One Darlington - September 2015

one

Darlington September 2015

An ingenious magazine for an ingenious town

All Blacks - welcome!

Star backs police memorial page 12

Skaters jumping for joy page 14

It’s time to get thrifty page 29

Keeping our parks blooming page 31

I’m getting my free childcare for 2 year olds in Darlington for up to 15 hours a week... is your child?

You can check your child’s eligibility online at www.darlington.gov.uk/childcarechecker - you just need your national insurance number, or call Darlington’s People and Families Information Support on 0800 9172121 with your national insurance number or e-mail pfis@darlington.gov.uk

Showing that cares Welcome to Darlington One Darlington

The board of One Darlington Partnership

Welcome to One Darlington – the new magazine produced every two months for the people of Darlington. We are very excited about this new publication which brings together the public, private and voluntary sector.

Over the coming months, we will use the magazine to share news with you, ask for your thoughts and celebrate what is great about the Borough. You can read more about us, the contributors to the magazine, in the centre pages.

We are delighted that the award-winning Festival of Thrift and Jabberwocky Market are returning to the Borough this summer – see pages 28 and 29 for details.

Darlington’s libraries and the Stockton and Darlington Railway are both celebrating important anniversaries this year – see inside for how you can get involved in these historic occasions. The history of the Civic Theatre is also under the spotlight as we wait to see if the bid for Heritage Lottery Funding has been successful (see pages 10 and 11).

We hope you enjoy this new magazine and we are keen to hear your thoughts on subjects we can cover in future editions.

Please get in touch by calling 01325 406420, emailing editor@onedarlington.org.uk or writing to One Darlington, Room 101, Town Hall, Feethams, DL1 5QT.

Inside...

5 Council housing revolution ________________________________ 8

Investment in Darlington Memorial Hospital ________________________________ 10

A new era for the Civic Theatre ________________________________ 15 Dolphin Centre pool news ________________________________ 26 School open days ________________________________ 32

Have your say on parish boundaries ________________________________ 34-37 What’s on ________________________________ 38-39 Meet your councillors

One Darlington Partnership board

www.onedarlington.org.uk

one Darlington

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Keep it clean!

In 2012 we introduced wheeled bins to Darlington.

Then in 2014 we asked you to help us recycle more by separating glass, plastics, tins, paper and cardboard from your general household waste.

This year we have recycled 5,039 tonnes of our kerbside household waste and we want to thank everyone who has helped us reach this amount, but we know we can do better.

The Council has to pay for every tonne of general household waste that is sorted and treated.

In contrast the Council receives money for every tonne of household waste we recycle – money we can spend on things that are far from rubbish! If your household waste gets mixed in with your recycling it becomes contaminated and we have to pay to have it taken away and sorted. That’s why it’s so important for us all to separate recycling from our general waste. Please remember:

If you are on scheme A Put tins and drink cans, aerosols, cartons, plastic bottles, plastic packaging (not crisp packets or plastic bags) and foil in your green topped recycling bin.

Put paper and cardboard in the black caddy inside your bin (just put it in loose not in a plastic bag).

Put glass in your green box.

If you are on scheme B

Do you know a recycling champion?

Is someone in your family fanatical about making sure the right rubbish goes in the right place? We want to meet Darlington’s top recyclers to thank them for their efforts. If you, or someone you know, is mad about recycling let us know by emailing streetscene@darlington.gov.uk or calling 01325 388777.

Don’t put plastic bags or crisp packets in with your recycling as they can’t be recycled

(you don’t have a green topped recycling bin): Put tins and drink cans, aerosols, cartons, plastic bottles, plastic packaging (not crisp packets or plastic bags) and foil in your large green box.

Put paper and cardboard in your blue bag.

Put glass in your smaller green box.

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www.darlington.gov.uk/streetscene

Council housing revolution A multi-million pound housing revolution in Darlington will see around 170 much-needed, new council homes built over the next three years.

Darlington Borough Council is investing £20.1m of housing revenue funds and has secured another £3.2m from the Homes and Communities Agency to support the building programme.

The scheme will provide a mix of modern flats and houses on seven sites across the borough, including 40 new homes on three sites at Red Hall, along with 28 in Fenby Avenue, 18 in Hammond Drive, 18 in Sherborne Close and 62 in Allington Way. All the properties are for rent.

