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Cympil
A group of enterprising students from Bedlington High and Ashington High Schools have completed a gruelling ten day expedition in the Swiss Alps.
The team of 9 students and 3 staff completed part of the challenging Chamonix to Zermatt Walkers High Level Route, one of the oldest walking routes in Europe.
The team covered over 90km and had a total ascent of just over 5700m, almost the height of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The team began their training over 8 months ago, developing their fitness, leadership and teamwork skills.
Team member, Kay Shiel spoke about the training. "It was tough, we worked hard to develop our fitness because we knew that the trek would be demanding. We also developed our language skills and first aid skills, we were ready for anything." The team had to battle through two tough days of snow on the route, but were well prepared.
Team leader, Will Close-Ash was confident that group would make it. "It is a demanding trek, not many young people will ever put themselves through such a tough trip, but I think that all of these young people should be proud of their achievements, they did very well."
The team completed the trek to raise money for charities and collected over £3000 for a wide range of local and national charities.
Author "“ Will Close-Ash
Cympil
Building work on two new state-of-the-art community fire stations for Northumberland began on Monday 27 July.
The stations in Pegswood and the new headquarters in West Hartford are scheduled for completion next summer as part of an ambitious programme of building across the north east.
Five new fire stations will be built during the coming year as part of a £60 million North East Fire and Rescue Authorities (NEFRA) Private Finance Initiative (PFI). The project is receiving funding from Communities and Local Government which is contributing £42 million in PFI credits to assist in the construction work.
The new community fire station and headquarters at West Hartford will be equipped with
three fire fighting appliances including an incident response unit, for terrorist and other incidents. These will be operated by one part-time and two full-time crews. In addition to the fire fighting response units, there will also be a North East Ambulance Service response unit and crew.
At Pegswood the new station will be equipped with three fire fighting appliances including a high volume pumping unit. This is able to pump water over great distances in rural areas where water is scarce. It is also an invaluable piece of equipment in flooding incidents as it can move water away from danger points for safe dispersal. A part-time crew and two full-time crews will staff the three appliances. This station will also be the base for a specialist swift water rescue team; established to provide an enhanced flood evacuation and in-water search and rescue capability.
The design and construction of both stations will be environmentally friendly achieving BREEAM (energy efficiency rating) of between "˜very good' and "˜excelllent'.
As well as providing emergency fire and rescue cover, each station will have multi-media facilities including free internet access and meeting rooms, which will be available for members of the public to book. Both stations will also be equipped to train the public in fire and community safety and advice about these subjects will be available from experienced staff as part of a "˜drop in' service.
Brian Hesler, Chief Fire Officer for Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We are proud to be leading the building stage of this seminal project for the North East. The community facilities that we will be able to provide in Northumberland's two new fire stations and HQ will allow us to improve the service we can offer to the community in terms of prevention and advice as well as continuing to respond to incidents quickly and efficiently across the county. We have taken full advantage of this opportunity to seize significant Government funding for Northumberland, which in itself will create much needed investment in the building industry during this time of economic downturn."
Councillor Ian Lindley, Northumberland County Council's executive member for community safety (incorporating Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service), said: "This is an exciting time for Northumberland; the transformation of fire service provision is in keeping with the reorganisation we have seen in the county as a whole. The fire service is increasingly working to prevent incidents and it is a rich vein of expertise; building community fire stations will allow local people to tap into this expertise and help to ensure community safety informs local people, groups and projects."
Fire Minister Shahid Malik said: "I am delighted that the Government has been able to award the combined North-East fire and rescue authorities £42 million in PFI credits to construct these new buildings. Overall since 1997 the Government has provided England's fire and rescue services with over £550 million through the PFI to invest in their buildings and vehicles.
"The Government is investing in improving the fire and rescue service estate as it has a direct impact on progress in the creation of a service that meets the needs of today's world, providing fire stations in the right locations to help save lives as well as better working conditions for firefighters and back-office staff."
John Laing Investments is providing 80% of the equity for the NEFRA project and Shepherd Construction is providing the remaining 20%, as well as building the five new stations.
Area Director for John Laing, Mike White, said: "We are delighted to have reached the delivery stage of this project, which will significantly improve facilities for the fire and rescue authorities in the North East, while also providing facilities for the use of the communities around the new stations. We are looking forward to a long and successful partnership with the NEFRA PFI project and all of its stakeholders."
Allan McDougall, Divisional Chief Executive of Shepherd Construction, the firm overseeing the project from its Darlington office, said: "This exciting project will see five new stations built over the next year. Each one will include community facilities, allowing the fire authorities to link to local people and proactively look at fire prevention and safety issues. The North East is leading the way with these stations and we look forward to working closely with the authorities to deliver such modern and innovative facilities."
Graeme Dodd, Managing Director of Napper Architects, said: "Having recently completed six community fire stations, a technical service centre and a new brigade headquarters for Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, Napper Architects is delighted to continue their emergency services involvement by developing designs for the new community fire station at Pegswood and the service headquarters at West Hartford. These innovative buildings, which have been developed in close partnership with advisors from Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service, integrate community facilities into the heart of the buildings allowing immediate community access to fire prevention advice and assistance without compromising operational effectiveness."
The project has resulted in a boost to the regional economy with a number of North East businesses playing key roles in the NEFRA project. Newcastle-based solicitors Dickinson Dees are involved in the legal contracts; Shepherd Construction based in York and Darlington is delivering the build and Napper Architects in Newcastle designed the new fire stations and headquarters.
The stations are set to be up and running as follows: Pegswood, June 2010; West Hartford, August 2010; Bishop Auckland, May 2010; Spennymoor, June 2010; North Shields, June 2010.
Cympil

