1. East Durham AAP Board Meeting – November 2023

The next East Durham AAP Board Meeting will take place on Wednesday 8 November 2023 at 6pm at The Hazelwell Centre, Haswell.

If you would like to attend this meeting, please email eastdurhamaap@durham.gov.uk to be added to the list.

2. East Durham AAP Community Safety Day

East Durham AAP is holding a community safety event in Deneside.

We are working with communities, partners, and the police to make our area a safe as it can be.  Residents of Deneside, Seaham, have the opportunity to come along and meet with community safety professionals to raise any concerns or local issues and to find out more about ways to make themselves and their properties safer.

The event will be held at Eastlea Community Centre between 3pm and 6pm on Tuesday 10 October 2023.

      3.Consultation on budget proposals for 2024/25 and Medium-Term Financial Plan 2025-2028

We are now asking for your views on our budget proposals for 2024/25 as well as gathering your thoughts on how we meet the financial challenges we face over the next four years.

To take part:

• Complete an online survey available via the link below,
• Pick up a survey (please email: eastdurhamaap@durham.gov.uk if you would like a paper copy sent to you).

For more information,  please visit: www.durham.gov.uk/consultation 

The closing date for online comments is 5pm on Friday 20 October 2023.

4. Community Resilience Group Online Community Webinar

Durham and Darlington Local Resilience Forum and the LRF Community Resilience Group has organised an online webinar focusing on winter preparedness for communities.  The event is aimed at local community groups and volunteers who may be called upon to assist in emergency situations.

The webinar will include presentations from the Civil Contingencies Unit, the Teesdale and Weardale Search & Mountain Rescue Team (TWSMRT) and Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service’s Swift Water Rescue Team. There will also be a question-and-answer session so people will have the opportunity to engage with the presenters.

The event is happening on Wednesday 18 October between 6pm and 7pm.  Please see the attached poster for further information.

To register for your place on this community webinar either email: LocalResilienceForum@ddfire.gov.uk  or call Emily Hunter, Community Resilience Officer on 07812 496 249.

5. Wellbeing for Life Training Calendar – October – November 2023

The autumn training calendar is here!

All of the training is fully subsidised for anyone living or working in County Durham.

Also on offer are Making Every Contact Count (MECC) training sessions, with multiple virtual sessions available throughout September and October via the website. Here is some information on what this session includes:

Making every contact count or MECC for short is for those people who may engage in health improvement conversations.

These conversations could be with friends, family, colleagues, community members, clients and service users for example and are based in behaviour change practices.

During this modular session you will learn the basics of behaviour change and be able to explore wellbeing conversations around a variety of health and wellbeing topics from financial wellbeing to smoking cessation and domestic violence to mental health.

Many of us are already having MECC conversations and research shows that these very brief interventions can have a positive impact on individuals and communities alike.

Take a look at what’s on offer and book your training today via the website:

https://www.wellbeingforlife.net/training-courses/

6. Care Academy Newsletter – September 2023

Please find attached a copy of the Care Academy newsletter highlighting opportunities for training and development to start a career in social care.

Care Academy Digital Newsletter

7. East Durham Trust Vacancy – Operations Support Officer

Please find details of the Operations Support Officer vacancy and how to apply via the link below:

https://www.eastdurhamtrust.org.uk/join-the-team.html

The closing date is 9am on Monday 2 October.

8. Shop Unit To Let – Friar Street, Shotton Colliery

Please see the attached poster for further information on a shop unit to let in Friar Street, Shotton Colliery.

Shop Unit Advert

9. DurhamLearn – Multiply Courses

Please see details below of upcoming courses at the Horden Family Hub, Ocean Drive, Horden, SR8 7EQ: 

Course	Day	Start Date	End Date	Times
Money Matters	Tuesday	03/10/2023	07/11/2023	10:00-12:00
Feed the Family	Tuesday	24/10/2023	24/10/2023	10:00-13:00

 Further course information can be found on the attached posters or by emailing: multiply@durham.gov.uk  

10. Flu Vaccination

 Be wise, immunise

Getting your child vaccinated against flu this winter could stop them getting really poorly – AND stop flu spreading to family or friends.

There’s no needle – just a squirt up the nose. Millions of children get it every year, so it’s safe too!

If your child is aged 2 to 3 (by 31 August 2023), in primary school, or secondary school in years 7 to 11 – make sure they get their FREE Flu jab NOW!

Protect YOUR child from flu.

Go to https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/child-flu-vaccine/ to find out more.

