Community Activity 2024
10/11/2024
Charity Facing Soaring Demand Handed Injection Of Cash
An independently-run mental health charity, stretched by “a huge increase” in demand for its services, has been thrown a financial life-line by Durham City Freemen.
An independently-run mental health charity, stretched by “a huge increase” in demand for its services, has been thrown a financial life-line by Durham City Freemen.
When the Waddington Street Centre celebrated its 40th anniversary three years ago it provided a front-line safe haven every week for 120 members, all struggling with the crippling stress of modern living, including the tensions of Covid.
Today staff at the centre, in the north of the city, report 200 people now seek support, placing their board under mounting pressure to “take serious action” to cut costs and explore new ways of generating income.
Measures already taken include tapping into reserves, a move which will impact service delivery.
At the core of the centre’s work is a 20-strong team of volunteers, all striving to relieve members home life worries, illness or community conflict through the implementation of a wide range of informal educational activities.
During the enforced closures of the Covid epidemic the centre was given a major face-lift, supported in part by the Freemen. The current rise in member numbers reflects the widespread national rise in demand for mental health support.
The Freemen’s Charitable Trust has now responded with a £2,000 gift, already earmarked to help fund a support worker’s role.
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Centre manager Ali Lee said: “We are once again in the debt of the Freemen whose donation will support an additional member of staff. Quality is at the heart of what we do and having enough with the relevant skills is absolutely key to making this happen. Access to our services increases members’ independence and resilience – equipping them with the tools for self-care and development to move on.”
Charitable trust member Alan Ribchester, said: “We are again delighted to help the centre, especially, like so many charities, they are facing the need to take action to cut costs.
“Their difficulties will, of course, have been increased by the recent increase in the employers’ National Insurance rate imposed in the budget. The centre offers a very significant level of help to its members and it is gratifying to be able to assist them once more.”
10/11/2024
Charities Link Up To Feed City’s Hungry Families
Three foodbanks, which have provided emergency grocery parcels to hundreds of crisis-hit families in the Durham area over the past year, have been gifted £1,000 by the charitable trust of the city’s Freemen.
Three foodbanks, which have provided emergency grocery parcels to hundreds of crisis-hit families in the Durham area over the past year, have been gifted £1,000 by the charitable trust of the city’s Freemen.
The three hubs, operating premises in Waddington Street, Old Elvet and Gilesgate are part of a network of 27 distribution points across Durham and a further 12 in Sunderland, managed by the Durham Christian Partnership from a central warehouse on Chester-le-Street’s Drum Industrial Estate.
Thirty unpaid volunteers in Durham offer five-day collection-point availability with Waddington Street’s United Reform Church open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; Elvet Methodist Church covering Tuesdays; and Gilesgate’s Edge Court Baptist Church on Saturdays.
In the year ending October, 854 individual families in the city area each received a three-day supply of food, as well as a pack of household toiletries and cleaning products. The result is 1,408 adults and 406 children benefitted.
“Every three-day parcel is tailor-made to meet the needs of each family because the numbers and situations involved vary. We could not provide this service without our volunteers and the financial support of the public and organisations like the Durham City Freemen, who first helped us two years ago with a matching contribution,” said Peter MacLellan, the partnership’s chief executive officer.
Across their 28 outlets the partnership, set up in 1999, can call on the help of 300 unpaid volunteers and 34 part-time staff, which includes specialist debt advisers.
“Recent changes to National Insurance contributions, announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer will, we estimate, add an entirely unwelcome £20,000 to our annual running costs. Changes have consequences, often not recognised,” he added.
Alan Ribchester, one of the Freemen’s six charitable trustees, said: “We are supporting the Durham foodbanks when they are working to meet increasing demand for their services and, at the same time, face rising overheads which are the direct result of recent changes in Government policy. We sincerely hope they will succeed.”
04/11/2024
Mayors Charity Appeal Gets Major Boost
Two charities supported by Durham’s Mayor, County Councillor Liz Brown, during her year of office will share a £1,000 gift from the freemen. The two recipients, Feeding Families and the animal rescue service Stray Aid, both operate within the county’s boundaries.
Eric Bulmer Chair of the Freemen Charitable Trust presenting the cheque to Cllr Liz Brown
Thousands of families across the region facing “food poverty” have benefitted from deliveries from the charity’s distribution centre in Blaydon. Two thousand food boxes are sent out every month and during the last year more than 160,000 meals have reached families on the breadline. From it’s County Durham base Stray Aid dedicates support and protection to abandoned dogs and homeless cats.
