Around £25,000 has been donated by Rotary North East to help Covid hit organisations and charities in the region in the year since the first lockdown. The local Rotary Clubs of Hadrian’s Wall, Hexham and Tynedale have received grants from Rotary North East to support local charities and good causes. These have enabled the clubs to supply laptops for Tynedale schools, provide hand creams to a local hospital and care homes, support local food banks and set up a voucher scheme with West Northumberland Food Bank and local independent businesses. Rotary North East District Governor Barbara Broadbelt said she was “incredibly proud” of the way Rotary Clubs have responded to the needs in their areas.
A LUXURY fitness and wellness space in the heart of Northumberland has reopened its doors as Covid-19 restrictions continue to ease. The Retreat, near Riding Mill, first opened in December 2019 with the aim of creating a new ritual in training and wellbeing. And while the pandemic has meant the business has had to adapt, founder Katherine Wilkins is looking to the future. We are delighted to have reopened The Retreat doors , she said. It was frustrating not being able to help people who wanted to focus on their health and fitness at the start of the new year. It is wonderful seeing happy, sweaty faces!
Rev’d David Goodall Minister of Hexham Trinity and Slaley Methodist Churches. D421464 50069156H005.jpg A CLERGYMAN has praised the community spirit of the Tyne Valley as he departs the district for a new role in Yorkshire. The Rev. David Goodall has been a familiar face within the Tynedale Methodist Circuit over the past six-and-a-half years. During that time, he has served at Hexham and in Slaley, where he helped a struggling congregation grow into a thriving church community. David reflected on his time in the district before departing to start his new role, as missional communities enabler within the Leeds Methodist District.
Charities such as food banks and helplines have regularly been used by members of the public before the Covid pandemic hit. But as people around the region have been either furloughed or made unemployed altogether in recent months, has the use of these services increased? Sam Gilchrist from the Hexham-based West Northumberland food bank believed that although they now help people is different compared to last March, the number of people relying on the service has massively increased. “One of the biggest things we’ve noticed is that we seem to be dealing with a different ‘set’ of people,” said Sam.
Tynedale Lions Ann Rooke presents the vouchers to Sam Gilchrist of West Northumberland Food Bank. GOOD citizens in the Tyne Valley have dipped into their own pockets to support people struggling with food poverty. Members of Tynedale Lions, and their friends, raised a total of £900 which they used to purchase Tesco food vouchers for the benefit of the Hexham-based West Northumberland Food Bank. The Lions Ian Cave said members wanted to do their bit to support struggling households, and decided to make personal donations with the group s usual fund-raising activities curtailed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ian said: For over five years Tynedale Lions has supported the fantastic work of the food bank, and will continue to do so.