Councillor Veronica Copeland, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for many people looking for a new home. It represents a major investment of our housing revenue from rents to build new council homes.”

Red Hall regeneration Work has started on 20 new two-bed flats in Red Hall following the demolition of 56 properties. The ground floor flats are designed to mobility standards, while in another phase of new build, a mix of 20 flats and two and three-bed houses will be developed.

In addition to this, work has started on a major £5.5m regeneration of Red Hall investing in both properties and the community.

The work includes cladding to improve insulation and overall appearance, double glazing and new front doors, new fencing and pavements and a pilot scheme to reverse the front and back doors to adopt a more traditional style. There will also be environment works including new green spaces.

Built in the 1960s and ‘70s, using non-traditional methods, Red Hall now needs modernisation.

Councillor Veronica Copeland explained: “We must continue to invest in our stock to keep up with modern standards and, along with other developments planned for the area, it will make Red Hall a more attractive place to live.”

The scheme forms part of wider changes planned for the eastern side of the town where there are long term plans to develop up to 1,600 new homes and create 2,000 new jobs. The council’s vision is

www.darlington.gov.uk/housing

for a well-planned, integrated community of people living, working and playing in this part of Darlington.

Councillor Copeland added: “We’re also working closely with Groundwork North East and the local community to develop the Red Hall Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy, to help build and strengthen relationships in the local community to enable them to take the lead on future developments within the estate.

“It’s an exciting, but challenging time for the borough, so we’re working to ensure it all links together through our Master Plan. Working together we aim to make Darlington a better place for everyone to live, work and visit.”

More information can be found at www.darlington. gov.uk/housing/red-hall-regeneration or contact the Customer Contact Team Tel 01325 405333 or email customerengagement@darlington.gov.uk

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Travel safely this As the nights draw in and the mornings become darker it is even more important to be well prepared for your journey to school or work.

Whether you are walking, cycling, driving or catching the bus or train, there are things you can do to make sure you are safe and prepared whatever the weather.

Local Motion will be posting top tips for travelling safely in the winter months on the Local Motion website and facebook page. Like and follow the page for your chance to win some fantastic travel related goodies.

Facebook.com/dothelocalmotion

Brighten up for the journey to school Each day almost 5,000 children in Darlington walk to school whilst more than 500 cycle. It’s vital to make sure they are all kept safe on their journeys to school.

Some helpful tips to keep your children safe: • On dull days dress your child in bright or fluorescent colours • If walking near traffic at night reflective clothing is a must, as fluorescent colours don’t show up in the dark • Don’t be distracted by using your mobile phone or listening to music through headphones while crossing the road • If cycling ensure their bike has working front and back lights • Reflective armbands help to increase your child’s visibility and reflective stickers are a great option for older children who may think they’re too cool for armbands • Make sure you know which route your child plans to walk or cycle or which bus they will be taking and have a planned time that they should be home by, that way you can trace their route if they are running late • Plan routes with them so that they know where to go when you’re not with them • The message isn’t just for children; make sure you wear bright clothing and plan your journeys well too.

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www.dothelocalmotion.co.uk

winter Personalised travel planning for Darlington Travel Advisors from Team Local Motion will be visiting homes in Darlington between 29 September and 30 October to offer residents a range of free information, advice and tips to help save money, get healthier and reduce their impact on the environment when making everyday journeys.

Residents will also have the opportunity to share any comments or concerns they have about travel and transport in their local area, and these will be fed back to the relevant organisations. For more information on Local Motion and Personalised Travel Planning visit www.dothelocalmotion.co.uk

Important information for concessionary bus pass holders The council is renewing 22,000 free concessionary bus passes which are due to expire in March 2016.

The council will be writing to all pass holders before the end of January 2016 with more information about their new bus pass, so you do not need to do anything now, unless any of your details such as your address have changed in the last five years.

Stonebridge strengthening works Works to strengthen Stonebridge in Darlington town centre will begin this Autumn. The council has secured £500,000 from the Department for Transport’s Local Highways Maintenance Challenge Fund which was set up to help councils fund large scale maintenance projects.

