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Plans to revise and re-launch a much valued community funding scheme are currently being considered by Northumberland County Council.
 
One of the key improvements to the scheme  will be a new grant aimed specifically at the under 18s.
 
Proposals for the future operation of the Northumberland Community Chest Scheme will be put before the five new local area councils to seek their views.
 
Under the new plans there will be a ‘Help For You’ scheme  for young people. Grants of  up to £200 will be available to help those under 18 in pursuing a particular ambition.

It is proposed that both the local and countywide elements of the community chest are retained. For local schemes, there will be a £5,000  upper grant limit with a maximum award of 75% of the cost of any proposal.

For the countywide element, the pot has been doubled to £60,000.  There will be no upper grant limit, but the maximum grant award will be 75% of the project’s costs.
 
The community chest fund has been in operation in Northumberland since 2009 and over its lifetime 1,450 awards have been made to  voluntary and community groups  totalling £2.6million to develop projects that enhance the environment, improve health and wellbeing and strengthen communities.

Leader of Northumberland County Council, Peter Jackson said:  “We know how helpful  and appreciated the community chest fund has been and how it has benefited so many communities across the county.

“We have been reviewing the scheme and feel there is some room to  improve it. One of the most exciting aspects is our plan  to widen the appeal of the fund to the younger generation. We are proposing to introduce a grant dedicated to individuals under 18s, called Help For You,  to help  them pursue their ambitions whether they be sporting, musical or academic.”

“ We also want to ensure there is a consistent approach in assessing projects across the county.   As part of this, we propose that the community chest budget will be managed and allocated locally with  funding allocations for each area council , based broadly on the population living within that area.”
 
In future it is proposed that each local area council will have the flexibility to identify particular priority themes which are seen as particularly relevant to their communities.  
 
As part of this, both the Ashington & Blyth and Cramlington, Bedlington & Seaton Valley local area councils will have the scope to ring fence an element of their allocations to specifically support the social welfare centres within their areas.

Once all local comments have been taken into account, the scheme will be re-launched at the end of July. The  deadline for the first round of applications is scheduled for Friday 29 September.
 
   
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Plans to leave South East Northumberland without a police station open 24/7 have been criticised.
Wansbeck MP Ian Lavery says he has been left shocked at news that Bedlington Police Station is to reduce its opening hours.
He says the move will leave the constituency without any 24/7 police stations as the front office will only be open between the hours of 8am and 8pm.
Blyth and Cramlington police stations will see their front office opening hours cut from 9am to 5pm five days a week to 10am to 2pm five days a week.
Northumbria Police say the changes will not see a reduction in the availability of officers but are being made in response to a significant decline in the use of front offices.
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A new pilot scheme is being introduced to give local areas more say on road improvements.
 
Extra funding of £500,000 has been allocated for a new Northumberland Local Pothole Fund, on top of the £20m already being spent county-wide through this year’s Local Transport Plan capital programme.
 
The five Local Area Councils are each being allocated £100,000, with members of each Area Council invited to submit suggestions on their priorities for permanent repair of key areas suffering from repeat pothole failure or localised drainage issues.
 
The money is being allocated from some of the additional funding from central Government through their National Productivity Investment Fund to help local authorities improve their highway infrastructure.
 
The deadline for the first round of submissions is mid August, and once received, the identified locations will be inspected and assessed to identify the work needed and the potential cost.
 
At this first stage councillors can submit a maximum of three locations per ward for
consideration. It is intended that two further rounds of submissions will be
invited later in the year, depending on expenditure as repairs progress.
 
Councillor Glen Sanderson, Cabinet Member for Environment and Local Services, said: “Keeping our 3,000 miles of roads in good condition is a priority for us and this scheme is an excellent way for local areas to identify key locations for improvement.
 
“Local councillors know their own roads extremely well and where the issues are, and we are committed to more decision making at a local level through our new Local Area Councils.

“While we expect works will be carried out at the majority of locations put forward, our Area Managers will need to consider whether the scale and cost of the repair is appropriate for funding from this programme
 
“It could be the location is already earmarked for other planned maintenance works, or would be better referred for consideration for repair through other larger capital maintenance programmes.
 
“Either way the pilot scheme will ensure areas of concern are being flagged at both a county and local level and long-standing issues with potholes and road surfaces corrected in a timely manner.”


A report on the pilot scheme will be presented to Local Area Councils next week.  
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A new initiative has been launched in Northumberland to stop residents and visitors falling foul of their most loyal friends.

Northumberland County  Council is introducing the Green Dog Walkers scheme, a community-led programme to reduce dog fouling and promote responsible dog ownership across the county. 

