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The deadline is looming for  community groups,  charities and young people  in the county to apply for funding from a much valued community grant scheme.

Grants of up to £5,000 are available from Northumberland County Council to help deliver activities that benefit residents and communities - but applicants need to hurry as the deadline for the first round of applications is Friday 29 September.

The council’s long running Community Chest Fund was improved and relaunched earlier this summer following consultation with local communities.

One of the key improvements to fund is a new grant called ‘Help For You’  which is aimed specifically at the under 18s.  Grants of  up to £200 are  available to help individuals in pursuing a particular ambition - whether it is sporting, musical or academic.

Other changes to the scheme include: Community chest budgets will be managed and allocated by local area councils; The budget for each area council is based on the population living in that area; Local area councils are able to identify funding themes relevant to their communities;   For local schemes there will be a £5,000  upper grant limit with a maximum award of 75% of the cost of any proposal; The countywide element of the fund has doubled to £60,000, with no upper limit but the maximum grant award of 75% of the project’s costs, and There will be two funding rounds each year.

Leader of Northumberland County Council Peter Jackson said: “We’ve listened to the views of local communities and feel we have made a number of very helpful changes to the grant scheme to widen its appeal, including opening it up so  that young people are eligible to apply.

“We would  like to see this fund providing support  to the many valued local groups and voluntary organisations that are making a real difference in every corner of the county.  If you have a project that you think could benefit please don’t hesitate to get in touch.”

The community chest fund has been in operation in Northumberland since 2009 and over its lifetime 1,450 awards totalling £2.6million have been made to voluntary and community groups to develop projects that enhance the environment, improve health and wellbeing and strengthen communities.

If you are not in a position to apply for funding this month, you can still apply at a future date. The second deadline for funding applications is 12 January 2018.

To apply, applicants must fill out an application form. This can be done online or by downloading the form from  www.northumberland.gov.uk. If you have any queries, please  email iain.hedley@northumberland.gov.uk

Find out all about the fund here.  
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Killer driver Jordan O’Donnell has admitted causing the death of a teenager and seriously injuring another girl in a horror crash.
The 20-year-old was behind the wheel of a Ford Mondeo with no insurance when he lost control in Bedlington, Northumberland, last month.
Passenger Bethany Fisher tragically suffered fatal injuries while Meg McBurnie, also in the car, was left seriously hurt.
After the collision, O’Donnell rang police and lied that his car had been stolen.
Now he has been warned he is likely to receive a lengthy prison after he admitted offences including causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving and doing acts intending to pervert the course of justice
Judge Tim Gittins, at Newcastle Crown Court, told O’Donnell, who appeared on a video-link to HMP Durham: “You having pleaded guilty to the offences you face, obviously the likelihood is a significant custodial sentence.
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A thug who stamped on an innocent stranger’s face during a horrific and unprovoked attack in a Northumberland pub has been jailed for five years.
Vile Jack Stevenson floored David Wailes with a punch and began stamping on his head, leaving him with a broken eye socket.
The vicious attack took place two days before Christmas, while the victim was celebrating a Christmas night out at the Grapes Pub in Bedlington.
Stevenson, 25, who had previous convictions for battery, criminal damage and dangerous driving, has been locked up for five years.
His “mindless” attack has been condemned by police, who say there was no altercation or argument that provoked Stevenson to attack.
After brutally assaulting Mr Wailes, Stevenson punched an 18-year-old man and fled the scene.
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A man has been jailed after he repeatedly stamped on a stranger’s head as he was celebrating a Christmas night out in Bedlington. 

Jack Stevenson, 25, launched an unprovoked attack on David Wailes as he was in The Grapes Pub in the Northumberland town on 23 December last year. 

Stevenson, of Carlton House, Bedlington, was convicted on September 4 at Newcastle Crown Court for wounding, assault and breaching a suspended sentence and as a result, handed down a five year sentence. 

There was no altercation or argument that provoked Stevenson to attack the victim. He launched a single punch that sent Mr Wailes to the floor and then proceeded to stamp on his face. 

Stevenson then punched an 18 year old man before fleeing the scene. Less than two weeks later, officers caught up with him and swooped in to make an arrest. 

Detective Sergeant Jason Kell said: "The victim was left with a fractured eye socket but given the ferocity of the attack, his injuries could have been much more severe. Thuggish behaviour like this is simply not acceptable. We want people to feel safe to enjoy their night out, at whatever time of year, without worrying about people like Stevenson. 

"We're pleased with the sentence that's been handed down to the offender and hope that this serves as a warning to others about the consequences of launching a mindless attack like this."
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More children join the Mini Police