On her appointment the city-born mayor said she was honoured and excited to be given the opportunity to represent the communities and organisations which “make this wonderful; city what it is.” She said: “My chosen charities are really important to me. At a time of higher
living costs helping struggling families facing poverty is vital, as too is sheltering abandoned animals.”
Councillor Mrs Brown, the representative for Neville’s Cross for seven years, is married for with four children. She has followed a varied career, embracing garden design, cleaning houses and working for the BBC.
24/10/2024
Durham’s Double Tribute To “The Fallen”
Remembrance Sunday in Durham will be marked again by a double tribute to “The Fallen” – both supported together for the first time by the Durham City Freemen Charitable Trust.
Left to right: Alan Ribchester, Lieutenant Colonel Barney Barnbrook, Kenneth Howe,
Dave Cuthbertson, and Eric Bulmer
The traditional Sunday morning parade through the city, which follows a service in the cathedral, is one of the biggest in the region. It will include regular soldiers and reservists, supported by three bands and 18 fire brigade standard bearers from across Scotland, England and Wales, as well as representatives of other emergency services.
The previous evening a moving two-hour Festival of Remembrance, organized by the Army Benevolent Fund – celebrating its 80th anniversary - is expected to attract a 600-strong congregation against the inspiring backdrop of the cathedral.
To help meet costs the parade treasurer, Dave Cuthbertson, was presented with a £1,000 gift from the Freemen while, at the same time, a matching donation was handed to Lieutenant Colonel Barney Barnbrook, the Catterick-based Regional Director of the fund’s North East and Yorkshire Branch.
Mr. Lockyear, deputy warden of the Freemen’s Plumbers’ Company, spent more than 30 years supporting and developing the Sunderland’s Parade and was awarded an MBE in 2010. For the last decade, he has committed himself to expanding the Durham City march.
Service personnel on parade this year include members of the 4th Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland, the Light Dragoons, the Royal Army Medical Corps, the Royal Military Police, 8th Battalion, The Rifles and 608 Royal Auxiliary Air Force (Durham’s Own).
A V.I.P reception precedes Saturday’s Festival of Remembrance which starts at 7.30 p.m. and focuses on the 80th anniversary of D-Day and Arnhem featuring an emotional mix of music and the spoken word. Among those taking part are the Band of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, Tyne Electrical Engineers Association of Pipes and Drums, the Military WAGS Choir from Catterick and northern soprano Charlotte Potter.
The service ends with Muster and two-minute silence during which thousands of poppy petals will silently fall on the congregation.
Colonel Barnbrook said while it was both a great responsibility to organise the Festival of Remembrance each year its was also a great privilege.
“As a region and as a country we have a duty to remember those who gave their all in the defence of our nation. Events in Durham over the Remembrance Weekend offer local communities an appropriate and fitting way to commemorate such great sacrifice. We are extremely grateful to the freemen and our other local sponsors for their support in making the festival possible,” he added.
Charitable Trust chairman Eric Bulmer said: “We are pleased once gain to support the Remembrance Parade and also, for the first time, to make a donation to the Festival of Remembrance, which supports the Army Benevolent Fund. The people of Durham take great pride from both events and it is a privilege to make this contribution on their behalf.”
Tickets for the Festival of Remembrance are available through the cathedral’s box office.
17/10/2024
Freemen Continue To Provide Hope For Isolated Stroke Victims
Stroke victims from across Durham will enjoy “an enhanced quality of life” thanks to the continuing support of the city’s Freemen.
The 30 members of the County Durham Stroke Club have met twice monthly at Framwellgate Moor’s Bede Lodge Social Club since 2011 and in the last five years have enjoyed the financial backing of the Freemen’s Charitable Trust on three previous occasions.
The latest gift of £500 again covers the expenses of a team of four volunteer drivers for a year, guaranteeing members help in getting to community events, recreational trips and social gatherings they might otherwise miss.
Club treasurer Paul Ryan said: “Many stroke survivors face significant challenges, not least limitations on mobility. Without transport their ability to take part in social activities and maintain a fulfilling life-style is seriously inhibited.
