A Newton Aycliffe mum was treated to a beautiful hamper after a fundraising effort by new group Community Spirit. Joanne Jones, of Community Spirit (pictured) made the Mother’s Day hamper and, with the co-operation of the Wilko store in Newton Aycliffe and volunteers who helped man the stall for two days, raffled it off for £355. “We...

Aycliffe Today have marked their seventh anniversary by refreshing their website. The community website was created and launched by Martin Walker in January 2012, with their award-winning business magazine – Aycliffe Today Business – following later the same year. To mark the milestone, publishers Mantis Media engaged Aycliffe-based...

A man and woman have reportedly been injured in a crash in Newton Aycliffe on Monday morning. Police were called to the scene on Preston Road, close to the junction of School Aycliffe Lane, at 9.40am. Paramedics from the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) and firefighters were also called to the scene. A spokeswoman for Durham...

The developers behind a new 25-acre development on Aycliffe Business Park say the plans are on track for this year, with a planning application due to be submitted “within months”. Merchant Anglo, the company behind Merchant Park, home to Hitachi’s £82m factory which opened three-and-a-half years ago, is now planning to build three new...

Officers are appealing for witnesses to a collision which left a biker with serious injuries. It happened on Emerson Way outside the Iron Horse Hotel in Newton Aycliffe at 2.40pm on Saturday, March 30 and involved a KTM 350 motorbike and Volkswagen Golf. Both vehicles were travelling in opposite directions when they collided. The...

Horndale Community Association would like to thank Mandy, John, Staff and their patrons for their continued support. The group was handed a cheque for £100 which will be used to subsidise the group’s trip to Lightwater Valley in April. Chair Philip Clark said: “We would also like to thank Tesco for their support, they have donated gift...

More than 50 people attended the latest news and networking meeting on Aycliffe Business Park. Organised by Aycliffe Business Park Community and held at UTC South Durham, attendees heard from UTC principal Tom Dower and Adrian Goodall, Merchant Anglo development director, on the 25-acre Station Park development. Click here for details on...

Newton Aycliffe Youth FC is encouraging girls into football by holding coaching sessions as part of a national initiative. The FA and SSE launched the scheme to inspire girls aged between 5-11 to be involved in football. SSE Wildcats Girls’ Football Centres provide girls with regular opportunities to play football and take part in...

New arrangements for safeguarding children in County Durham are set to come into place well ahead of a Government deadline. Durham Local Safeguarding Children Board is to be replaced by a new body as part of national changes to safeguarding provision. Partner organisations across the country have until the end of June to notify the Secretary...

Woodham Academy’s soon-to-be new head teacher says he’s privileged to be taking on the role later this summer. Andrew Bell will succeed Christine Forsyth as Woodham’s head in September. And he says he wants to build on the work Mrs Forsyth has made during her eight-year spell as the school’s leader. “I think I am pretty clear,...