Cars Damaged in Stakeford

By Cympil, in News,

Police are appealing for witnesses after two cars were damaged in Stakeford.
At approximately 10.30pm on Tuesday July 28 a Ford Fiesta and a Volvo S80, which were parked on East Terrace at the time, had their wing mirrors damaged and were dented.
Around the same time police received a report that a group of youths on bikes were seen in the street causing damage to cars.
Bedlington Neighbourhood Beat Manager John Heaton said: " These damages took place in a normally quiet neighbourhood. I'd appeal for anyone who was out that night, who may have been walking their dog, or who was in the area around the time of the incidents to contact police. We're especially keen to speak to anyone who may have seen a group of youths on bikes in the street around the time of the incident to get in touch".
Anyone with information is asked to contact police in Bedlington on 03456 043 043 ext 63526
Cympil

Bedlington Car Parking Review

By Cympil, in News,

Northumberland County Council has launched a review of car parking policy across the county.
The first step in the review is to ask residents, businesses, community representatives and anyone who has an interest what their views are on the key principles of car parking policy through a questionnaire.
Councillor Alan Armstrong, executive member for highways and transport at Northumberland County Council, said: "The questionnaire we have just published is the first step in our review of car parking across the county, and I would urge as many people as possible to express their views. We are very aware that there are currently different policies across the county, and we want to establish a single framework within which local conditions in each area can be considered objectively."
As part of the review the council is also considering a range of factors including current usage levels, current charges, known traffic management or congestion issues, local parking schemes such as residents' permits, tourist areas and equality and social inclusion.
In the past Bedlington residents have expressed concern over the removal of the free parking they currently have access to.
The new Northumberland County Council inherited a range of different parking arrangements from the former district and borough councils, and made an early commitment to carry out a comprehensive review of all parking arrangements.
From the inception of the new council an annual parking permit was extended so that it could be used across the whole county, and the impact of this will also be looked at. A concessionary permit is also available to the over 60s and other qualifying groups.
The questionnaire is being sent to a wide range of organisations and is also available for residents to complete at customer information centres and on the website at http://www2.northumberland.gov.uk/survey/car_parking.htm .
The closing date for returning responses is Monday 7th September 2009.
A second phase of public consultation will take place once a county-wide policy has been drafted.
Neil
Bedlington Terriers FC would like to invite applications for the post of Commercial Manager. The main duties of the role will be to source new income for the club from local businesses and organisations by way of sponsorships.
We already have a sound base of local businesses that sponsor the club by way of matchday advertising, etc"¦ but we feel there is plenty more opportunities out there. However, due to work and other commitments, the committee members do not have the resources to explore every avenue meaning vital opportunities to raise the profile of the club are lost along with much needed funds.
The succesful applicant will be somebody who can contact local and regional businesses and inform them of the good work going on at the club, both on and off the pitch. Applicants with the utmost integrity need apply and would ideally suit supporters with spare time during office hours.
On offer is a 10% commission on all sponsorship monies that the succesful person collects for the club.
Interested parties should apply by e-mailing neildouglass@hotmail.com with a biref outline as to why they feel they are the person we are looking for. The deadline is 8th August.
Neil
Bedlington Terriers supporters have plenty to cheer about at the moment "“ without a ball being kicked. Having finished last season off in promising fashion, continuing their gradual year on year improvement by finishing in 14th position, Terriers co-managers Lowery and Perry have moved quickly to add to the strength and quality of their squad.
Having already retained the nucleus of last season's team, who battled through an injury crisis like not seen before at Welfare Park, experienced players have been signing up on a regular basis with the aim of restoring Bedlington Terriers to a position of being able once again to challenge for honours.
