Blyth Town

Please use the event car parking at Meggies Burn for Blyth Live.

Its free and there are safe crossing points on the Links Road.

Mermaid Car Park is open but will be very busy today

Job Vacancy - Committee and Research Officer Job Vacancy - Committee and Research Officer 07 March 2024 Council News Committee and Research Officer - Blyth Town Council A vacancy has arisen in the Town Council for a person to help maintain a high standard of administration in the Council, Committee, and meetings area of work. Other duties are....

𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠
For the fiscal year 2024/25, the Town Council has earmarked a total budget of £173,300 dedicated to Community Funding. The funding is split into £157,300 for Community Support Grants and £16,000 for Councillors’ Small Schemes Funding (each Councillor is allocated £1,000).

This funding is intended to assist town-based groups and organisations in carrying out activities and projects that enhance the lives of Blyth's residents.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭
For information on applying for a grant, please follow this link - https://www.blythtowncouncil.gov.uk/communitygrants

Please note that the closing date for applications for this round of community funding is Tuesday, 21st May 2024.

We're looking for a Communications and Event Assistant to join our team.

Hours: 28 hours per week
Based: Blyth, Northumberland
Salary: £24,000 pa pro rata (£19,200)
Closing date for applications: 15 April 2024
Start date: Flexible
Read the job description on our website:
https://headwayarts.co.uk/jobs/
Email [email protected] if you have any questions.

The new home of Blyth Town Council online - www.blythtowncouncil.gov.uk

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 "𝐁𝐕𝐄𝐋 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐡 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 & 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛".
Following unfounded comments on social media over the weekend regarding our organisation's management of The Dave Stephens Centre and false claims we are charging the Blyth Lifeguards & Swimming Club to use the Tower, we have decided to share the letter sent to the lifeguards' management following our meeting with them on 12 March.

We are a not-for-profit, community-focused organisation with trustees who are all volunteers. Our aim in the instance of the Dave Stephens Centre was to ensure it continued to run following the cessation of Active Northumberland.

The centre will cost at least £40,000 per year, plus additional costs for onsite staffing. Our agreement with Northumberland County Council is to make it entirely self-sufficient and accessible to all communities in South East Northumberland. This includes keeping the toilets open to the public. Without renting out the communal rooms to the community, the centre will have no income and can not run. We have agreed to work with community-focused partners in Blyth to make it work.

The Blyth Lifeguard & Swimming Club operate from 13:00 until 17:00 as lifeguards on Saturday and Sunday afternoons during the summer. We have invited them to continue this.

In the meeting on 12th March, BVEL explicitly stated to the representatives of BLSC that they could continue to use the Lifeguard tower as before. There has been no mention of a fee associated with the Tower, nor would we expect there to be one.

They have been offered help becoming a legally recognised incorporated body, support in finding funding, and free access to the community room and other rooms we manage for the first year.
They have also been offered storage space below the Tower for essential lifeguarding equipment.

Nothing is set in stone beyond the above while we assess any impact on the centre's sustainability.

Rumours are circulating that we have asked them to leave. They 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 the Tower, nor the centre. The Tower is there for them to use indefinitely. They have been 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬, which were always meant to be communal.

There are also incorrect reports that BLSC has a 25-year lease on the property. Unfortunately, BLSC management did not follow up on suggestions for this in a 2008 meeting. Failure to do so meant nothing was signed, and no permanent lease was arranged.

As a result, Active Northumberland managed the building on behalf of Northumberland County Council, allowing them to use the community room while Active received funding.

We have published this letter to show that BVEL intends for the centre to operate as a hub for the whole community, including BLSC if they wish to work collectively with us.

The letter can be viewed by following the link below -
https://tinyurl.com/BVEL-BLSC

𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇 𝐇𝐔𝐓, 𝐃𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐒 𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐄 & 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐏𝐎𝐃𝐒 𝐏𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐂 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 - 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐘
On 1st April 2024, Blyth Valley Enterprise Ltd (BVEL) will take over the management of the Dave Stephens Centre and Beach Huts.