“The club provides companionship, a sense of belonging, a reduction in isolation and improvement in mental and emotional well-being. Together these can combine to cultivate physical and cognitive recovery.”
He added: “Without the help of the Freemen we would achieve much less in directly addressing the needs of members, particularly those stranded alone at home without the support of relatives and friends.”
Eric Bulmer, chairman of the Freemen’s Charitable Trust said: “I am pleased that we are once again able to support the club’s volunteer drivers who ensure stroke victims can maintain a social connection within the community.”
17/10/2024
Quilters Warmly Welcome Gift To Develop Their Craft
A centuries-old craft, which first emerged in England during the Middle Ages and went on to be nurtured for over two hundred years in the homes of Durham’s coal and lead mining families, is poised to receive a double boost from the city’s Freemen.
A 20-strong women’s voluntary self-help group, whose ages range from 40-plus to 80-plus, meet weekly in Brandon Community Hall to pool their creative skills in the production of traditional quilts and patchwork - their showpiece work produced to national championship standards and earning acclaim.
An initial appeal for help to the Freemen’s charitable trust has earned them a firm guarantee of £500 to enhance their skills through a workshop led by a local textile artist, exploring new techniques, as well as buying specialist design, measuring and cutting tools.
At the same time the Freemen have indicated willingness to consider a supplementary request to help the group buy a sewing machine with “an extra-large sewing space.” The new equipment would not only give the women the ability to tackle larger collaborative projects but also give elderly and disabled members the opportunity to make a bigger contribution.
Group member, Mrs Pat Sharples, explained: “Many in the group are active members of the Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles, some of us serving on the regional committee. Traditional Durham Quilting has its roots in the area’s mining communities and is internationally recognized.
“We keep up-to-date with current and historical trends by visiting regional and national museums, exhibitions, education workshops and attend residential courses. Our commitment to ensuring traditional crafts survive for current and future generations is reinforced through our ties with the Durham Young Quilters, who are also based in Brandon.”
The original quilting concept, thought to have originated in the Middle and Far East, was adopted in England as a protective undergarment in the fighting apparel of knights. Later more ornate headgear and outer clothing appeared in fashionable Elizabethan society.
The wives of 18th century miners took up the concept “out of necessity” to provide warm bedding – roughly stitching together assorted scraps of material to create a top sheet, placing it over a wadding of wool or cotton and completing the “sandwich” with a less ornate bottom layer.
The Durham Quilters, who meet once a week, can produce a quilt in two days using sewing machines. But more detailed pieces can take months. Their work also extends to customized wall hangings and cushions. More recently techniques using paint onto a textile background, adding a floral collage and embellishing it with hand-stitched quilting have been adopted.
Eric Bulmer, chairman of the Freemen’s charitable trust said: “We are pleased to support this dedicated group who are keeping alive a craft associated with the former mining life of Durham. We also congratulate them for reaching out to the next generation of young quilters, ensuring this important aspect of our heritage continues to survive.”
17/10/2024
Boxers Are A Big Hit After Breaking Records In Canada
Young boxing gold medalists from Durham have earned themselves a special award from the city’s Freemen – a £1,000 gift to help equip an extension to their purpose-built gym.
Formed over a decade ago the Brandon Boxing Club has enjoyed regular success in regional, national and international competitions. But last season they excelled on a trip to Canada, winning no fewer than eleven gold medals and setting a new international record by becoming the first British team to clinch the country’s Brampton Boxing Cup.
With more than 150 members, a third of them girls and ages ranging from five to 70, their gym is house within the village cricket club’s multi-sports complex. It caters for all members of the community, including the disabled and those with mental health problems.
Pivotal to the success of its boys’ and girls’ teams are their twelve coaches, all volunteers. The Freemen’s latest gift is the third in four years. Previous gifts have helped cover the cost of boxing gloves, punch bags and coaching pads.
The latest contribution will be used within the new extension to improve strength and conditioning and includes a rowing machine, treadmill, a turbo-bike and kettle bells and weights.
The club’s competition secretary is Alex Oliver, a civil servant awarded the British Empire Medal in 2017 for his services to sport.
“Raising funds is a never-ending process for all volunteer-led organisations like ours. Our membership continues to grow and our involvement in competitions means the need to replace worn-out kit is relentless. Support from organisations like the Freemen, are vital to our survival and success,” said Alex.