Dog walkers are now being encouraged to join up by signing the Green Dog Walker pledge. Those signing the pledge agree to always clean up after their dog and put the bag in a bin and to use a friendly approach to encourage other dog walkers to do the same.
Northumberland County Council will provide a Green Dog Walkers support  kit to local community groups and  individuals who want to get involved. 

Those that sign up will be sent a green dog walkers  armband to wear when walking their dog  to help draw attention to the scheme. They will also be sent green doggy bags and pledge leaflets.

Green Dog Walking is intended to be a friendly and non-confrontational approach to changing attitudes to the problem of dog fouling. It will complement other existing  council approaches being delivered across the county  including issuing fines when irresponsible dog owners are caught allowing their dogs to foul without picking up after them and also through educational initiatives promoting responsible dog ownership. 
 
Northumberland County Councillor, Glen Sanderson, cabinet member for the environment and local services said: 
 
" Failing to clean up after your dog is unacceptable. Dog fouling is one of our top environmental priorities and one of the issues most commonly raised with us by residents. Not only is it unpleasant but dog dirt can carry serious diseases which  can cause blindness and liver disorders, and children are the most susceptible.  
 
“The council’s dog wardens work hard to educate the public on responsible dog ownership and our commitment to effective enforcement will continue as before with patrols in problem areas across Northumberland
 
“ Green Dog Walkers will have the power to add to their efforts and change attitudes about dog fouling in Northumberland  in a positive and friendly way.” 
 
Local ward member for Hexham East, Northumberland County Councillor Cath Homer  said :
 
“ I would encourage as many people as possible to get involved and sign the pledge, so we can work together to make a real difference and improve the environment for everyone in Northumberland.”
 
If you are interested in becoming a Green Dog Walker, please email greendogwalkers@northumberland.gov.uk, or for further information about the scheme you can visit the council’s website www.northumberland.gov.uk/greendogwalkers
 
 
   
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A new thresholds document has been launched today, 3rd July 2017,  by Northumberland Safeguarding Children Board, providing guidance to assist professionals in identifying the most appropriate level of intervention and support.
 
This new guidance,  helps to clarify for everyone who works with children, the shared agreement on thresholds which have been developed by Northumberland County Council and colleagues on the multi agency Northumberland Local Safeguarding Children Board.
 
The importance of providing help to families at the earliest possible opportunity remains imperative for all professionals who work with vulnerable young people and their families.   When concerns become more complex, or where early identification and intervention do not appear to assist in reducing risk, it becomes increasingly important that professionals are able to utilise guidance on what might be the most appropriate “next step”.
 
A new ‘Unborn Thresholds’ document has also been developed  which focuses on the specific needs of unborn babies and their families.
 
The new documents will be  be used primarily as a helpful indicator of the types of interventions that are felt to be the most appropriate for families.
 
To help support organisations, a large A2 poster of the thresholds document has been designed for organisations to put up in staff areas for easy reference, a webinar has been produced explaining the context and purpose of the document, and case studies have been produced for training exercises with staff to facilitate their understanding of how the documents should be used.
 
Wayne Daley, Northumberland County Council’s Deputy Leader and cabinet member for Children’s Services, said: “Providing early help means providing support as soon as a problem emerges, at any point in a child’s life.  
 
“The new thresholds documents will help us and our colleagues in other organisations to identify issues and provide help at the earliest possible opportunity .”
 
Paula Mead, Independent Chair of the multi-agency Northumberland Safeguarding Children Board said:  “It is really important for children, young people and their families, that agencies provide them with the right level of support as early as possible.
 
“This document is a tool that helps front-line staff to identify the most appropriate level of intervention and support that children and families need. ”
 
Further information can be found on the Northumberland County Council website www.northumberland.gov.uk/thresholds  
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Northumbria Police and Northumberland County Council are supporting the Young Drivers Event on Tuesday, 4 July, in Hexham.
 
The event, which is to be held at Hexham Mart, Tyne Green, has been arranged jointly by Fire and Rescue, Police and Northumberland Community Safety and follows a similar event in Alnwick earlier this month.
 
The event is to start at 6pm and runs through until 9pm several emergency services will be in attendance and will provide information and live demonstrations to drivers to highlight key issues and concerns on our roads. It's aimed at young people aged 14-24 but all are welcome to join.
 
The evening begins with an opportunity to view modified cars, speak to medics, Fire and Rescue, paramedics, driving instructors, as well as Northumberland Blood Bike volunteers.
 
You'll also hear from Northumbria's specialist Op Dragoon police, a dedicated team targeting road safety. ROSPA advanced motoring instructors will be on hand to give you a free driving assessment in your own car and a local mechanic will be available to carry out free vehicle checks.
  
