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Northumberland County Council is consulting community and voluntary, or ‘third’ sector, organisations in the county about how it will provide support to them in the future.   The council currently provides funding to Northumberland Community and Voluntary Action (NCVA) to provide support services to the sector.     Northumberland CVA helps to build capacity within the sector, to support volunteering initiatives and also to get messages out about the work that the sector does.  The current contract is due to end in March 2019.   The council has reviewed the current contract and arrangements, looked at future priorities for support, and considered what options could be pursued in taking this work forward.  Future options include:   Retaining the status quo of a single countywide Commission; Commissioning on the basis of an agreed geographical split; Commissioning on the basis of three individual support packages; Delivering the commission within the council with the support of a facilitating fund; and Withdrawing from the commission.   Voluntary and community sector organisations and representatives are being asked to look at a consultation document and give their views on the priorities and options identified.  They can also raise any concerns or questions they have.     Councillor Cath Homer, cabinet member responsible for voluntary and community sector support at Northumberland County Council said:  “The ‘third’ sector play a vital role within our communities across Northumberland - and we want to make sure that we are providing the right levels and types of support.   “We welcome all feedback on the consultation document and on support from the council, and will gather all of this information together to help us to shape the type and level of support provided in the future.   “Similarly to all services supported by the council it is important that we review this, ensuring that it meets identified aims, and that we can balance providing for it alongside other vital frontline council services.”   The council is using a range of methods to consult those with an interest in this issue, including voluntary and community sector and social enterprise organisations, councillors, residents and other stakeholders within the community.   The consultation will run until Monday 5th March 2018, after which time responses will be analysed and a report on proposals for the future produced.   You can find the consultation document and response form in the Voluntary and Community Sector section of the website www.northumberland.gov.uk 
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Two North East roads have been ranked among the most dangerous in Britain, a new interactive map reveals.
Research conducted by Regtransfers.co.uk shows the routes across the country where you are most likely to be involved in an accident.
It found the A193, which runs between Newcastle and Bedlington, had an accident rate of 2.53 per 1 million vehicle-miles driven.
And the A68, which links Northumberland and Edinburgh, made the country’s top 50 accident blackspots with a rate of 2.7.
These contrast with the average accident rate of 1.48 for the UK.
The data, compiled by the private number plate company, also found 13 of the most dangerous roads in Britain all run through London.
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Northumberland Archives is looking for volunteers with a passion for history to digitally log records as part of a new initiative, Reading Room. 

The project, in partnership with FamilySearch.org, aims to make browsing parish registers easier and more accessible for the public. Currently 60% of indexes have been processed for the County and Northumberland Archives are looking for volunteers, to complete the remaining 40%. 

Volunteers with a keen interest in family ancestry and historic records are being asked to select information from marriage, death and baptism registers online and input them into the digital system to enable the archives to be indexed. 

People can choose to undertake this work from the comfort of their own home. The role is extremely flexible meaning people can volunteer as little or as often as they want, ranging from ten minutes to a whole afternoon logging records. 

Councillor Cath Homer, Cabinet Member for culture, arts, leisure and tourism at Northumberland County Council, said: “Reading Room is a valuable and fascinating resource for many people to explore their family history. 

“Northumberland Archives is offering a great opportunity for people with an interest in local history to get involved. I would encourage anyone thinking about volunteering to take part.” 

The process to apply is quick and easy and anyone interested should visit www.familysearch.org to register. 

For more information about Northumberland Archives visit www.experiencewoodhorn.com/collections/ or contact archives@northumberland.gov.uk 

View the video to find out more - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktd3_lB0aUE 
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A drink driver was caught out when police pulled him over for having a frozen windscreen.
Dean Williamson was travelling along Front Street, in Bedlington, on Boxing Day when a passing officer noticed his front window was iced over.
The 28-year-old was initially stopped and told to scrape the windscreen clear but he went on to ignore the warning and carried on driving his Ford Focus, a court heard.
The same officer then pulled Williamson over again but noticed he was “swaying and stumbling” when he was ordered to get out of the vehicle.
He then failed a roadside breath test and was arrested.
Williamson, of Lily Avenue, Bedlington, has now been banned from the roads for three years after he pleaded guilty to drink driving at South East Northumberland Magistrates’ Court.
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A bungling thief was snared when he left behind his DNA in the McDonald’s restaurant he burgled for just £3-worth of food.
Kane Bircahll smashed a window of the Cowpen Road branch of the fast food giant, in Blyth, and sneaked in during the middle of the night while the premises was closed.
The 28-year-old then made-off with £3-worth of food items, South East Northumberland Magistrates’ Court was told.
But, not only was hapless Birchall caught in the act on CCTV, he also left behind his own blood and was further identified from his DNA.
Now, Birchall, of Burdon Terrace, Bedlington, has been warned he is facing the possibility of time behind bars after pleading guilty to one count of burglary.
Adjourning the case for the preparation of a Pre-Sentence Report, District Judge Bernard Begley told him: “This is simply an adjournment so the court can be aware fully of everything about you.
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An online campaign which helped to share Northumberland residents’ love for their local parks has been shortlisted for a national award.

Northumberland County Council ran the campaign last July, and it has now been highlighted as one of the best in the UK by national environmental campaign charity Keep Britain Tidy.

The Love Parks Award recognises an outstanding event or campaign that ran during Love Parks Week 2017.

The Love Parks initiative aims to ensure that residents and visitors use local parks and protect these important green spaces, and the award was open to entries from all local authorities in England and Wales.

Northumberland County Council ran a social media campaign to highlight why residents and visitors ‘Love’ their local parks.