The Victorian bridge provides a vital link to and from the town centre and these strengthening works will mean that the council can avoid placing a weight limit on vehicles using the bridge. The council is working to minimise disruption during the works.

More details about the project can be found at www.darlington.gov.uk/stonebridgestrengthening

If you have a free bus pass and any of your details have changed in the last five years, you need to contact the council to update them before the end of November unless you have already done so. You can do this either by phone on 01325 405222 or by emailing concessionarytravel@darlington.gov.uk

www.dothelocalmotion.co.uk

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Investing in Darlington Memorial At County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, we are planning new state of the art operating theatres at Darlington Memorial Hospital, which will serve local people, and patients from elsewhere in the region.

The existing theatres at Darlington are more than 35 years old, and technology and surgical practice have changed over time. The planned new theatres will be significantly larger than the old ones, and designed for modern operating techniques.

We believe the new theatres will mean the hospital can become a ‘centre of excellence’ for some types of surgery.

“Every hospital can’t deliver every service and do it to a high standard,” said Trust medical director Professor Chris Gray. “By bringing some of our services together in centres of excellence, as we have done for vascular surgery in Durham, weight loss surgery in Darlington and hip and knee surgery in Bishop Auckland, we can make sure patients receive the best care from truly expert specialist clinical staff. This is central to our plan for the theatres in Darlington.”

Building the new theatres will require the demolition of some no longer used facilities, including the former mental health facility, the Pierremont Unit. Work on site is expected to begin later this year.

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An artist’s impression of the hospital

“By bringing some of our services together in centres of excellence we can make sure patients receive the best care from truly expert specialist clinical staff. This is central to our plan for Darlington.”

- Professor Chris Gray

The vascular theatre at University Hospital of North Durham – we want to create similar centres of excellence in Darlington.

Integrating urgent and emergency care We are planning to extend the A&E department at Darlington Memorial Hospital to include urgent care services currently provided at Dr Piper House in King Street.

Matron Barbara Potter said: “Having emergency and urgent care in one place is shown to help reduce waiting times and make sure patients get access to the most appropriate services for their condition.”

www.cddft.nhs.uk

Hospital Supporting older people We are working with partner organisations in Darlington to provide better support for vulnerable older people.

Hospital and community health staff are coming together with GPs and social care professionals to form multi-disciplinary teams offering more joined up care for older people.

The teams, known as MDTs, are already reducing unnecessary stays in hospital, and helping people maintain their independence for longer.

This new approach has been welcomed by local people and health professionals, and recently won an award at the North East Commissioning Support Awards.

We are investing £2.3million in mobile technology for community nurses and teams. Jane Haywood, Clinical Director of Adults and Integrated Services, said: “At the moment, community staff have to go back to base to write up their notes after their home visits. Providing IT to use while they are out and about means nurses can spend less time in their cars or in the office and more time with their patients.”

www.cddft.nhs.uk

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Curtain set to rise on new era

The curtain is set to rise on a new era for Darlington Civic Theatre as ambitious plans to preserve and regenerate the Grade II listed building continue.

A bid for £5m funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund has got through the first application stage. If approved, it will signal the go-ahead for a major scheme that will see the Edwardian theatre restored to its former glory.

A host of new facilities will also be added including a café-bar, heritage gallery, better disabled access and improvements to backstage areas to allow the theatre to accommodate larger shows and expand its range of activities, including a chance to learn about the theatre’s history and its heroes.

If the bid wins final approval the theatre will close in June 2016 to allow work to start, it will then reopen in the autumn of 2017.

Lynda Winstanley, Director at Darlington Civic Theatre, explained: “This is an exciting time for us and if our bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund is successful it will open up a whole new chapter in the theatre’s history.

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“Since initial approval was granted we’ve been hard at work developing our plans, which will draw on the inspiration of the fascinating heritage of the theatre.

“To do this we’ve been carrying out in-depth research into its history, which has revealed lots of new stories to add to the existing archive material. This includes the reasons behind its choice of location, who designed and decorated the theatre, and how the performers travelled to the town and where they stayed.”

Councillor Nick Wallis, Darlington Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Leisure and Transport, said: “Darlington Civic Theatre has been a jewel in the crown of Darlington for more than a century and holds a special place in many people’s hearts.