By Bot, in News,

Northumbria Police has taken on more of its youngest ever recruits as its successful Mini Police scheme is extended.
Earlier this year Northumbria Police’s Mini Police was launched with seven primary schools across the force area signing up to the scheme.
School children were selected from the participating schools to become Mini Police where they work with their local police and volunteer police cadets to learn about a host of topics to help keep them and their friends safe.
Mini Police, recognisable by their uniform, also carry out work in the community and since the scheme began have attended some of the region’s biggest events such as the Sunderland International Airshow - at the airshow they played a vital role and helped hand out wristbands to children their own age and younger, the wristbands included the contact details of the child’s parents or guardian so that if they did become separated they could quickly be reunited with them.
Now, due to the success of the scheme it has been extended with eight more schools now signing up and an extra 88 nine and ten year olds becoming Mini Police - meaning there are now 164 primary school children enrolled on the scheme.
Superintendent Sarah Pitt was instrumental in launching Northumbria Police’s Mini Police.
She said: “Since we launched the scheme in April we’ve had a lot of interest in our Mini Police with people getting in contact to see how their children or school could get involved. It’s been a great success so far and we’re really pleased we’ve been able to extend it and welcome more children into the police family.”
Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Dame Vera Baird QC, said: “This is a brilliant opportunity for children to engage  with their local communities and learn more about how our officers tackle crime and help people who need it. It’s great that we have more youngsters signing up – I hope their involvement inspires them and they have lots of fun as new Mini Police recruits. “
The schools now involved in the scheme are:-
In Northumberland: Newborough School, Hexham Grange Primary School, Blyth Meadowdale Academy, Bedlington  Chantry Middle, Morpeth
In North Tyneside: St Columba’s RC Primary School, Wallsend Riverside Primary School, North Shields
In Newcastle: Westgate Hill Primary School, Newcastle St Bedes Primary School, Newcastle Thomas Walling Academy, Newcastle
In Gateshead: Falla Park Primary School, Felling Eslington School, Gateshead
 In South Tyneside: Laygate Community Primary, South Shields St Mary’s Primary School, Jarrow
In Sunderland: Academy 360, Sunderland  Easington Lane Primary School, Houghton Southwick Community Primary, Southwick
 
View the full news release
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Northumberland is blooming beautiful

By Bot, in News,

Green fingered Northumbrians have done the county proud yet again as they collected a string of awards after impressing judges in this year’s Northumbria in Bloom awards.

Dozens of  towns, villages and businesses showed off their floral displays, summer planting and well tended parks and gardens in the competition which has seen communities and council staff pull  together to show off local neighbourhoods  at their best.

The county did exceptionally well in the Towns category  with Morpeth winning overall Gold  for the bright displays that have produced a blaze of colour right across the town. Alnwick won Gold, Bedlington won Silver and Berwick and Hexham were awarded Silver Gilt.

In the Large Towns category,  Blyth won Silver and Cramlington won Silver Gilt. In the Small Towns category  Ponteland and Seaton Sluice won gold with Seaton Delaval achieving bronze.

Seaton Delaval won the Most Improved entry for enthusiastically taking on a number of neglected areas for transformation and for the hard work and vision of the community.

The county’s villages also scooped a number of fantastic awards against tough competition. Ord near Berwick won the Large Villages category. Judges found the village to be pristine throughout with residents taking a great pride in keeping their neighbourhood spotless as well as caring for the many tubs and planters.

There were celebrations elsewhere as Holywell and New Hartley won Silver and Seghill won Bronze  in the Large Villages category.
East Hartford won Silver in the Small Villages category and Lesbury won Silver Gilt in the Villages category.

The popular  Ridley Park in Blyth was winner of the Best Park award for its beautifully landscaped public space.

Young growers in the county also got involved and Tweedmouth West First School in Berwick  scooped the Growing Together for Schools award.
Other Gold winners included  Alnmouth Railway Station ( best bus/metro/rail station)  The parish hall garden, Corbridge ( best Grounds of a hospital, university or public building)   Ord Country Park ( best commercial premises)  Berwick Bowling Club ( best sports ground) Woodbine Terrace, Corbridge ( best residential community).

A number of very worthy awards were made for outstanding voluntary contributions. Neville Rutherford of Corbridge for his inspiring leadership of Corbridge in Bloom; Kenneth Thompson from Morpeth for his commitment to the ‘In Bloom’ entry and George Anderson for his contribution to the betterment of Ord Village
 

Councillor Glen Sanderson, cabinet member for environment and local services at Northumberland County Council, said: “It is wonderful that the hard work and efforts of a few  have made the towns and villages  where we live such attractive places.  We really do appreciate their work and congratulate everyone involved. ”
 
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The public are being invited to have their say on the next stage of plans for the Portland Park site in Ashington.

Portland Park is Northumberland County Council’s major regeneration site in the heart of the town.  The site is being delivered by Arch on behalf of the County Council which has already seen works start to create a new road network system designed to improve existing traffic issues within the town centre as well as to help pedestrians move round the town more quickly and easily.

Arch and the County Council are organising two public consultation sessions being held to encourage as many people as possible to attend and have their say on what facilities they would like in the town centre.  

Those ideas and views are intended to be collected and developed to inform a new masterplan for the town, and will be shared again with the public in the near future.  

The two public consultation sessions will take place on Wednesday 20th and Thursday 21st September, from 1pm-7pm at Unit 1, Wansbeck Square, Ashington NE63 9XL.

The consultation material will be made available on-line after the public consultation events have finished, with the public also having the opportunity to provide comment electronically should they not be available to attend the sessions.

Peter Jackson, Leader of Northumberland County Council said: "The Council is determined to work with local people to create a new centre to the town which the community can be proud of. In addition I can confirm that the County Council will deliver the £2.9 million make over of Hirst Park and that the County Council has committed funds to further develop the £190 million Ashington to Newcastle passenger rail connection. The future for Ashington and the surrounding area is definitely exciting." 

Cllr Richard Wearmouth Chair of Arch said: “We’re looking at potential community uses, how we can enhance the environment in the town and how we can attract business use. We want to involve local residents in giving their views on what they would like in their town centre, and start a new exciting chapter in the development of the town. We are confident that working with the people of Ashington we can create a fantastic new development for Ashington that people will be proud of".  


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