- What about a cutting, packaging and distribution facility to help farmers to sell Teesdale lamb direct to consumers?
- Julia, Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services
- Can we get broadband into Hamsterley Forest? Mountain bikers and holiday-makers would use it.
- Olly, Hamsterley Trailblazer
- Barnard Castle Vision,
Teesdale House,
Galgate,
Barnard Castle,
DL12 9ELText VISION and your message to 07781474422, email us, or fill out this form.
Market Town Award Winners
20/08/2008
Barnard Castle one of four North East towns to win a prestigious award for innovative market town projects
Hexham, Haltwhistle, Wooler and Barnard Castle were all winning towns in the annual North East Market Town Awards. They received their certificates at a ceremony in the Forum Cinema, Hexham on Tuesday (19 August) in recognition of the innovative projects they have delivered to enhance the vitality of their local communities.
The Forum Cinema in Hexham also received the accolade of overall regional winner and will now go head-to-head with seven other UK regional winners to find the UK’s best market town project 2008. The winner of the National Market Town Awards will be announced at the Action for Market Towns annual convention in Skipton, North Yorkshire on 1&2 October.
The North East Market Town Awards are part of the National Market Town Awards, which each year celebrate the great variety of volunteer-led projects which are helping to regenerate and sustain small towns throughout the country.
Representatives of the winning towns received their certificates from John Hamilton, Chair of the Northumberland Rural Group. This year, Northumberland County Council were sponsors of the North East awards.
The four winning projects were:
The Forum Cinema, Hexham: The cinema was bought, restored and is operated by the Hexham Community Partnership. The future of the cinema had been at risk, as it had changed hands a number of times. Now it has been secured as a community facility on a 21-year lease. It operates at a profit, which is ploughed back into the community partnership to help other town regeneration projects in Hexham. This was winner of the Business and Economy category and overall regional winner
Haltwhistle Burn restoration: Haltwhistle Burn Gorge in Northumberland provides a scenic 2.5 mile walk from Haltwhistle through cliffs and woodland to the Hadrian's Wall Heritage Site. Over the years it had become dilapidated, until this project by Haltwhistle Partnership, which involved the replacement of three footbridges, resurfacing of footpaths, creation of car parking, three kilometres of new fencing, repairing of dry-stone walls, installation of seven kissing gates and three field gates and reinforcing of banks. This was winner of the Environment and Culture category.
Wooler Work Web: In deeply rural areas, communities are dealing with the changing face of agriculture and the low-wage economy traditionally associated with it. Using computer technology to match the needs of employers with the skills of the workforce and also to identify and offer training opportunities to individuals is the idea behind the Wooler Work Web in the market town of Wooler, Northumberland. This project by the Glendale Gateway Trust, was winner of the Social and Community category.
Barnard Castle Vision: Barnard Castle is an historic market town serving the country’s smallest district with a population of 27,000 people. The Vision is a dynamic vehicle to deliver a 20-year programme of investment that will create a town that is open to change, eager to experiment, respectful of its past and ambitious for its future. This was winner of the Partnership and Strategic Working category.
More detailed information on each of the projects is available at: www.markettownresources.co.uk/2008MTAWINNERS/mtawinners