“We’re now on the brink of a once in a lifetime opportunity to restore and celebrate its wonderful Edwardian architecture and develop a new vision to create a theatre that can thrive in the modern age and continue to play its part in serving the people of the town and beyond.”

www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk

for Civic Theatre Secret history Research into the history of the theatre has revealed a host of little-known facts about its heritage.

The site in Parkgate became available as a result of a road-widening scheme instigated by Darlington Corporation. It purchased 4,482 ‘superficial square yards’ between St Hilda’s Church and Borough Road for £12,500 in November 1900 to redevelop the site to link up with the new main line rail station. The proximity of the theatre to the new fire station was also of particular interest, as the Theatre Royal in Darlington had been the subject of a calamitous fire in November 1883. The nearby railway station made it easier for touring artists and companies, as well as audiences from out of town to travel to the theatre.

Share your memories The Civic Theatre is keen to hear about any early memories you may have about the theatre. They will be displayed during the run of Cinderella, which opens on 5 December, and there will be prizes of theatre tickets for the ‘most interesting’ memories.

Send your memories to Darlington Civic Theatre, Darlington Borough Council, FREEPOST DL64, Darlington, DL1 5BR, including your name, address and contact details.

Also, please let us know if you do not wish to receive information from Darlington Civic Theatre. The closing date is 31 October 2015.

The mystery surrounding the architects of the theatre has finally been solved, as research has now confirmed the architect was G F Ward, from Owen and Ward of Birmingham. The fabulous plasterwork decorating the auditorium was supplied by A R Dean & Co of Birmingham, one of the most prolific theatre plasterers of the age who regularly worked with Owen and Ward.

An examination of the theatre has uncovered an original 1907 encaustic tiled floor in the main foyer, which it is hoped can be restored. Encaustic tiles are ceramic tiles in which the pattern or design are produced by different coloured clays rather than a surface glaze.

In the early years, theatre companies would arrive in Darlington by train at nearby Bank Top Station along with their scenery and props. They would walk to the theatre, while the scenery was transported by horse and cart. To this day companies request a ‘digs list’ giving details of accommodation available. The theatre has a fascinating set of signed theatrical head shots from the 1920s and ‘30s collected by Darlington landlady Mrs L Webster.

www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk

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Star backs police memorial campaign

Stonemason David France with Chief Supt Graham Hall

Artist’s impression of memorial

TV star Mark Gatiss is backing a campaign to raise funds for a police memorial in Darlington.

Mark, who plays Mycroft in the BBC’s Sherlock, and has also starred in Doctor Who, The League of Gentlemen and Game of Thrones, is hosting an evening at Darlington Civic Theatre.

The much anticipated night will help fund a stone memorial at Darlington Police Station for lost colleagues.

Officers and staff have been busy raising cash for the stone sculpture.

So far there have been cake mornings, race nights and even a cycle challenge to Paris.

But the evening hosted by Mark Gatiss will be the icing on the cake.

Chief Supt Graham Hall said: “We are absolutely thrilled that Mark has agreed to give up his time to back our appeal. Despite his fame, he is a local lad and has certainly not forgotten his roots.

“The memorial, which is being funded entirely from donations, will be a fitting tribute to our police colleagues who are sadly no longer with us.”

The police memorial will be sculptured from sandstone and located on the first floor of Darlington Police Station.

The stone will be transformed by hand using traditional methods by local stonemason David France.

Once completed the sculpture will be wall-mounted and supported by a metal frame built by Tony Petch. It will then be lit by special lighting.

• An Evening with Mark Gatiss will be at Darlington Civic Theatre on Saturday 3 October. Tickets are available from the Civic Theatre on 01325 486555 or www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk priced at £18 or £17 for restricted view.

• If you would like to donate to the Darlington Police Memorial Fund go to www.gofundme.com/darlingtonpolice or visit Darlington Police Station.

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Mark was born in Sedgefield and attended Heighington CE Primary School and Woodham Comprehensive School. He then studied Theatre Arts at Bretton Hall College.