The chairman of the Freemen’s charitable trust, Eric Bulmer, said: “It is difficult to quantify the exceptional benefits the club offers to a wide range of individuals and also to the well-being of the community. It is a beacon of what can be achieved by dedicated volunteers, supporting individuals reach their potential in and out of the ring and fully deserves to support the Freemen are able to provide.”
27/09/2024
Helping Make Durham’s Streets Safer At Night
A small band of guardians, offering anyone in distress a safe night-time refuge within a central Durham church, have been handed a timely boost by the city’s freemen.
Their £1,000 gift will support the vital work of the five-strong team operating a funding-dependent Safe Hub within St Nicholas’s Church in the Market Place – providing “pastoral care” to those caught up in disorder, as well as hot drinks, snacks, water, blankets and, where needed, flip flops.
Since February, 2022, more than 4,000 alcohol, drug and domestic abuse related incidents, as well those with suspected mental health issues, have been reported between 9:00 pm and 300 am on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Many have been serious and, on occasions, life-threatening.
The Hub is key element of a partnership led by Durham County Council, Durham Constabulary, the parish council, city centre businesses, the Temperance Trust and the county’s Police and Crime Commissioner.
The return of university students at the start of the new academic year has once more raise demand for the services of the Hub. – crewed by three safer streets officers employed by the county council and supported by two volunteers. Originally launched to aid women in distress it now dedicated to offering a helping hand to any vulnerable person.
“Our original aim was to end violence and sexual harassment towards women but we now provide help to anyone who needs it,” said Alan Patrickson, the county council’s corporate director for neighbourhoods and climate change and chair of the Durham City Safety Group.
“We are constantly looking for funding to keep the Hub open in a vital part of the city centre, ensuring it remains a great but safe place for everyone. We are grateful to the freemen for their much-needed boost,” said Alan.
John Booth, a member of the freemen’s charitable trust said: “The trust is delighted to help an excellent city initiative which, with the support of volunteers, offers protection to vulnerable people caught up in night-time disorder within the community.”
25/07/2024
Internet Lessons Offer Safer Start To Secondary School Life
More than 800 primary school children within Durham City are set to benefit from a national internet safety scheme aimed at making their switch from primary to secondary education less emotionally stressful.
Backed by a £1,000 gift from the city’s freemen, Amber Bee CIC, a national community interest company will, from this September, begin delivering to 14 local primary schools specialist support to youngsters ahead of their switch to city’s secondary schools in the autumn of 2025 and 2026.
The company, based in Chester, has reached out to over two million youngsters across Britain in the last decade, providing support across a range of issues.
Three years ago, it launched its “Barney and Echo, Mindfulness Project,” working with The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain and others to help parents and teachers prepare youngsters for the personal, social and mental health challenges they may face when stepping up to secondary school.
Amber Bee’s project manager, Ian Jackson, explained: “Many of the primary children we deal with are already internet-savvy when they leave to go to secondary school. By offering a flexible way to deal with possible emotional changes, like bullying or grooming, they will be better equipped to make good choices.”
The project, with a core message that mental health is just as important as physical health, is delivered over several months by volunteer teaching professionals, teaching staff and the support of parents. The estimated cost of delivery in Durham is about £5,000, nearly all spent on a work book for each child, as well packs for both school staff and parents. Additional activities are incorporated into lesson planning and are supported by posters and includes a drama production.
“The strength of our work, spread over several months, is simple - it relies on professional volunteers for delivery and enjoys the support of school staff and parents. No costs for wages make it so attractive and we are grateful to outside organisations, like the freemen, to help meet the costs of the material,” he added.
The fourteen primaries involved are:- Laurel Avenue; St Joseph’s RC; Durham Gilesgate; St Oswald’s CofE; St Margaret’s; Belmont CofE; Blue Coat CofE; Neville’s Cross; St Thomas More; St Godric’s RC; Finchale; Framwellgate Moor; Shincliffe CofE; and Belmont Cheveley Park.
25/07/2024
The Key To Problem Doors - An Open And Shut Case
Officials of a community hub, who faced being shut out of their own premises by the pending failure of hydraulic entrance doors, have been handed the key to the crisis by Durham City’s Freemen.
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Left to right Ann Thurlow Durham City Freemen, Rita Brown Lady Freeman,
Theresa Ford Freemen Charitable Trust, John Booth Freemen Charitable Trust
Coxhoe Village Hall, built in two stages in the 1930s and celebrating its 90th anniversary last year, is home for a wide range of local organisations and available to people in surrounding villages.