11.School Crossing Patrol Vacancies

Please find further information via the links below on the following school crossing patrol vacancies:

Easington CofE Primary School

School Crossing Patrol – Durham County Council – North East Jobs

Easington Comprehensive, Thorpe Road

https://www.northeastjobs.org.uk/job/School_Crossing_Patrol/250878

Church Street, Wingate

https://www.northeastjobs.org.uk/job/School_Crossing_Patrol/250351

Fleming Field, Shotton Colliery

School Crossing Patrol – Durham County Council – North East Jobs

New Strangford Road Roundabout, Seaham

https://www.northeastjobs.org.uk/job/School_Crossing_Patrol/251518

12.English Gambling Education Hub

Please see the attached leaflets providing information on the English Gambling Education Hub as well as information on free training sessions.

EGEH

YP Support Service Poster

Workshop and Training Flyer

13.Information for Schools – Bella Marie Training Academy Alternative Provision

Please see the attached poster providing information on Bella Marie Training’s alternative provision offer.

Alternative Provision Offering

Would you like to contribute to the creation of Slow Ways – an ambitious crowd-sourced, community-verified national walking network that connects all of Britain’s towns, cities and national parks.

Do you want to help boost walking and wheeling. Slow Ways is a great resource to help achieve that goal.

Supported by the National Lottery Community Fund, their mission is to make it easier for people to walk and wheel between places. Having a network of recommended and trusted routes is key to unlocking this – and you could help.

Contributing to the Slow Ways walking network will help your community across multiple agendas including:

• Health and wellbeing
• Connecting people and communities
• The Climate Emergency
• Active Travel
• Tourism, Leisure, Culture, Heritage
• Accessing Nature
• Planning
• Levelling Up
• Cost of Living
• Happiness and joy

Residents from across the country have already drafted 9,000 routes that stretch for over 80,000 miles.

Now these routes need checking on the ground to make sure they are good enough for people to follow.

So far 1 in 5 Slow Ways have been checked and verified by people across the country.

They now need your help to scale-up their national effort and verify the whole network. Each route requires at least three positive reviews and a survey for it to become part of the Slow Ways trusted network.

The aim is for every place in the network to be 100% checked. Once that’s happened you will have helped to create a national network that everyone can use. Every place in the network has a place page like Kimberley does, why not search for a local town here to see how it’s getting on?

Can you help check your local part of the network?

Learn more – Download our toolkit to discover how and why to help.

Walk the walk – Choose a suitable route from the Slow Ways website or iPhone app, walk it and then leave a review. You can do this on your own or organise a day for the wider community to walk all of the Slow Ways in your area.

Share this message – Do you know people or groups in your community who would like to get involved? Please share this opportunity by forwarding this message and posting it online.

Stay in the loop – Would you like to be kept up to date with the progress of Slow Ways? Sign up for the Friends of Slow Ways newsletter.

To find out more information please visit the Slow Ways website.

Durham County Council has been running a contamination campaign and there has been many questions with regard to greasy pizza boxes. Please note these cannot be recycled kerbside.

Pledge2Recycle Plastics are working with Durham County Council to help reduce residents’ confusion on plastics recycling, what to recycle and how.

www.durhamrecycles.co.uk has hints, tips and guidance on single use plastics packaging. There are a number of key hints and tips including;-

• Make sure all plastic bottles are empty, and lids replaced before recycling.
• Make sure you recycle plastic bottles from the bathroom as well as the kitchen such as shampoo, conditioner bottles, domestos and cleaning trigger spray bottles.
• Although black plastic containers cannot be accepted for recycling in County Durham all other colours can.
• Plastic bags and wrappings should go to front of store recycling schemes. Check out recyclenow.com/recyclelocator for more information.
• Items that CANNOT BE RECYCLED and should go into your GENERAL WASTE BIN include toothpaste tubes, compostable and biodegradable packaging, kitchen roll and tissues, food, nappies, and textiles.

It is important to remember the golden rule of recycling – Clean, Dry, Loose.

Items inside other items or inside carrier or black bags cannot be recycled as these cannot be opened at the Materials Recovery Facility.

More detailed information on plastics can be obtained from www.pledge2recycle.co.uk.

There is a questionnaire on recycling at www.durhamrecycles.co.uk – complete for the opportunity to win a £50 shopping voucher.

1. Fun and Food Funding – October Half Term

Funding is available for activities for children, young people and families during October Half Term 2023. The scheme aims to support local community groups and organisations based in the East Durham AAP area to deliver enriching holiday activities during October Half Term, including healthy food. Please note that funding is not available for individuals or profit-making organisations.

Applicants can apply for amounts over £500.