Northumbria Police Inspector, Pam Bridges said, “This is a great chance for young people who are already driving or thinking about learning to drive to really understand road safety. You'll see what's involved in a live extraction from a vehicle that's been in a mock accident and get hands-on with other live demonstrations, including a simulated drive with 'beer goggles' to see how dangerous drink driving can really be. For just a few hours of your time, you could learn something that could one day make a big difference or even save your life."
 
Councillor John Riddle, Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing, Public Protection and Fire, said: 'The Young Driver Safety events have a great benefit to drivers and the local community. The events provide a range of information and demonstrations regarding safe driving and provide the attendees with information that they can take away and put into use when on our roads, giving them further education into safe driving with benefits for everyone."
 
The event also provides the opportunity for drivers to have free assessed drives in their own car by ROSPA advanced motoring instructors along with free vehicle examinations carried out by a local mechanic.
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Cadet Sergeant Esmée Webley, has won 35 hours of flying tuition worth £3,000, thanks to the Royal Air Forces Association.
The RAF charity runs an annual flying scholarship programme, which gives six awards to outstanding members of the Air Cadet Organisation. The awards attract more than 250 applications every year from across the UK.
An Air Cadet with 2522 (Bedlington) Squadron ATC, Esmée was presented with her prize by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, at the association’s annual conference.
Esmée said: “It’s been lots of hard work. I applied last year and wasn’t successful, so I think the message is, don’t give up. The amount you can achieve in one year with the ATC can really push forward your application. Just keep trying.”
Air Vice-Marshal John Cliffe, chairman of the association, said: “We’re delighted these young adults who aspire to a life in aviation are going to receive some flying training. The quality of entries is extremely high and the application and interview process is very thorough. So our 2017 winners can be very proud of their achievements.”
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Police investigating a rape in Northumberland have charged a man.
The incident happened in the early hours of Thursday in the Langdale Crescent area of Ashington, near to the town’s cricket ground.
Ryan Brody, 20, from Ashington, has been charged with the offence and is due to appear at South East Northumberland Magistrates’ Court, in Bedlington, tomorrow.
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These are the schools praised for their teaching standards - and those who’ve been ordered to do better.
We’ve summarised findings about the 15 North East schools who’ve had new Ofsted judgments published in June.
This month, no local schools have received new ratings of ‘outstanding’, the best possible grade a school can attain following an inspection.
However, many were able to celebrate achieving a ‘good’ grade — but a number were ordered to improve, whilst one earned the worst possible score of ‘inadequate’.
A short inspection confirmed the school continues to be good - though it has been on “quite a journey” since inspectors last visited.
A move to a new building and “tireless” work by staff have left a “very kind and friendly school” where pupils make good progress from different starting points.
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Help stop the spread of measles

By Bot, in News,

Northumberland County Council is reminding parents of the importance of the MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccine, as a very effective way to prevent infection and stop measles from spreading.
 
Measles is caused by a virus which can spread quickly through coughing and sneezing, person-to-person contact, or by touching a contaminated surface.  The illness is highly infectious and can cause a rash and high fever.  It can also cause serious health complications such as lung and brain infections, especially in babies under a year, teenagers and adults. 
 
There are currently large outbreaks of measles across some areas of Europe and with the summer holidays approaching and increasing travel there is a risk of measles being brought back to the UK by people who have not been completely vaccinated.  In the last year, there have also been measles cases linked to music festivals and other large public events, mainly in teenagers and young adults.  
 
Elizabeth Morgan, Interim Public Health Director, said: “Fortunately, the MMR vaccine is a very effective way to prevent infection and stop measles from spreading to people who can't have the vaccine.  Whatever your age, if you think you or your children may not have received two doses of the MMR vaccine, or you are unsure, speak to your GP - it's never too late to have the vaccine and measles can still be serious in adults. “
 
Northumberland County Councillor Veronica Jones, cabinet member for Adult Care and Public Health, said: “We would encourage all parents to have their children vaccinated against measles.  It is important that we raise awareness of health issues and the danger of measles, so parents can make an informed choice about the vaccine.”
 
Dr Alistair Blair, a GP in Morpeth and Clinical Chair at NHS Northumberland CCG, said: “Measles is highly infectious and children and adults who haven’t been vaccinated or had the infection before are at risk if measles is circulating. 
 
“There is no treatment for measles but it can be prevented by the MMR vaccine and two doses are required to ensure the best protection.
 
“If anyone has missed out on MMR in the past it’s always possible to catch-up as the vaccine can be given at any age. Just contact your local GP.”


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