Since Covid the premises, which supports more than 20 clubs and groups, as well as providing a venue for special family and community events, has overgone a £150,000 major overhaul. It includes a lift to make the entire premises disabled accessible; the replacement of main electric distribution boards; a face-lift of downstairs toilets and provision of a new facilities on the first floor; repairs to the sprung dance floor, the upgrade of downstairs and upstairs fire doors and new windows.
But after the 21 st century upgrade officials faced an unexpected £4,000-plus additional bill when major malfunctions in automatic hydraulic doors at the front-entrance reached crisis point.
Stuart Dunn Coxhoe Village Hall
Stuart Dunn, who chairs the team managing the centre, said the hydraulics, installed over decade ago, were failing to the point of being beyond repair and posing a danger to people going in and out of the building.
He explained: “When the right-hand door opened, its partner on the left was taking longer to open and close. It made access for wheelchair users and parents with buggies particularly difficult. The risk of colliding with the doors and the threat of injury was frequent. Even trying to lock the doors open was no longer an option.”
Rita Brown
Rita Brown, who also happens to be a Lady Freeman, suggested to Stuart that the freemen’s charitable trust might be able to help. The hall’s subsequent appeal was considered and the trust pledged £2,000 – almost half the cost of replacement hydraulics.
22/06/2024
Time For Tea And Reflection In A Peaceful Woodland Glade
Ambitious plans by charity workers, to transform overgrown woodland into a haven of peace and tranquility, can now include a public tea room in the trees – thanks to a fresh injection of cash from Durham City’s Freemen.
Staff at LionMouth Rural Centre started work on their £10,000 woodland project, adjacent to their Broadgate Farm site, located between Esh Winning and Ushaw Moor, during the Spring.
The freemen, who last Autumn pledged £1,000 towards the woodland development, have now stepped forward with a further £3,000 to help underwrite costs of the tea room to meet new public demand for refreshments at the centre’s thriving plant nursery.
More that two dozen local people, aged from their teens to mid-60s and struggling to cope with social or learning difficulties, or suffering or recovering from mental health issues, are supported by two full-time, three part-time staff, backed by a team of 16 volunteers, at the centre.
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The attendees are offered day care support and training in woodwork, horticultural, art, pottery, cookery and conservation.
The farm’s adjoining overgrown plot contains trees and shrubs - some of them rare - which will be embraced within the managed woodland venture. The development work, tackled by staff and clients, will include public access. It will feature a pathway, lined by scented plants and shrubs, leading to an open glade with seating, benches and a view of the nearby river.
The addition of a tea room has been dovetailed into the plan to meet “consistent and continuing demand” from visitors coming to the farm’s nursery.
Centre manager Brigid Press explained: “We had a thriving tea room before Covid forced us to close it down. We then had to utilize the area to provide chairs, desks and sufficient space for clients to allow us to re-open. Now clients have been reluctant to give their own little pieces of territory and it does work better for us as a day centre – and take on more clients.”
She admits the new wood-built tea room in the tree trees – with its own power supply - will be a scaled down version of the original but will have additional seating, as well as a gazebo providing sheltered seating for customers.
Although providing an element of self-service it will staffed by some of the day-care users who will also be helping cook and bake the produce they will be serving.
“Those involved will be playing a larger public-facing role than previously and will be trained and certified in food safety before starting,” added Brigid.
Eric Bulmer, chairman of the freemen’s trustees, said: “Once again the Lionmouth staff, including its many volunteers, have demonstrated their enthusiasm and dedication to continue developing the site for the benefit of its vulnerable clients , local community and visitors.”
10/06/2024
Freemen Add Punch to Teenagers' Search For A Brighter Future
Troubled youngsters, stepping out on an award winning and unorthodox “pathway” to a brighter future, have been given a £1,000 “purse” to help them on their journey.
Operating outside a traditional school environment, Go The Distance (GTD), a community interest company based on the Belmont Business Park, uses a carefully structured “four pillar” mix of education, sport, confidence and knowledge to provide teenagers with the skills needed to find work.
The discipline cultivated by boxing plays a key role in the delivery of the training and to that end the freemen’s gift will be used to buy essential equipment, including new gloves and helmets, to pursue the sport.