Pride of place was the signing this week of Steven Bowey, a move which truly is a coup for the Northumbrian club, and one which has made the whole of North East non-league football sit up and take note.
A vastly experienced midfielder, Steven is known for his tenacious displays. Having started at Forest Green Rovers, he moved on to Bristol Rovers Steve before he came north to Gateshead, where playing for the Tynesiders 188 times.
After moving north of the border to ply his trade with Dumfries based Queen of the South (making 137 appearances and scoring 16 goals), he returned back to England and York City where he scored 7 goals in 42 matches. On leaving York he returned once more to Gateshead where another 9 goals were added to his total in 37 appearances.
Affectionately known as "˜Bowser', last season he was player/manager at Newcastle Blue Star, leading them to victory in the play off final. Following the end of season release of all the Blue Star players and staff, Bedlington have succeeded in signing a man who is generally regarded as a great talent.
This signing is just one of many impressive additions to the squad. Other new players who have joined the Bedlington bandwagon for the coming campaign include:
Peter Snowden "“ a central defender and former skipper of the Blyth Spartans team which won the Unibond Premier Division two seasons ago.
Anthony Lund "“ at only 22, Anthony is already an experienced Northern League player, numbering Durham City and Sunderland Nissan amongst his former clubs. He is a skilful left sided wing back/midfielder who likes to get forward and is an excellent crosser of the ball.
Jamie Clarke "“ needs no introduction to Terriers fans as he has been around the Northern League now for many seasons and has proved himself a prolific goal scorer whichever club he has played at. He finished last season on 30 league goals and was Spennymoor Town were very disappointed to lose a player they consider a "˜legend'.
Jamie Poole -a left footed player who is most at home on that side of the pitch. An ex Blyth Spartans player he left them in January to join Seaham.
Lee Yorke "“ a midfielder who was with West Allotment Celtic before joining Team Northumbria last season. Another excellent addition to the squad.
As well as some new faces, the Terriers also see the welcome return by some familiar faces from more prosperous seasons:
Anthony Chapman "“ now 29, "˜Chappy' now begins his 3rd stint in a Bedlington shirt
Suffered a broken leg when last playing for Bedlington Terriers, but is now back to the best which saw him help Bedlington to league and cup successes. He is an excellent passer of the ball and has stamina to burn, with a never say die attitude who can win games with his passing ability.
Steven Shaw "“ no stranger to the Terriers Steven had a season with us as a 17 year old before leaving to join Ryton. An attacking midfielder, Steven has for the last three seasons picked up the Player of the Year award at Ryton. Steven is a big lad whose extra height will provide even more ammunition at set pieces.
Christian Graham "“ confirmed as having signed on Sunday, Christian spent the early part of his career at Bedlington as part of the successful squad which won so many trophies in the first half of the decade, he finished last season at local rivals Ashington.
He also includes Whitley Bay and Blyth Spartans amongst his former clubs, and is another impressive addition to an ever-strengthening squad being assembled by Terriers co-managers Lowery and Perry. There is no doubt that the Terriers have ambitions to return to challenging for honours this coming season, after the well documented difficulties in recent years
The management team are now thought to have completed their transfer activity for the summer, apart from securing the services of a second goalkeeper to provide back up to incumbent Gareth Powell. However, fans are already very excited over the season ahead and looking forward to seeing the blend of new and old players. There is definitely a "˜buzz' around town!
An off the field signing now confirmed, is the welcome addition of Perry Briggs to the backroom staff. Briggs first appeared at Welfare Park in the closing stages of the last campaign and it is now confirmed that he will be assisting Dean Gibb in the coaching and fitness roles at the Club. An effective foil as number 2 to Bobby Scaife for many years at Dunston Federation as they won trophy after trophy, Briggs proved himself as a manager in his own right when he stepped up into the top job before deciding he wanted a break from the frontline. Bedlington Terriers are delighted to have secured a signing which could prove to be as influential as any made on the pitch.
Neil