Applicants must provide a healthy meal; breakfast, lunch or tea, as part of the activity that aims to meet Food Safety Requirements.

Please see application form and guidance notes below.

1 – 2023 Guidance AAP

1 – EDAAP Fun and Food October application

For further information, please contact East Durham AAP by calling 03000 262 054 or emailing: eastdurhamaap@durham.gov.uk

All fully completed applications and supporting documents must be received by noon on Wednesday 20 September 2023. 

1. Free Wellbeing Events

Please see the attached posters providing information on three free wellbeing events taking place in September:

Peterlee Pavilion – 12 September – 4:30pm – 7:30pm

Dawdon Youth and Community Centre – 20 September – 12:30pm – 3:30pm

Blackhall Community Centre – 27 September – 1:00pm – 4:00pm

If your organisation wishes to hold an information stand at any of the events, please contact: lindsey.wood@eastdurhamtrust.org.uk or 0191 5693511.

1. Jobs Fair

Believe Housing, DEC and other organisations are hosting a free jobs fair on Tuesday 12 September at Peterlee Methodist Church, 4 Broadclose Court between 10am and 2pm.

Please see the attached poster for further information.

believe jobs fair

For more information, please email: joanne.brown@believehousing.co.uk  

1. School Crossing Patrol Vacancies

Durham County Council Road Safety Team are keen to appoint a School Crossing Patrol to a vacancy to work on the Traffic Island, Stockton Road, Seaham.

The hours of duty to be worked each week [term-time only] are:-
8.05 – 8.50 am
2.55 – 3.40 pm Monday to Friday
[1hr 30 mins daily/7hrs 30 min weekly].

Grade 1 £3,640 (approx.) £10.79 per hour.

The closing date for applications is 10 September 2023.

Further details of the role and application form are available from the following link   https://www.northeastjobs.org.uk/job/School_Crossing_Patrol/249503

Durham County Council Road Safety Team are keen to appoint a School Crossing Patrol to a vacancy to work at Thorpe Road, Easington.

The hours of duty to be worked each week [term-time only] are:-
8.00 – 8.45am
2.55 – 3.15 pm Monday to Friday
[1hr 5 mins daily/5hrs 25 min weekly].

Grade 1 £2,669 (approx.) £10.79 per hour.

The closing date for application is 10^th September 2023.

Further details of the role and application form are available from the following link: https://www.northeastjobs.org.uk/job/School_Crossing_Patrol/249501

Paper application forms are also available by contacting the Payroll and Employee Services Team on telephone no. 03000 264469/266838 or email PESREG@durham.gov.uk

Interested applicants can contact the Road Safety Team for an informal discussion on 03000 268171.

Believe Housing, DEC and other organisations are hosting a free jobs fair on Tuesday, 12 September at Peterlee Methodist Church, 4 Broadclose Court between 10am and 2pm.

Further details can be found on the attached leaflet.

believe jobs fair

 

Index

1. East Durham AAP Annual Report 2022/2023
2. East Durham AAP Board Meeting – September 2023
3. Fun and Food Summer Activities
4. Fun and Food Funding Launch – October Half Term 2023
5. Supportive – Volunteer Driving
6. Physical Activity Sessions
7. Peterlee Leisure Assistant Vacancies
8. Consultation on policy for school and social care transport contracts
9. Household Support Funding – available now!
10. Northern Powergrid Foundation – funding
11. Consultation on increasing the council tax on empty properties and second homes

                    

1. East Durham AAP Annual Report – 2022/2023

Please find below a copy of the East Durham AAP Annual Report 2022/2023.

AAP Annual Report East Durham

2. East Durham AAP Board Meeting – September 2023

The next East Durham AAP Board Meeting will take place on Wednesday 13 September at 6pm at Horden Social Welfare Centre.

If you would like to attend this meeting, please email eastdurhamaap@durham.gov.uk to be added to the list.

3. Summer Fun and Food Programme

Activities are loaded onto our Fun and Food landing page at: www.durham.gov.uk/funandfood so keep visiting to see what’s new.

4. Fun and Food Funding – October Half Term 2023

Applications will open for activities for children, young people and families during the October Half Term 2023 at noon on Monday 21 August. The scheme aims to support local community groups and organisations based in the East Durham AAP area to deliver enriching holiday activities during October Half Term, including healthy food. Please note that we cannot fund individuals or profit-making organisations.

Applicants can apply for amounts over £500. Applicants must provide a healthy meal; breakfast, lunch or tea, as part of the activity that aims to meet Food Safety Requirements.