The company’s managing director, Paul Lysaght, explained: “The youngsters we work with are both boys and girls, aged between eight and 17, who for a variety of reasons, are not embraced by the traditional school system.
“They may be held back by autism, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), anger management issues, violence at home, suicidal thoughts, self-harm and other mental health issues. We believe our system offers what they need to find employment and make something of their lives.”
Paul Lysaght
Launched five years ago, the centre relies on a 50-50 split between public funding and charitable support from both local, regional and national organisations, to cover the cost of six specialist staff, along with leasing and running costs of their premises.
There are currently 45 young people on the company’s roll who share the 15 places available each day. The daily routine starts at 9 a.m. and first embraces English maths. Boxing too is a daily feature, as well as a range of other individually tailored supportive options. The centre’s two eight-seater mini buses give attendees the opportunity to reach a range of off-site activities, among them swimming.
A recent £140,000 grant from Sport England has underpinned expansion into the first floor of the building, extend the range of support which includes a counselling service, dancing facility and 15-bed hair and beauty unit. Access for all – including wheelchairs and push chairs – is provided by a lift.
One of the latest additions to the service is the provision of one-to-one support for youngsters from around the county who, for various reasons, have not been in school for 18 months.
“We have achieved everything we originally set out in our first business plan and are now redefining our targets for the future within the second phase,” said 61-year-old Paul, who during his 34 years in management with Durham County Council was, at one time, responsible for the running nine leisure centres.
The work of the team has earned a number of awards, including accolades from the county’s High Sheriff and Durham University – whose own boxing club use the facilities.
Eric Bulmer, chairman of the freemen’s charitable trustees said: “We are pleased to be able to support Go The Distance, whose important work in our community often goes unnoticed. The company provides an invaluable service, offering hope to troubled and vulnerable young people at what is a critical time in their lives.”
10/06/2024
Helping Performing Arts Festival To Grow Will Be “Just The Ticket”
A grassroots arts festival, preparing to stage its fourth annual event in Durham City this summer, has been handed a cash boost to help extend marketing and promotional activities ahead of the event.
A £500 gift from the city’s freemen will in particular help the Durham Fringe Festival reach a wider audience for this year’s five-day event by targeting specific wards within the city facing socio-economic challenges - including limited home internet access - with additional printed promotional material.Festival director, Stephen Cronin, said: “Statistically the northeast has the smallest arts and culture sector in Britain and the festival seeks to provide a platform for artists, performers, and creatives to develop and test work, supporting career progression.
“Over the past three years we have seen an appetite and demand from audiences for a fringe festival in Durham City. It is proving to be a powerful tool in bringing people into the city at a time when it needs a boost the most – when the students go home for the summer. We’re really grateful to the freemen’s charitable trust for supporting us to further grow and diversify our audience at this stage of the festival’s development.”
The event, which features shows from genres across the performing arts, including dance, music, theatre, magic, stand-up, cabaret and children’s shows, was launched in 2021 by local residents, intent on helping recovery from the economic and social effects of the pandemic. This year the team is encouraging more submissions of dance and movement-based performances.
The festival has been supported by a team of over 80 volunteers, whose ages range from 11 to over 80. The call for volunteers for this year’s festival will be launched shortly and organisers invite people wanting to join and help to check their web site for details.
This year’s shows will be presented over eight performance spaces across seven venues. New venues include Durham |Distillery and Dunelm House, adding to the core cohort of the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms, Cafedral, Durham City Theatre and Fabios. Audiences can also enjoy performances with the iconic backdrop of Durham Cathedral, in the festival marquee on Palace Green.
Eric Bulmer, chairman of the freemen’s charitable trustees said: “We are delighted to support the Durham Fringe Festival, particularly in widening its reach to target those in our community who face challenges during these difficult economic and social times. We wish them every success with their event in July".
18/03/2024
Baby Memorial Offers New Comfort For Parents
A striking granite and limestone memorial, designed to offer a focal point of remembrance for parents of dozens of babies who died before, during or immediately after birth in a Durham Hospital, has been installed.
Artists Impression
The memorial will be dedicated at a service on Sunday 21st July 2024 at St Cuthbert’s Church, North Road, Durham DH1 4NH. The dedication will form part of the regular Sunday service beginning at 11 am.
