Case Studies
Since December 2008, the Northumberland Uplands Local Action Group has approved forty projects. A brief synopsis of each of these projects is shown below.
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Railway Carriage Exhibition and Tearoom
The Heritage Centre, Bellingham will use their Northumberland Uplands Leader grant to purchase two Mark 1 Railway Carriages to be installed at the museum on the site of the original station platform. The first is to be converted into a tearoom providing simple high quality homemade cakes/scones and light lunches. The second carriage is to be turned into an additional exhibition space on the railways of the area and their impact on the social and industrial heritage of the area. The carriages will help give tangible meaning to the impact of the railways and their demise to rural Northumberland, as well as offer the visitor additional facilities not currently available.
The centre plans to use an innovative approach to finding the right tenant for their new tearoom by offering the facilities rent free for the first year to the right candidate to assist in encouraging a new business venture.
Short walks on St Cuthbert’s Way
A cross-border cross-leader area project by Northumberland County Council and Scottish Borders Council has been granted funding towards the establishment and promotion of a series of short walks that are planned along the full length of St Cuthbert’s Way.
It is hoped that the walks will increase visitor numbers offering an opportunity for day visitors and families to experience a 'taste of' St Cuthbert’s Way. The development of these walks will be twinned with the launch of guide books, maps and branded products, all of which will promote the area and local points of interest. The project aims to use funds generated from the sale of these promotional items to supplement rights of way maintenance.
The development of the short walks will add value to the local tourism offer. They also provide new routes for local residents and community groups and associations for leisure and as part of the healthy living/healthy walking agenda in the region.
Scarlett & the Spotty Dog
Rebecca Hedley has launched Scarlett and the Spotty Dog, a local bakery producing locally and ethically sourced specialist cakes and baked goods offering something a little different to the market. Her Northumberland Uplands Local Action Group grant will be put towards the purchase of a delivery van to supply her goods to local shops as well as for the transport of her products to farmers markets.
It will also be used to help expand her bakery to increase production capacity to meet the growing demand for her products.
Uplands Community Broadband Training
With the roll out of the rural community broadband project, many areas in the Northumberland Uplands previously out of reach of broadband connections will soon have access to broadband services.
The Northumberland Uplands Local Action Group has granted funding to support a series of training courses for businesses and individuals to help them make the most of this new service.
Recent studies and trials within the Uplands have highlighted the importance of training to help business make the best use of these newly available services enabling them to become more competitive online and giving them better online representation.
The five half-day and 15 full-day workshops aim to provide support to businesses and individuals in the effective use of broadband services and e-business practice. This will include the development of websites, setting up email systems and use of e-commerce.
Businesses need to make every effort to capture as wide an audience as possible. Broadband services can help businesses overcome the geographic isolation of the Uplands.
Cheviot Futures - Phase 2
Cheviot Futures is fundamentally based on taking action to adapt to a changing climate. This is the first ‘cross-border’ Leader project, working in both the Northumberland Uplands and the Scottish Borders to raise awareness of the predicted threats and opportunities from climate change in the Cheviot Hills and Tweed and Till river catchments.
This second phase of Cheviot Futures supports the development of long term resilience measures for the environment, economy and local community against the impacts of a changing climate. The approach reflects the needs of land managers and ensures the emphasis continues to be on practical solutions to real problems. The project aims to demonstrate benefits that will encourage land managers to invest in adaptation measures.
The project will recruit an adviser to work directly with farmers and land managers to enable them to incorporate climate adaptation measures into their business model including the roll out of the recently developed and successfully piloted farm flood plans. The project officer will seek to create a sufficient legacy of projects and best practice guidance as to have a lasting impact on the way farmers and land managers within the catchment reduce the risk of flooding and improve their overall resilience to climate change.
Young Farmers
The Umbrella Project Leader funding is helping Young Farmers Clubs in the Northumberland Uplands gain the skills needed to successfully run their own committees across Northumberland. Trainees take part in two days of leadership and team working training provided by the Brathay Trust. They also attend at least two short training courses on officer skills which includes a presentation on child protection and health and safety, and a short training session specific to their own role as a club or county officer (eg treasurer, chair, secretary).
Young Farmers will also use this training in local community organisations, agricultural shows, the NFU and many other organisations in the County. It is hoped this positive interaction will widen the social and farming networks of young people in the Uplands who often live in isolated situations. The training will be delivered by ITOL registered Young Farmers Trainers and the Brathay Trust and YFC certificates will be awarded to those completing the training. Members will be able to include this training on their CVs and the skills should help them in the work place.
The training is also partially funded by The Duke of Northumberland and the Young Farmers themselves.