If you would like any further information, please contact East Durham AAP by calling 03000 262 054 or emailing: eastdurhamaap@durham.gov.uk

Application forms will be available from Monday 21 August.

5. Supportive – Volunteer Driving

Supportive are looking for volunteer drivers.

The volunteer service is a fundamental service that operates across the whole of County Durham. It helps support people to access health-related appointments and helps with mental health, social isolation and a whole host of other benefits.

Please see the leaflets for further information.

Volunteer Driving

 

6. Physical Activity Sessions

East Durham Trust has arranged new physical activity sessions taking place across three East Durham community venues, supported by County Durham Sport.

Please see the attached posters and the information below:

Dates	Venue	Activity Type
Thursday 10 August – 7 September	The Greenhills Centre	Beginners Yoga
Thursday 31 August-then Wednesday 6 September – 27 September	The Hazelwell Centre, Haswell	Gentle Movement
31 August – 28 September	The Paynote Café, Easington	Walking Group

Participants may be accepted on to the yoga sessions after the first week.

7. Peterlee Leisure Assistant Vacancies

Have you heard about the transformation of Peterlee Leisure Centre?

The centre is now home to a newly refurbished gym and work is underway to improve swimming facilities and create a new adventure soft play area and ten-pin bowling centre.

To support the growth of the centre we are looking for Leisure Assistants to join the team! We have something for everyone with permanent full time and part-time positions available, along with casual.

This is a great opportunity to get involved with all aspects of the transformed centre and progress your career in leisure!

Interviewing now. Find out more and apply: https://bit.ly/peterleeleisure

The closing date for applications is 28 August 2023.

8. Consultation on policy for school and social care transport contracts

Durham County Council is consulting on a new policy for people who provide transport for us and act as a driver or passenger assistant, to ensure the safety of all passengers.

Please find further information via the link below:

Consultation on a policy for school and social care transport contracts

The consultation closes at 5pm on 10 September.

9. Household Support Funding – available now!

Does your community group support people impacted by the rising costs of food, energy and other living expenses? Funding is available from the Household Support Fund to help households with food, energy, white goods and other necessities.

How can the funding be used? Some examples:

• A family is in need of additional food to help them through a couple of weeks, you could purchase some food to give to them directly, provide them with a voucher for their nearest supermarket or give them cash to cover their next grocery shop.

• Due to a sudden change in income, a household is struggling to afford gas and electricity, you could provide an initial voucher/cash payment to top up their gas/electric meter, and provide further payments until their income becomes more stable if needed. 

• Someone you support is struggling to have hot meals each day due to an old oven using a large amount of electricity and rising food costs. You could buy the household an air fryer, or a new more efficient cooker to reduce their ongoing costs, and some food items to help reduce their grocery bill.

Interested in how other organisations are distributing support? Join the information session on Wednesday 6 September, 10-11am. East Durham Trust, Durham County Carers and others will share the processes they use to manage the funding. We will also look at how organisations are preparing to support communities next winter.  Sign up to receive the Zoom Link

If you’d like to discuss how your organisation could distribute funding, to check your organisation’s eligibility, please email Naomi to arrange a phone call: naomi@cdcf.org.uk

Full fund details and the application link is available here: https://www.cdcf.org.uk/grants-for-groups/household-support-fund/

10. Northern Powergrid Foundation – funding

A reminder that the funding window for the Northern Powergrid Foundation Funding closes soon.  The deadline for applications is the 31 August, however the window may close early if volumes are high.

The criteria is below:

• Energy Resilience during emergency events – enhancing community facilities, services and communication, and providing support to households in Northern Powergrid’s regions during prolonged periods without power.
• Vulnerability – protecting the welfare of vulnerable people in the communities served by Northern Powergrid, particularly during extended power cuts by enhancing their resilience and supporting them to prepare for emergency situations.
• Fuel Poverty – helping to prevent and relieve those in fuel poverty through educational advice and support programmes.
• Levelling the rural divide – supporting communities who are particularly remote or isolated and have experienced power cuts due to poor weather in the past.
• Innovation – using innovative or transformational solutions to improve energy resilience for households in Northern Powergrid’s regions.
• Social support – supplementing the services provided by the emergency services in response to periods of prolonged power loss.
• Collaboration – supporting communities or groups who work together to tackle issues to improve energy resilience.
• Charities – supporting existing charitable organisations or groups whose remit is to enhance energy resilience across Northern Powergrid’s region

Further information can be found on the Foundation’s website:

https://www.northernpowergridfoundation.com/

11. Consultation on increasing the council tax on empty properties and second homes

Durham County Council is reviewing the policy around council tax charges for empty properties and second homes and wants your views on whether to increase the amount we charge (premium) for long term empty properties and second homes.