Cllr Glen Sanderson cabinet member for environment and local services said:  “We wanted to promote the parks and the activities and things that people can enjoy there to a wide audience across Northumberland and the wider region.  

“We also wanted to support pride in the parks for those who work there and who visit and enjoy them.

“Local services staff and parks team members encouraged residents and visitors of all ages to show why they love their local park - having their photo taken with the Love Parks heart, or making a video clip.

“It is a great credit to our parks staff and communications team that the campaign has been commended by the judges as worthy of shortlisting for a national award.”

Photos and videos were posted on social media throughout the week, building a colourful campaign which demonstrated the fantastic features of the 12 parks across the county that are managed by Northumberland County Council.

The council’s communications team also put together videos for a ‘quick tour…’ of each park - and promoted these through social media, encouraging people to visit and enjoy the parks. You can view the videos here.

The campaign was primarily run through Twitter and facebook, and the target audience was Northumberland residents and those who visit from the wider region.

Thirty three posts gained a huge 42,059 impressions on Twitter, the equivalent of 13% of the population of Northumberland, and 845 people engaged with the campaign through ‘loves’, retweets, comments or other sharing or feedback.

On Facebook seven posts and videos reacher 146,855 people and were viewed 67,300 times.  They were shared 316 times and 746 people reacted to them.

During the week the council also announced £2.3m National Lottery funding which will enable comprehensive improvement to one of its urban parks, in Ashington, and a video about the announcement was viewed 219 times.

Things that Northumberland residents and visitors said that they love about local parks include: Meeting friends and family; Dog walking; Enjoying flowers, plants and green spaces; Watching wildlife; Enjoying water features such as lakes, streams and paddling pools; and Taking part in sports and leisure activities like bowls, football, cycling and play. You can view a video about the Love Parks campaign here.

The winner of the Love Parks Award will be announced at the annual national Keep Britain Tidy network conference in Brighton on 8th February.  
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Northumberland County Council hopes a new growth deal for the Borders will breathe new life into previously ‘neglected’ areas of the county.

David Mundell MP, Secretary of State for Scotland and Jake Berry MP, Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth Minister, joined cross-border local authority partners (Carlisle City Council, Cumbria County Council, Dumfries & Galloway Council, Northumberland County Council and Scottish Borders Council) for the first Borderlands Growth Deal meeting of 2018.

This was the first meeting with UK Government Ministers since the UK Chancellor committed to opening negotiations on a Growth Deal for the area in the 2017 Budget.

Northumberland County Council Leader Peter Jackson said: “This deal is all about bringing new life to some of the previously neglected areas of north and west Northumberland.

“Whether it be in terms of improving business investment, digital connectivity, tourism or making sure that people have the skills necessary for the modern world, we will use this deal to provide better prospects for our communities.”

A Borderlands spokesperson said: “Our shared ambition is to play our full part in the regional and wider UK economy and unlock the potential of the south of Scotland and north of England. We welcomed the opportunity to discuss the Borderlands Growth Deal direct with Ministers. Discussions were positive and although they remain at a relatively early stage we look forward to more collaboration and discussion with both the UK and Scottish governments.”

Scottish Secretary David Mundell added: “We are continuing to make good progress towards a Borderlands Growth Deal, which has the potential to transform the economy of the whole region, creating jobs and increasing prosperity. We had a productive meeting with the five Borderlands local authority partners. I was impressed with their enthusiasm for, and the energy behind, creating a transformative deal.  We will continue to work closely with the Borderlands partners to work up the detail of their proposals.

Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth Minister Jake Berry said: “I'm delighted that we've fired the starting gun on this hugely exciting coast to coast Borderlands Growth Deal-something that will be unique in the UK. I am looking forward to us continuing this progress working with the Borderlands councils and the Scottish Government in the coming months on developing an ambitious sector led deal that will encourage growth and productivity to create thriving local economies both sides of the border."

The Borderlands partnership brought together the five cross-border local authorities of Carlisle City Council, Cumbria County Council, Dumfries & Galloway Council, Northumberland County Council and Scottish Borders Council to promote the economic growth and competitiveness of an area that straddles the Scotland-England border.

Last year a formal proposition was submitted to the UK and Scottish governments for consideration, focusing on the factors which make the area attractive to investors, visitors and those who wish to relocate. It also aimed to tackle the need for population growth and improved productivity.

The proposition focused on several key themes, including: digital technology; innovation; low carbon; and energy. The approach is based on existing physical and infrastructure connections, and transport and connectivity are at the heart of the partners’ proposals, linking the opportunities that can be created and informing future projects.

Picture shows Cllr Peter Jackson (left) with Jake Berry MP  
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Fancy a burger with haggis and whisky sauce? Wetherspoons is launching a special menu to mark Burns Night and it includes a quirky take on the traditional fare.
While haggis is always the star of the show when it comes to celebrations of Scotland’s national poet, the pub company has decided to go one better.
Burgers tend to be a universal favourite so it has come up with one which will have a uniquely Scottish flavour.
Soon North East customers will be able to tuck into a Highland Burger, which contains haggis and comes with a sauce made with that favourite Scottish tipple, whisky.
The 6oz burger will be served with chips and six beer-battered onion rings too - and, as an added treat, diners can try a special Robert Burns ale, from Scotland’s oldest working brewery, to go with it.
These will be on the menu in Newcastle from Saturday at The Quayside bar and The Mile Castle - as well as in other Wetherspoons pubs around the region - as part of week-long celebrations to mark the life and poetry of the Scottish poet.


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