He was a member of the sketch comedy team behind The League of Gentlemen, a show which earned him and his colleagues a BAFTA. Mark has appeared twice in Doctor Who, but is probably best known for playing Mycroft Holmes in the BBC drama, Sherlock, which he co-created and co-produced with Steven Moffat.

www.durham.police.uk

Free help to make sure you’re safe as houses

News in brief

People are being asked to spread the word about a project aimed at keeping vulnerable people safe in their homes.

New Deputy Chief Constable Stephen Watson, who played a key role in policing the Olympics and London riots, has been appointed as Durham Constabulary’s new Deputy Chief Constable. Steve, 46, was appointed following the retirement of Michael Banks, who left the force after 30 years.

Safer Homes, run by County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, Durham Constabulary and Darlington The Safer Homes team Borough Council, aims to prevent vulnerable people becoming victim to fire and crime.

The project team is calling on the friends, relatives, neighbours and carers of older and isolated people in the Darlington area to tell them about the help available.

The team offers a wide variety of free options to boost security and improve peace of mind including smoke and intruder alarms.

Ann Hazel, County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service Safer Homes co-ordinator, said: “We combine the expertise of all services and offer clear safety advice and measures to improve people’s lives and help to keep them safe.”

To find out more call 0191 375 5561 or 0845 223 4221 (calls charged at local rate), email saferhomes@ddfire.gov.uk or visit www.ddfire.gov.uk

Universal Credit – changes to benefits explained From 23 November, some single people in Darlington, between 18 and pension credit qualifying age, who make a new claim for benefit because they are unemployed, will claim Universal Credit instead of Jobseeker’s Allowance.

If you are eligible for help to pay your rent this money will be part of your monthly Universal Credit payment and will not be paid directly to your landlord.

You will also need to make a separate claim for any help with paying your Council Tax. Universal Credit claims must be made online at www.gov.uk/ apply-universal-credit but help is available on 0345 600 0723. If you are facing financial difficulties you should be offered personal budgeting support.

There is more information at www.gov.uk/universalcredit and look out for more articles about Universal Credit in the November edition of One Darlington.

www.onedarlington.org.uk

Fire safety laws Landlords are being urged to get ready for new safety laws aimed at saving dozens of lives a year. The regulations, expected to come into effect from October 2015, make it compulsory to fit smoke alarms on every floor of rented homes. For more information email csenquiries@ddfire. gov.uk or phone 0845 2234221.

Don’t leave valuables on view Police are urging drivers not to leave valuables on view after 103 people were caught in a week leaving mobile phones, jewellery, purses and sat nav systems on car seats and dashboards.

Warning letters were sent to those who had left themselves vulnerable to thieves.

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Young skaters celebrate funding scheme Ron with some 4Motion skaters

More than £22,000 has been awarded from Police and Crime Commissioner, Ron Hogg’s Community Safety Fund to projects across Darlington.

town. There has been lots of positive feedback, from parents in particular, knowing their children can come to learn and enhance their skills in a safe environment.”

The money is being used to tackle anti-social behaviour; raise awareness and support victims of domestic abuse; give employment training and support disadvantaged young people to help steer them away from crime.

Caroline Hinde is one of the trustees at 4Motion and got involved because she felt it was good to see children of all ages mixing, especially younger ones being coached by older children. “It’s just good for them to have somewhere safe to go”, said Caroline, “Somewhere they can do their crazy stunts and know that if they hurt themselves there are trained first-aiders on site.”

Ron teamed up with local grant-making charity the County Durham Community Foundation earlier this year, to deliver and manage his Community Safety Fund.

He said: “Victims of crime and community safety continues to be at the heart of my police and crime plan for 2015-17. Investing in community safety initiatives, and supporting local projects, has a direct benefit on the surrounding community.”

Ron said: “This project has seen fabulous progress over the last year and a half. Well done to all involved.”

To receive Ron’s latest newsletter, or to find out about other Community Safety Fund projects, visit his website at www.durham-pcc.gov.uk

In November 2013, Ron provided £5,000 towards the building of the 4Motion Skate Park at Faverdale. He re-visited the skate park this summer to see how progress has been made, since the grand opening in April 2014.

Nigel Potter, who leads the skate park project, said: “I’m really pleased with how it’s developed, with 18,000 attendances during our first year.