Bellingham Library
Bellingham Town Hall Steering Group used their grant to relocate Bellingham Library to Bellingham Town Hall. The funding has facilitated the conversion of the ground floor of the Town Hall into the new community library and an IT/Internet Café area. The library has full disabled access and baby changing facilities.
This project is an example of a community taking action to save a service which would otherwise have been lost and building on this to enhance facilities by introducing new services into one multi-purpose building.
Umbrella Project
The Umbrella Project is a really innovative way of adding value to Leader in the Northumberland Uplands. The project assists potential applicants to Leader as they develop their own project ideas by funding study visits within the UK and EU. These visits allow applicants to refine exactly what they want to do in the Northumberland Uplands before they complete full application forms.
The funding is also available to previously approved Leader projects if they identify opportunities to add value to what they are already doing. It is hoped that some of these visits will result in cooperation projects with partners from other Leader areas.
Kielder Observatory
This project aims to increase the ability of the general public to engage with the Kielder Observatory.
Currently sessions have been delivered on a voluntary basis but this Leader grant is enabling the delivery team to be employed on a sessional basis to deliver a broader public access programme. The project is running for 24 months and offers additional astronomy sessions in both evenings and during the daytime. After these two years it is hoped the programme will be self-financing. The project will increase public awareness of the Observatory and the work of Kielder Observatory Astronomical Society.
Haydon Bridge - Phase 2
Following on from the success of Phase One of Haydon Tourism Gateway Initiative, Phase Two now focuses on securing the long-term sustainability of the library building by providing revenue support for the next two years until the library becomes financially self-sufficient.
Funding is also being used to develop information leaflets/panels for further walks and trails from ‘The Bridge’. These trails focus on: walks to Hadrian’s Wall; heritage and nature; and cycling. Phase Two also includes training for local service providers and tourism businesses on 'visitor welcome'.
In addition the ‘community hub’ role of the library is being developed by encouraging their volunteers to gain confidence and learn computer and customer service skills as a means into/back to employment. The project has also linked up with the Rural Employability Project in Haltwhistle to provide an information and access point for their services.
Realising Potential – Calvert Trust
The Realising Potential project by Calvert Trust purchases two new items of specialist equipment - a High Ropes Course and Laser Clays. The High Ropes Course is based in the trees around the Trusts Kielder site and provides a dramatic new recreation activity.
The Laser Clay Shooting facility provides an environmentally friendly leisure pursuit with no risk of injury or damage to humans, animals or the countryside. It fires an infra-red beam at reflective clays using specialist de-activated shotguns and is able to be used by up to five people at the same time.
Flodden Eco Museum
A group of organisations and individuals from the private, voluntary and public sector have come together to develop England’s first Eco Museum. An Eco Museum is a museum without walls. The idea behind Flodden Eco Museum is to allow communities, projects, locations and events to retain their individual ownership but to be linked through a single brand, in this case the battle of Flodden and the 500th year commemoration in 2013.
This project provides various workshops, training days, and a single identity branding for all sorts of local businesses and organisations. This community network leaves a legacy within the area beyond the 500th commemoration of Flodden in 2013.
The project officer is organising key workshops for business and community development, creating the web portal linking all the sites and developing small scale interpretation of each site.
Bellingham Equestrian Events
The North Tyne & Redesdale Agricultural Society has used a Leader grant to purchase a full set of versatile show jumps that can also be used as working hunter jumps. The jumps are wood and have been sourced from sustainably managed british woodland. The Society has also used the funds to purchase a trailer to transport and store the equipment securely.
The equipment has not only been used at the annual Bellingham Show but will be hired out to other local organisations in the area. The income saved from having their own equipment and the additional income gernerated from the hiring out this new equipment is reinvested into the Bellingham Show, enabling it to host popular traditional events such as Northumberian Piping competitions and Cumberland and Westmoreland Wresting.
Eastbanks Eco Bothy
The project aims to offer a unique holiday experience for visitors who wish to stay in an utterly private, isolated setting giving visitors access to miles of walking routes along Hadrian's Wall and in the surrounding areas. The focus is on low-impact, eco-friendly tourism using renewable energy and existing completely 'off-grid'. The bothy has access and car park which takes into the account the natural aspect of the landscape. The eco bothy is aimed at small groups and families that are seeking a more 'rustic' away from it all. holiday without all the modern luxuries.
Hooked Up Hotspots
In preparation for the planned roll out of 1700 vehicle charge points across the North East, the National Park is to trial two units within the park boundary to test whether the technology is feasible within the broader rural areas of Northumberland.