We are a not-for-profit community-run development trust. We operate the Blyth Community Enterprise Centre, located at Blyth Quayside. The centre hosts a mixture of businesses, charities, and community groups. It has several meeting rooms, is a base for over a hundred training courses annually, and is Southeast Northumberland's only community-run business centre.

Since 2001, BVEL has supported thousands of individuals through business development, mentoring, training, apprenticeship schemes, and voluntary work. Our organisation aims to support the social, educational, and economic regeneration of what was Blyth Valley.

The BVEL trustees all come from or work in Blyth. We care about the area and want to develop the facilities at South Blyth into a community-focused hub. As part of the transition, we are inviting the Blyth community to take part in a public consultation. We want you to tell us what you like about our suggestions, what you don't like, what you want to see in the area, and how we can work together to give Blyth the opportunities it desperately needs.

The first part is an online survey to help us prioritise and meet the community's needs. Throughout the transitional process, we will update the public as information becomes available, and the results of the following survey will be displayed online and in the Dave Stephens Centre.

Please feel free to participate in the survey and give your opinion. While we are looking to get feedback on both the good and bad regarding the Centre, the Beach Huts, and the wider beach area, it would be great if you could offer suggestions on how to resolve these issues so that we can work with the public and local partners to add value to the area.

The survey can be accessed here -
https://www.blythcec.co.uk/survey.php

We would also appreciate it if you could share it with those you feel would benefit from any changes that may result.

Thank you for your time.
BVEL trustees.

Tonight (Friday 22 March) from 7pm is the first of our Mission: Australia fundraising events. Local legends 45 Spread are playing, with support from MOTH: The Band.

Live music, bar, snacks, raffle and art stall. Pay by cash or card (cash preferred!)

Can't make it? Donate online via Facebook (click the donate button) or PayPal Giving Fund: https://www.paypal.com/gb/fundraiser/charity/162468

Why we're fundraising:
https://headwayarts.co.uk/wdsc-2024

🔜 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟐 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 - 𝟕𝐩𝐦 𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐬, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡, 𝐁𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐡, 𝐍𝐄𝟐𝟒 𝟏𝐁𝐘

Our Roving IT tutor will be on the move delivering training in various locations throughout Northumberland! 💻

Sessions will cover a wide spectrum of IT topics and will be up to 2 hours per week over a 6 – 10 week period.

Get in touch for more information.



Solid Foundations Northumberland NCVA Northumberland Community & Voluntary Action Cygnus Support

Fantastic night at Bede Academy. Well done to the Royal Navy, Blyth Town Council, Warren Taylor, Julie Summers and Music at Bede. Further updates on when the Bell and other artefacts from HMS Blyth are available to view will follow.

Blyth Tall Ship

Our Services | Blyth Town Council - Bus Shelter Repairs, Bin Pad Installations, Seat Installations, Fence Repairs, Playground Equipment Repairs, Wet Pour Repairs, Water Repairs and Painting of Assets.

Off Road Vehicle Disorder & ASB Good Evening, We have received repeated reports of quad and motorbike disorder in various lo...

𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥
The last day the Keel Row Shopping Centre will be open for business will be tomorrow - 20th February 2024.

For updates on the £90m regeneration programme that the site will be part of please visit - https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/energisingblyth

Last year, 1,705 incidents of Fly-Tipping were reported in Blyth. Blyth Town Council has an enforcement team in place to respond to this, but we need your help reporting it.

Follow the link below to find out how much Fly-Tipping cost Blyth taxpayers in 2023 and how you can help stop Fly-Tipping & Littering.

https://www.blythtowncouncil.org.uk/fly-tipping-in-blyth

Aurora in Northumberland last night (Sunday 1120pm)

Captured by Wil Photography

𝐁𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐡 𝐍𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 - 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞.
Hard copies of the maps showing green spaces and heritage assets are now available at the Isabella Community Centre, Briardale House, Buffalo Community Centre, Blyth Library and Project Space.

You can also download these online by going here - http://tinyurl.com/BlythNeighbourhoodPlan and
http://tinyurl.com/BlythNeighbourhoodPlan-2

View the full document and access the online form here -
https://www.blythtowncouncil.org.uk/neighbourhood-plan-consultation

Message from the Keel Row Shopping Centre management.

