) in Blyth, Ashington, Morpeth ... but not Bedlington. We are trying to do something for Bedlington here. 5) But if it is not needed, is there some other kind of community service you would find more helpful? We'd be interested in ideas though of course we can't make any promises. Den

by a new "Help Hub"... http://www.bedlington.co.uk/2010/03/new-community-help-hub/

The OPEN LEARNING CENTER in the old school next to the library at the station is another place to go for newbies to this technology and you can also get qualifications.

I think that is Monsta's point Mr D, this is not a Citizen's Advice board where questions and answers have broader repercussions. Of course some questions can be answered in an authorative manner given the expertise of members in certain areas but by and large this is a general discussion board where people post their opinions on the topic subject matter.

That would seem quite a well thought out and cognitive argument knocking the ball firmly across the net.............................

You mentioning St Cuthberts Church got me looking up some history. Firstly, i noticed on a map in a previous thread, that there was an oval shape attatched to the church so i set about looking to see what this was and the reasons for it..I came across these photos which were taken in 1873 The reasons given... `St Cuthbert's church is shown with the extraordinary plan that was created out of the old church in 1818. The old north wall was pulled down and replaced with a large semi-circular extension, complete with galleries. This had the effect of re- orientating the worship space to north-south, completely contrary to the time- honoured east-west of most Christian churches throughout the world. The reason given for this strange expansion was the growth in working population at the booming Bedlington iron and engine works but the real growth of the town did not come until the second quarter of the nineteenth century (in 1801, there were 789 people in the town, but by 1821 it had more than doubled to 1,862). This unusual arrangement at the church lasted nearly 100 years as it was not until 1912 that the extension was demolished and the original orientation restored` This is the way it looks now.. So, what i`m wondering is.. it seems a lot of work and expense on this building, solely for `growth of population in Bedlington`? Did everyone in those days go to church religiously every week, then once the work died down and people up and left, the building was pulled down? Curious??

they'll be getting some kind of grant money to opperate no doubt! why is it run by volunteers? could they not hire people there trying to help?

so it was suicide! or was he playing chicken! ho no a train!

Sometimes the behaviour is best left without reply, as in the past it just escalates. Theres no definite line between someones honest opinion on a subject, and personal abuse. its just too grey to decide sometimes, and as we've seen, the people who post this get touchy when its deleted. People are entitled to their opinion, even if it is a little childish. This way everyone gets a say, and a general feel can be gained about the post from the community in general. If its a general discussion, and people have an opinion outside whats been said already, then of course they should post. However, i think, like the option in the voting system, you should have a choice of displaying who voted what. but thats just me. Perhapt that would be taking it a little too far It works on another forum i frequent, whereby an answer given can be "approved" by another respected member, and therefore the advice taken as a little more credible. Then again, here, it may just create personal issues.