Bedlington Terriers FC Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday 9th July in the Clubhouse, with a prompt 7.30pm start. Anyone with an interest in the future of the football club are encouraged to attend, as Club Officials reflect on the previous year, and describe their aspirations for the coming 12 months.
It's your opportunity to have your say in which direction the Club takes, and a chance to become actively involved, so make sure you are there!
There is a lot of work to be done at the ground this summer and we will be looking for work parties over the odd weekend to help us to improve the overall look of the place. So, anyone that can handle a paintbrush or similar would be very welcome to come along and join us. Keep a look out on the Terriers website and forum for more details when available.
Secretary Dave Collop is going to be doing a sponsored walk around the pitch on Sunday 30th August. This will be raising funds which will be split equally in aid of club funds and the Bedlington Terrier Rescue Society (North Eastern Branch). Alongside this, other activities will be happening at the club on the day so come along and enjoy yourselves. Also don't forget to sponsor Dave in his 10 hour trek.
Bedlington Terriers are delighted to confirm that they are bringing well known British Country singer Travis Logan to Welfare Park Friday 23rd October. Attendance will be strictly limited. Ticket details will be announced shortly but queries can be directed to Club Secretary Dave Collop on 07853052450. For those of you not familiar with the man and his music he can be found at: http://www.travislog....com/index.html
Finally, a number of attractive pre-season friendlies have been confirmed, which will certainly give the Terriers squad excellent preparation ahead of the new season in August. A couple more fixtures are expected to follow in due course, but the following are now confirmed:
Sat 11th July Durham City (a) 3pm
Sat 18th July Selby Town (a) 3pm
Sat 25th July Harrogate Railway (h) 3pm
Wed 29th July Jarrow Roofing (a) 7.30pm
Sat 1st August Kelty Hearts (h) 3pm
Cympil
The inquiry over the future of the old Bedlington Infants School buildings at the junction of the Market Place with Church Lane has been adjourned almost as soon as it commenced.
Held on Tuesday 12th May and originally expected to last for three days. it has now been determined that new inquiry dates will be scheduled in September. Details will be published here on www.bedlington.co.uk
The former Bedlington Infants School was used as a church hall for some years before an unsafe floor caused its complete abandonment. Since then it has fallen prey to vandals, and is generally regarded as an eyesore in desperate need of suitable redevelopment.
Neil
This Saturday night (2nd May), Bedlington Terriers FC invite all supporters to join their reflection on the past season, as they host the traditional Presentation Night at the Terriers Clubhouse. The usual awards will be presented, including the Supporters Player of the Year award. Adding spice to this always memorable evening will be the appearance of the majority of the Wembley FA Vase team, to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Club's crowning achievement, albeit ultimately unsuccessful in heartbreaking circumstances. Until Whitley Bay overcame Lowestoft Town recently in the FA Vase semi-final, the Terriers were the last Northern League club to reach a Wembley final.
This night of celebration will begin at 7pm, and all are welcome to come and join the fun, marking the union of Bedlington Terriers FC past and present.
Cympil

Local Dog Found Mutilated

By Cympil, in News,

A helpless greyhound needed life saving treatment on Monday after it was discovered bound in electrical tape covered in blood with it's ears cut off. The dog, a black male greyhound, was found by a member of the public at the Bank Top in Bedlington and taken to a local veterinary centre in Morpeth where he is now making a good recovery.
"Lugless Douglas" as he has been nicknamed by veterinary centre staff is believed to be a former racing greyhound due to the horrific nature of the abuse. Racing dogs are often tattooed in the ears so they can be identified and it is thought that the perpetrators carried out this sickening act in order to remove this method of tracing.
RSPCA representatives have gone on record as saying:
"This is an horrific and sickening act of cruelty."
"It is clear this dog's ears have been removed by a sharp implement, which must have caused him unimaginable pain and distress."
"Thankfully he was rescued early and taken to safety, else he easily could have died."
"We just hope someone will now come forward with vital information to help us discover what happened."
The RSPCA also requests that anybody with any information to contact their National Cruelty and Advice Line on 0300 123 4999


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