Currently there is no test data on the use of electric vehicle charge points within rural settings and this trial hopes to offer valuable data on the reliability of the technology and either prove or disprove the concept within a rural setting. Additionally this trial will allow the park to identify logistic and installation costs of charge points in rural areas as currently all charge point trials have up to now only been carried out in urban settings. The Park aims to use this trial to assess and train local contractors in the installation and maintenance of the system. This information will be of great value in the coming roll out of the infrastructure across the North East.
The advantage of proposed charge point system over other versions is that not only can usage and power consumption be monitored but is it is an entirely cash free system as all financial transactions are done online beforehand. Northumberland National Park Authority is one of the partners in the roll-out of electric vehicle charge points and is keen to find out what this means for rural areas.
For further information visit the Northumberland National Park Authority website
Bellingham All Acoustic Music Festival
LanderMasonForget Glastonbury and T in the Park, the North Tyne will stage its very own weekend-long acoustic music festival, courtesy of two local musicians. Fiona Lander and Paul Mason. Fiona and Paul, also known as Bellingham song-writing duo Landermason, have secured Leader funding from the Northumberland Uplands Local Action Group to organise a brand new music festival on May 1st and 2nd.
In addition to the festival LanderMason plan to upgrade their home-based recording studio and turn it into a commercial space. The duo seek to encourage budding amateur musicians from the district to come forward and record their music locally.
It is hoped that the NULAG’s invest in this innovative idea will not only help the project become self-sustainable annual event but that it will attract more visitors to the uplands and have a long term positive impact on other local business within the community.
Visit the Offical Landermason website.
For details on forthcoming events visit the BAAFest website.
Revialisation and regeneration of Bellingham
Bellingham District Trade and Tourism Association, representing as many as 59 businesses in and around the remote market town of Bellingham, will use its Leader grant to purchase a number of items of event equipment, including public display systems and market stalls.
The association will make use of the equipment at public events throughout the year including Bellingham’s monthly fresh produce and craft market. The items will also be made available to members and non-members when they are needed.
Kielder Camping and Caravan Site
The Northumberland Uplands Local Action Group has granted funding for the renovation and improvements to community owned camping and caravan facility.
For more information visit the Kielder Campsite web page.
Children's Countryside Day
The Glendale Agricultural Society's Children's Countryside Day held near Wooler in Northumberland is one of the foremost rural educational events in the UK. During the past five years, over 8000 first school pupils have learnt about rural life and the importance of conserving the countryside.
NU LAG has supported this innovative and forward thinking project as it believes it will enhance the economic, environmental and social welfare of rural communities across the county. The group sees the Children.s Day as a perfect fit as the Glendale Agricultural Society are leading the way towards the long term sustainability of the countryside.
The annual event is open to all first schools in Northumberland and some from Tyneside and to date over 50 urban and rural schools have taken part. The Children's Countryside Day aims to improve pupils' knowledge of rural living and food production and promote a healthy lifestyle. It is run in collaboration with an army of volunteers from local businesses and associations and engages children through practical demonstrations. Each year there are over 70 educational exhibits and activities. They include farm livestock; sheep shearing; goats being milked; plants and vegetables being sown and grown; bread-making; butchery; fly-fishing; archaeology; renewable energy and healthy recipes being cooked. The exhibitors talk to the children in small groups and the children are able to take part in activities and ask questions in an informal, fun and relaxed setting away from the classroom.
For details of the next Children's Countryside Day visit the Glendale Agricultural Society's website.
Wooler Youth Drop-In
Wooler Youth Drop-In is being supported over the next four years, by the Northumberland Uplands Local Action Group. Since 1999 Wooler young people, over the age of 13, have been using the centre at 53 High Street and the Local Action Group has been impressed with the range of facilities youth workers and members have planned. Regular activity includes art and music nights, games, a training programme with the Fire service and work with local paramedics. Internet links and regular help from the Connexions service give access to all kinds of information and advice; a service rarely available to young people in rural districts. Older people in the town have given generous support: to the project.
The Local Action Group were impressed with the commitment of the committee and the fact that they are reaching out to young people and offering them all sorts of opportunities in and around Wooler.
For details of the Wooler Youth Drop-In Centre visit the Wooler Gateway website
Heatherslaw Light Railway
Heatherslaw Light Railway at Ford and Etal, will use Leader funding to complete a new steam locomotive and construct two new 16-passenger capacity carriages.
The increased capacity of the extra steam locomotive and rolling stock will ensure reduced waiting times and it will also mean visitors will be guaranteed a trip on a steam-hauled train, rather than the substituted diesel engine at peak periods.