“It’s great to see so many people using it, not just young children, but people of different ages, with some travelling far and wide from outside of the

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www.durham-pcc.gov.uk

The Dolphin Centre is all set for major improvements

The Dolphin Centre is getting ready for an upgrade to improve facilities.

As part of the Council’s commitment to improving sports facilities across the Borough, the improvements are to upgrade the Dolphin Centre to make it a more inviting and energy efficient place to visit. Changes include replacing the boilers, pumps and ventilation systems to the pool.

children for their swimming lessons. Clubs and groups will also use the training pool during this period and a small programme of public swimming sessions will be available during this time. Please see the website for full details.

The changing village will benefit from a new drainage system and new flooring and brighter lighting will be fitted in the pool area to make it more inviting for swimmers. The gym’s ventilation system will also be improved.

Mike Crawshaw, Darlington Borough Council’s Head of Leisure and Cultural Services, said: “This is a really exciting development. It is essential to carry out the maintenance works to enable us to continue to operate and make improvements.

They will be carried out as quickly as possible; however, there will be some disruption to the pools in the forthcoming weeks.”

As we go to print, the full details of the works programme are not available. Groups and regular pool users will have been notified and regular updates will be available at www.healthydarlington. co.uk.

He added: “We apologise for any disruptions and inconvenience caused whilst the works are carried out, but, rest assured, it will all be worth it for a brighter, more inviting and energy efficient Dolphin Centre.”

The main swimming pool will be closed from September through to Christmas. The training pool will remain open during phase one of the project and will continue to accommodate around 2,000

For information visit www.healthydarlington. co.uk, email healthydarlington.gov.uk, follow us on twitter @healthydton or like us on Facebook/healthydarlington

www.healthydarlington.gov.uk

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Former college apprentice helps trainee on the road to a cutting edge career Former Darlington College apprentice, Lauren Taylor, is ensuring that new stylists are able to cut it in the world of hair and beauty by taking on her own apprentice.

Lauren, 25, took over the running of Romanby Hair Salon in Northallerton from her step-mum while still studying for her own Level 3 advanced hairdressing apprenticeship at Darlington College.

“I’d always wanted to be a hairdresser but my mum wasn’t keen,” said Lauren.

“After I left school I got an apprenticeship as a quantity surveyor but it wasn’t what I wanted to do and I also didn’t want to have to wait 12 years until I was fully qualified.

“I’d worked as a Saturday girl in the salon so I asked if I could do an apprenticeship, which involved me spending one day a week at Darlington College to gain my qualifications.”

Former Darlington College apprentice Lauren with apprentice Jordan

When Lauren’s step-mum announced that she was selling the business in 2013, Lauren and fellow stylist Claire Shuttleworth, who had worked in the salon for 12 years, decided to go into partnership and take over.

“It was a big decision to take on the salon while juggling my college studies,” said Lauren.

“Even when she didn’t have an appointment she would come in and pester Claire and me to give her a Saturday job – so when she turned 15 we offered her a position, on the understanding that when she left school we would take her on as an apprentice and she would study at Darlington College.

“I was the only apprentice on the course running their own business but I was really proud of myself knowing that I’d made the right decision with my career.”

“As an apprentice, Jordan gets a real hands-on experience of working in a salon, building up good relationships with clients and is able to progress to more advanced work in a shorter space of time, while gaining her qualifications at college.”

Now Lauren is hoping to further the career of another Darlington College student by taking on 16-year-old Jordan Wilbor as a full-time apprentice.

Jordan added: “It was a natural progression to sign up to the hairdressing apprentice scheme. I love hairdressing and it’s great to be able to follow in Lauren’s footsteps.”

“Jordan has been coming here to have her hair done since she was eight and has always wanted to be a hairdresser,” said Lauren.

For more information on studying opportunities at Darlington College visit www.darlington.ac.uk

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www.darlington.ac.uk

This month’s Move More Star inspires us to Move More Star get in a spin!

Jonathan Wilkinson, 46 from Darlington, has been attending the Spinning Sessions at the Dolphin Centre since 2006.

Jonathan, who is visually impaired, started attending the Dolphin Centre Spinning sessions to help him build up his fitness for the cycling club he attended for people with visual impairments.

That was in February 2006, and although the cycling club he attended has now ended, Jonathan still attends two spinning sessions per week, which he travels to and returns home from independently.

