North-East music icon Sting is backing County Durham’s bid to be UK City of Culture 2025. The multi-award-winning singer songwriter, whose career with The Police and as a solo artist spans more than five decades, believes securing the title for County Durham would shine a richly-deserved spotlight on the unique culture of the entire...

Information on how businesses can access critical grants to support innovation will be delivered during Aycliffe Business Park’s next News & Networking meeting this week. Aycliffe Business Park Community (ABPC) will host its first 2022 event at Glow – formerly known as the Xcel Centre – on Friday, February 18 (from 8.15am). More...

A Newton Aycliffe support group has received critical funding from the town’s area action partnership. Lifeline Community Action (LCA) – a charity which provides emergency aid and support services to families and individuals in need – has secured a £9,638 grant through Great Aycliffe and Middridge Partnership’s (GAMP) Area Budget...

A leading Teesside law firm has thrown its weight behind a relaunched awards event for the North-East’s biggest business park. Aycliffe Business Park’s Make Your Mark awards, in association with headline sponsors Husqvarna, will return this year after a three-year hiatus. The glamorous awards ceremony – which is being organised by...

Debate society members from year 10 at Woodham Academy competed in the second round of the ESU English Speaking Union debate competition. The group took part after previously, successfully progressing past the first round of the competition. They were given the position of proposing the motion that “16-year-olds should have the right to...

By Paul Dalton We start this week with a very different parkrun round up, as members of Aycliffe Running Club performed a ‘takeover’ of Sedgefield parkrun on Saturday, February 5. Members of the Club took on virtually all the volunteer roles on Saturday, including Run Director, Timekeepers, Barcode Scanners, Marshals, Pacers and Course...

Communities across County Durham are being encouraged to have their say on priority areas for funding. Durham County Council’s 14 Area Action Partnerships (AAPs) are calling on those who live, work, volunteer or go to school in the county to help them establish key priorities for the next financial year. From creating opportunities for...

Aycliffe Town Council has announced it’s closing the lorry park adjacent to its council offices after long running issues problems and anti-social issues. In a statement, the local authority said the site – adjacent its town council offices on School Aycliffe Lane – will be closed to HGVs and other large vehicles from March 1. But the...

By Paul Blythe A round up of this week’s football from Newton Aycliffe Junior Section… Under 9’ Blacks – Hosted Billingham in atrocious conditions. Aycliffe played good football, Fin putting in lovely deliveries from corners, but Aycliffe could not score. Finally, a lovely through ball from Max, saw Fletcher hammer the ball in off...

With the first snowdrops now in bloom, spring is on its way and there is still time for County Durham residents to sign up for garden waste collections. Durham County Council’s Garden Waste Collection scheme is due to start next month and those who sign up before Monday, February 14, will receive all 17 collections. The first collection...