Further information can be found via the link below:

Consultation on increasing the council tax on empty properties and second homes

The closing date for comments is 5pm on 13 September 2023.

The Bread and Butter Thing offers weekly groceries at a fraction of high street prices. Wheatley Hill Community Centre are opening their new Wheatley Hill Hub on Wednesday 19 July 2023.

For £8.50 they are offering roughly £35 worth of food each week including fresh fruit and veg, chilled food for the fridge and cupboard staples such as pasta and cereal.

They get their supplies from the stuff that you hear about in the news going to waste: it comes from supermarkets, factories and farms. The food changes daily meaning food bags will change from week to week. Most members tell us that
they collect food from The Bread and Butter Thing and then ‘top up’ from the supermarket once they have seen what they have received.

As the bags vary from day to day, some weeks the savings will be greater than others. However, you will always be paying much less than in the shops and have new foods to try. Very occasionally, if food supplies that day are low, we will not have enough for the 3 bags. In this case, they will lower the price. They want you to feel they are making a difference to your weekly food bills.

Why not give it a try? There is no commitment and its free to join.

Please see the attached for more information on how to join and order a food bag.

The Bread and Butter Thing

The Community Centre needs your help to bring this mobile affordable food pantry to Wheatley Hill.

Join their volunteer team to help unload the van and pack food into bags. Its a great way to meet new friends and support your community. The Community Centre would live to hear from you if you could give 3 hours of your time on a Wednesday from 12pm to 3pm.

For more information about volunteering see the attached below or contact Tammy at tammy.best@greenhillscentre.co.uk

The Bread and Butter Thing Volunteer

 

Ryan Carr who is 18 years old and lives in Wheatley Hill has signed a professional contract with Ipswich Town.

Ryan was playing in the youth sides at Carlisle United and was spotted by talent scouts who saw his great potential and decided to sign him at Ipswich.

Ipswich have just been promoted to the Championship and Ryan will potentially be only one division away from the Premier League.

Many scouts were tracking Ryan from clubs such as Sunderland, Swansea, Norwich City and Derby County but it was ultimately Ipswich Town that got his signature.

This success story is an example to the younger generation chasing their dreams, that with hard work, effort and determination reaching those dreams is a possibility.

A special mention to his Man and Dad, John and Sharon Carr who have made personal sacrifices, giving up time and always been behind Ryan chasing his dreams.

Well done Ryan, congratulations and best of luck in your chosen career.

Dog fouling spoils the environment, upsets residents and can cause serious health risks, particularly to children. Please pick up your dog’s waste using a bag and put the waste in a rubbish bin. Please encourage your family and friends to do the same. It will help us keep Wheatley Hill clean.

Reporting Dog Fouling

If you are aware of a problem with dog fouling or you see someone failing to clean up after their dog, you can report it or let us know and we will report it on your behalf. Please provide as much information as possible, such as:

• Date and time
• Location
• Description of the dog
• Dog owner and if possible their address

Once this information is passed to the Neighbourhood Wardens they will make enquiries and take the necessary action against the offender. All reports are dealt with in confidence.

If a pavement or verge is badly fouled Durham County Council can arrange for the mess to be cleaned up and/or arrange for an officer to patrol the area in an effort to catch the offenders.

You can report dog fouling to Durham County Council on 03000 260 000 or email help@durham.gov.uk Alternatively you can Contact Us.

The Law

People are often unaware that it is an offence if you do not clean up your dog’s waste. If you’re caught not picking up after your dog, you could be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of £100. If you are taken to court, you could be fined a maximum of £1,000.

FREE Dog Bags

It takes very little effort to clean up after your dog and it is no defence to claim ignorance of your dog’s actions. Owners should always carry a supply of dog bags when walking their dog to pick up the waste.

Free Poop Scoop bags are provide by the Parish Council to all residents living in Wheatley Hill. Bags are available to collect from the Heritage Centre, located in the Cemetery. They are also available from the Community Centre and Wheatley House.

Disposing of Dog Waste

Dog waste bins are located throughout Wheatley Hill. Bins are inspected and emptied on a regular basis. You can use any litter bin to dispose of dog waste, provided it is properly bagged.

If you are aware of a bin that is not being emptied on a regular basis or have noticed problems with a bin please Contact Us.

You can also dispose of dog waste in your household rubbish bin, provided it is properly bagged. Please do not place dog waste in your household recycling bin as this will contaminate your recycling.