It is bittersweet to see the beloved Keel Row close its doors and the council wants to thank all of the loyal staff and shoppers over the 33 years it has been in operation. Remember, there are still lots of shops open in Blyth and we encourage you all to continue to shop local. The more you shop on the high street, the more chance it has to thrive.

The last day of trading will be Thursday 29th February 2024.

Keep checking our social media channels for updates on the £90m regeneration programme or visit our website: www.northumberland.gov.uk/energisingblyth

https://keelrow.co.uk/

Northumberland County Council - Energising Blyth Welcome to Energising Blyth. Here you will find out more about the exciting plans to regenerate Blyth. This includes information about game-changing new development projects, how you can contribute your thoughts on Blyth’s regeneration and how funding will be spent through the 2021 Town Investment...

Council tax in Northumberland is expected to rise by the maximum level allowed.

More information here -
https://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/news/politics/council/council-tax-in-northumberland-expected-to-rise-by-maximum-level-allowed-4497593?IYA-mail=ad61e15a-8294-435d-95a5-10b363b4ee3d

Another free event run by the wonderful team at Isabella Heap Volunteer Group. Fun for all the family this Saturday.

Want to know more about the group? Here's a bit of background on the team and how the council is supporting them.

🌿 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐩 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞
The Isabella Heap Volunteer Group, a dedicated team passionate about nature and community, has made extraordinary strides in transforming the Isabella Heap into a vibrant and welcoming space for wildlife and residents. Over the last two and a half years, their commitment has turned this area into a sanctuary for nine precious red squirrels and many local plants and wildlife.

🏆𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬?
Their efforts were recognised when they clinched the Gold award in the new Environmental or Conservation group category in the Blyth in Bloom Competition 2023. This accolade is a testament to their hard work and positive impact in conserving and enhancing our local environment.

The group's individual efforts have gained regional and national recognition, earning accolades from prestigious organisations. They've been honoured as Love Northumberland Runners Up and acknowledged in the "It's Your Neighbourhood" initiative. Additionally, their achievements have been celebrated with certificates from the Royal Horticultural Society, in collaboration with BBC's "The One Show," and awards from the John Muir Conservation Trust, highlighting their significant contributions to environmental conservation and community betterment.

💰 Supported by Blyth Town Council
Deputy Mayor Aileen Barrass has been working closely with the group, and local Isabella ward Councillors Anna Watson and John Potts are always on the lookout for ways that the Town Council can help the group grow further.

In 2021/2022, the group received a Community Grant of £8,279.00 from the Council. This grant was instrumental in procuring plants, equipment, and boulders for boundaries, alongside covering expenses for the successful 5K Trail Run/Walk.

Additionally, the Council's Small Schemes Funding, facilitated by Cllr Anna Watson, provided £250.00 for a banner and two display boards, enhancing the group's presence and impact at various events.

Deputy Mayor Barrass said, "The journey hasn't been easy. Initially, the group faced challenges with extensive antisocial behaviour in the area. However, their perseverance and dedication have made these challenges a success story, making the Isabella Heap a safe and cherished place for everyone.

"It's amazing to see the progress they've all made, and I'm delighted to be a part of such a wonderful, caring team."

Join us in celebrating and supporting the ongoing efforts of the Isabella Heap Volunteer Group. Together, we can continue to make a difference!
🌳🐿️🏅

Blyth Town Council have agreed to the provision of a new play area within the current refurbishment programme on the grassed area at Axwell Drive. The consultation is to determine if residents prefer the current location compared to it been relocated to a new area.

We believe the new area would be less prone to flooding and being waterlogged.

Following consultation and Council approval the park would be relocated to area E (RED)

AREAS A AND D WILL BE REMOVED AND REINSTATED

AREAS B and C WILL REMAIN IN PLACE

Please see the Relocation of Axwell Drive Play Area feedback form on our website https://www.blythtowncouncil.org.uk/axwell-drive-feedback-form.php

It’s the 1st of December and our lifeboat station is looking a little festive ! 🎄