The company will use the funding to pay for external expertise to complete the new steam locomotive that Neville began to build over four years ago. Alan Keef Ltd -a specialist steam locomotive manufacturer and restoration company with an international reputation – will carry out the completion of the locomotive.
The new train and carriages will mean that the business will become more sustainable and allow it to grow as a key attraction in the area. The goal is that other neighbouring businesses in and around Etal will also be able to capitalise on an increase in visitor numbers to the area.
It is hoped that investment in one main business in a small community can have a real trickle-down benefit to other neighbouring businesses.
For further information visit the Heatherslaw Light Railway website.
Northumbria Basket Group
A group of creative and enterprising people in the Coquet Valley has succeeded in reviving an ancient craft of the countryside, and will be making an impact on the local tourism economy of their market town of Rothbury this year when the National Basketmakers’ Association (www.basketassoc.org) holds its annual summer meeting, bringing around 60 people to stay in the area.
Northumbria Basketry Group based at Hepple village hall was started by a small group in early 2007 following an adult day class in basketry run by Liz Balfour at the Middle School in Rothbury. The group was established as a self-help group and gained members as the interest in local basketry grew.
Last year, the group looked to the Northumberland Uplands Local Action Group for a Leader grant to help them cultivate a sustainable local supply of willow instead of having to buy it in from Somerset; run classes in willow weaving and basket making at the local village hall and to research the history of basket making in Northumberland. The LAG voted in favour of the grant and since then Northumbria Basketry Group has not looked back. Courses are in progress, attracting many new people to the satisfying craft, and new willow beds are being planted at Whitton.
Northumbria Basketry Group Official website.
Humshaugh Community Shop
Humshaugh Village ShopThe villages of Humshaugh and Wall have come together to protect their valuable village shop from closure. Facing the real prospect of the final shop in their community closing, local people formed a committee to purchase the lease and take on the day to day management of the shop.
Local people run the committee and many of them also volunteered to work in the shop alongside a part time paid manager. They are committed to stocking local produce as much as possible, and have received advice and guidance around the governance of the group from Social Enterprise Northumberland and the Plunkett Foundation. The commitee sourced other funding to complement their request to Leader.
The project tackles real issues of rural deprivation. The initial project development is an excellent example of how a local community is taking on matters that affect it. The shop is really important in terms of basic rural service provision and the community are getting on and doing something about its impending closure.
NULAG is interested in exploring the factors that could make a project like this a success. Initial indicators suggest: a strong coordinator group; a wide level of community 'buy-in'; a critical mass of skilled individuals.
Find out more information at the Humshaugh Village Shop website.
Equestrian Pilates
Sue Gould-Wright, who runs Equestrian Pilates, is using her Leader grant to purchase a mobile equestrian pilates studio. The studio is a fully carpeted, heated and covered-in horse trailer which boasts a pilates reformer machine and Cadillac exerciser. It is also fully mirrored, making it light, spacious environment to work in. It will accommodate two or three people at a time to do floor work.
Riders across Tynedale have warmed to Sue's method of strengthening their core muscles and have improved communication with their horse. Sue's aim is to bridge the gap between a warm studio in Hexham to being outside on the horse. With her trailer she will no longer be limited to the town, but will be able to take her classes across Northumberland.
This project resembles an innovative response to the pressures of the rural economy in Northumberland. It presents an opportunity for a small business to continue trading by targeting a real niche market with a new technique.
Visit the Equestrian Pilates website.
Uplands Micro Hydro
A group of seven local farmers have been supported by the Northumberland Uplands Local Action Group to explore the potential for installing Micro-Hydro systems on their farms. The stunning natural environment in the Northumberland Uplands may hold opportunities to generate electricity from its water resources that can be used in farm businesses. This project supports the farmers in their pursuit of carbon-neutral land management.
Reducing carbon emissions on marginal upland farms is tricky as a lot of typical farming practice will use minimal inputs. Looking at how farms generate their power can be one way of doing this. If feasible micro-hydro power has the potential to increase farm income, reduce costs and be used as marketing tool for farm produce.
For more information on micro hydro energy see the British Hydropower Association website.
NULogs
Northwoods was given funding from the Northumberland Uplands Leader Programme, to run a firewood supply chain support project. They have launched NULogs and have started the first phase of business support.
NULogs aims to give firewood users the best choice of log suppliers, and to give firewood businesses (or people wanting to get into the sector!) the benefit of training, advice and business support. This support is only available for businesses working within the NULeader area.
If you are a firewood supplier already or are thinking about getting into firewood supply, then NULogs can offer technical advice, business support, funding advice, training, help sourcing timber and any other help your business should need.
For futher information see the NULogs website.