The ambitious £100,000 project – incorporating the unique memorial, flanked by limestone benches and accessed via a network of upgraded access footpaths and handrails - was mooted by two churchwardens from the city parish of St Cuthbert with St Aidan to provide “solace and support to any family who lost a child.”
A working group was established in the summer of 2021 and fundraising has so far raised £50,000.
Durham City Freemen’s Charitable Trust was one of the latest organisations to pledge support - with a £1,000 gift to help towards the costs of foundations on which the memorial stands.
Historically, in the 1950s, 60s and into the 70s, stillborn babies and those who died very soon after birth, at what was then the nearby Dryburn Hospital, were buried in unmarked plots in the churchyard.
Over many years an annual service has been conducted by the University Hospital of North Durham’s chaplaincy in St Cuthbert’s church. More recently “a small but growing number” of relatives have been contacting the church to ask where individual graves are sited.
A church spokesperson said: “The whole issue of baby loss is very current and topical and there is clearly a need for a place of focus for relatives of the babies to visit, reflect and remember. We believe the memorial will impact positively on those seeking solace for the loss of a child for generations to come.”
The ornate screen, nearly a metre high and some one and a half metres long, will be sited on the south side of St Cuthbert’s. The design, dominated by snowdrops and doves, is the creation of Lara Sparey, a Greater London-based artist and designer who has run her own workshop and studio for 25years.
“As a bereaved parent myself, the memorial will remain one of the most poignant commissions I have undertaken. Thank you too, to the Freemen, for your contribution to this very special piece,” said Lara.
Significant funding to underpin the project was pledged by both the county and city parish councils. Fees to cover the cost of engaging a consultant heritage arc architect were met by a grant county’s Area Action Partnership.
Further donations have come from the Diocese of Durham, the Benefact Trust, the Sir James Knott Trust, the Rank Foundation, the Barbour Foundation, Bellway Homes. and Direct Giving. Parishioners have also contributed to the fund.
Eric Bulmer, chairman of the freeman’s charitable trust said: “It is a privilege to provide a donation to a memorial which will provide comfort and support to families whose lives have been impacted by the loss of a baby.”
12/02/2024
Rising Costs And Demand Forces Cancer Charity To Re-Think
The freemen’s £2,000 gift will be used to streamline bespoke services delivered to hundreds of patients and bereaved families from the Spennymoor headquarters of the Solan, Connor, Fawcett Cancer Trust, established over eight years ago.
Founder, Mark Solan, who launched the venture after the cancer claimed the lives of both his mother and grandmother said the organization was having to re-think its approach.
“Advances in treatment means terminally ill patients are surviving longer – sometimes for up to ten years. It’s great news but it means more people need our help and support for much longer. Alongside the cost of living crisis, our own costs are rising and with the NHS on its knees, we are having to rethink what we do and how we do it – as any other business would,” said Mark.
“But we could not do what we do without the incredible generosity of people like the freemen,” he added.
In 2017, the year the fledgling service gained charitable status, Mark received a regional prize in the Pride of Britain Awards, followed two years later by recognition from the then Prime Minister Theresa May who marked his community work with a “Point of Light Certificate.”
In addition to responding to calls for help from cancer patients and their families, the charity – supported by a 36-strong team of volunteers – also responds to referrals from Macmillan Cancer Support, St Cuthbert’s Hospice and the NHS.
One of the changes planned at the substantial headquarters is the switch of the wellness centre to an unused former ground floor shop to provide more services – which include counselling, complimentary therapy, hair and beauty and a wig bank – giving easier access for a growing number of patients with mobility issues. The ages of those receiving support range from just a few months to pensioners in their 90s.
At the end of January the charity was supporting 253 adults and children with an active cancer diagnosis; 100 adults and children in remission but still needing practical and emotional help; 63 people who had lost loved ones; and 113 who had been discharged and in remission. During the same period a total of 147 people who had received help were reported to have died.
The charity offers help with fuel costs, groceries and transport to hospital appointments, while tradesmen, cleaners and gardeners are on hand to offer household services. Those with mobility problems have access to wheelchairs, mobility scooters and chairlifts. Donations are vital and extra funds are raised through coffee mornings and social events
“It is a privilege to support Mark and his dedicated and caring team who provide an invaluable service to the local and wider community of Durham, especially when the major support services are under so much pressure,” said Eric Bulmer, chairman of the freemen’s charitable trust.