Heritage Walks in North Northumberland
A small grant has been made to Countrywise Consultants to write, design and print a new heritage walking book that will cover 10 walks across north Northumberland.
The book will help visitors and locals enjoy the rich cultural and historic heritage of the area and will also encourage people to visit local businesses nearby.
To enquire about this book contact the Northumberland Walks website.
Glendale Charities Co-Operative
Leader funds have allowed Glendale Gateway Trust to take on a lease for an empty property on Wooler High Street. The Trust will work with a wide range of local charitable groups and organisations that will use the property to hold charity sales in order to raise much needed income. The enterprise will be self-sustaining, with the second year’s costs being raised from a small percentage of takings during the first year.
This innovative and enterprising use of a prime location on Wooler High Street is a fantastic Leader project and encapsulates a real bottom-up community spirit.
Extra Miles - ADAPT
A new way of tackling community transport provision has been supported by the Northumberland Uplands LAG. Minibuses that were being used for school runs have been upgraded with Leader money to allow new routes and services to be extended to rurally isolated communities around Bellingham and Haltwhistle.
The two buses will be fully accessible and will be able to carry cycle tourists. Community groups and organisations will be able to hire the buses and they will also cover specific routes identified by local people.
This project creates three new jobs and supports remote communities that face challenges when it comes to accessing shops, healthcare and basic services.
For further details see the ADAPT North East website.
Horse Power for Ability
Horse Power for AbilityAn inspirational woman with cerebral palsy is opening a horse power therapy centre to help people with mobility problems in Northumberland with the creation of three jobs.
Dr. Dorothee Debuse is bringing hippotherapy – a specialist physiotherapy intervention using the movement of horses – to the Northumberland Uplands.
Dr. Debuse said, ‘Riding a horse has proved to be incredibly empowering, giving people a great deal of hope with raised self esteem and a feeling of achievement both physically and psychologically. It’s beautiful to witness.’
The business will create jobs for a specialist physiotherapist, a horse handler and an assistant.
Visit the Horse Power for Ability website
Reach Out - Tynedale Women's Training Group
This project will provide training opportunities for women in five villages across the north Tyne region. Sessions covering practical skills, personal development, and careers advice are run free of charge and a crèche service allows young mothers to join other women of different ages, with different interests and from different social groups in isolated rural communities to develop an informal learning network.
Tynedale Women’s Training Group aims to advance the education of women by providing access to learning and by bringing together organisations to improve the training and learning opportunities for women, NULAG are keen to support this project, which clearly delivers part of their sustainable communities’ objective.
This project can tackle the barriers that prevent rural women from gaining qualifications, developing skills, improving their employability and raising their self esteem.
Cheviot Futures
The Tweed ForumCheviot Futures was the first New LEADER Approach project in England to be approved! The Tweed Forum Cheviot Futures project will help farmers and land managers take steps to adapt to a changing climate, through a series of demonstration projects that will look at farming techniques and share best practice.
These short projects will address the various impacts of climate change faced by rural communities, such as increased flooding and run off carrying soils and pollutants, drought, wildfire, wind erosion and the effects on grouse, sheep and salmon.
Visit the Cheviot Futures Offical website.
Haydon Bridge Tourism Gateway Initiative
Haydon BridgeThe flagship project for Haydon Bridge and Haydon Parish Development Trust will promote the parish as a tourism gateway, renovate the existing library and take it into local ownership in order to provide a wide variety of services, including a visitor information point and space for the sale of local items.
This project was at the heart of Haydon Parish Plan and reflects local peoples' priorities for the sustainable development of their own community.
For more information see the Visit Haydon Bridge website.
Slate and Nature
Slate and Nature - new studioGerard van der Veen, a Dutch industrial designer who settled in West Woodburn in 1999, is inspired by re-introducing reclaimed slate to create and manufacture a broad range of specialised items to promote Nature based on sustainable principles like animal housings, garden features and domestic styled decoration, from bird tables to personalised engravings.
After working in his garden shed for some years developing prototypes, Gerard is using his Leader funds to build a workshop. This small scale enterprise will help meet a demand from tourists for locally produced craft products.
Visit the Slate & Nature website
Traditional Boundaries ~ Traditional Skills
TBTS trainees - Roisin Black and Simon TelferThe overall aim of the project is to run a rural skills apprenticeship scheme, training people in the management and repair of traditional boundaries and associated features such as gates, stiles and fences.
The National Park runs this course which provides training and skills in boundary management, including dry-stone walling. The twelve month course is designed so that trainees have the best possible chance of entering full time employment in the rural economy.
For further details see the TBTS website