Jonathan Wilkinson loves to attend the Dolphin Centre’s spinning classes

Jonathan, who intends to keep up the spinning classes and hopes to return to tandem riding in the future said: “I am so pleased I gave spinning a go. The Dolphin Centre is somewhere I can travel to and from independently which is very important for me.

“All of the instructors have different ideas for exercises to do along to different styles of music, which is great as it is enjoyable and gets me moving. All sessions consist of warm ups to prepare us to ride, the main spinning section and a cool down to finish. Everyone is also able to work at their own level in the session and the bikes are adjustable so are accessible for different shapes and sizes of people.

“I really look forward to the spinning sessions – they help me to keep fit and healthy and I have made some great friends through the classes. I have a Live Darlington card so it only costs me £2.80 per session for the sessions I attend.”

Event

Day

Time

Jonathan would love to return to tandem riding – if anyone has a tandem bike or knows of anyone who has one that he could have access to and/or partner up with please get in touch.

Email communications@ darlington.gov.uk

Venue

Cost

Age

Spinning Monday 6.30pm – 7.30pm Dolphin Centre £3.75 14+ ____________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday 7.00pm – 8.00pm Dolphin Centre £3.75 14+ ____________________________________________________________________________

Wednesday 12.15pm – 1.00pm Dolphin Centre £2.80 14+

6.15pm – 7.15pm Dolphin Centre £3.75 14+ ____________________________________________________________________________

Thursday 6.00pm – 7.00pm Dolphin Centre £3.75 14+ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Friday 5.30pm – 6.15pm Dolphin Centre £3.55 14+ Spin & Abs For health and fitness advice contact The Move More Team movemore@darlington.gov.uk or call 01325 254370.

www.movemore.gov.uk

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Learning for Interest Courses Autumn 2015 Course Title

Venue

History of County Durham

Crown St Library

Day Start Finish Time Time

Start Date

Course Length

Total Fee

Mon

21 Sep

5 weeks

£30

10.00

12.00

Intro to Family History

Longfield Academy

Mon

18.00

20.00

21 Sep

5 weeks

£30

Computers and Internet for Beginners

Carmel College

Mon

18.00

20.00

21 Sep

10 weeks

£60

Beginners Henna Tattoo

Longfield Academy

Mon

18.00

20.00

21 Sep

5 weeks

£30

Italian Conversation

Crown St Library

Tue

10.00

12.00

22 Sep

10 weeks

£60

Sewing Techniques

Hummersknott Academy

Tue

18.00

21.00

22 Sep

7 weeks

£63

History of County Durham

Hummersknott Academy

Tue

18.00

20.00

22 Sep

5 weeks

£30

Silk Painting

Longfield Academy

Tue

18.30

21.30

22 Sep

7 weeks

£63

Buying online and staying secure

Crown St Library

Wed

10.00

12.00

23 Sep

5 weeks

£30

Photoshop

Crown St Library

Wed

13.00

15.00

23 Sep

10 weeks

£60

Creative Writing

Crown St Library

Wed

13.00

15.00

23 Sep

10 weeks

£60

Yoga

Coleridge Centre

Wed

18.00

19.00

16 Sep

10 weeks

£60

Good home cooking

Hummersknott Academy

Wed

18.00

21.00

23 Sep

7 weeks

£63

Computers and Internet for Beginners

Longfield Academy

Wed

18.00

20.00

23 Sep

10 weeks

£60

Holiday French

Longfield Academy

Wed

18.00

20.00

23 Sep

10 weeks

£60

Dressmaking

Hummersknott Academy

Wed

18.00

21.00

23 Sep

7 weeks

£63

Family History using Ancestry

Crown St Library

Thu

10.15

12.15

24 Sep

5 weeks

£30

Painting with Acrylics

Crown St Library

Thu

10.15

12.15

24 Sep

10 weeks

£60

Computers and Internet for Beginners

Crown St Library

Thu

13.00

15.00

24 Sep

10 weeks

£60

Advanced Watercolours

Crown St Library

Thu

13.00

15.00

24 Sep

10 weeks

£60

Beginners Watercolours

Crown St Library

Thu

15.15

17.15

24 Sep

10 weeks

£60

Beginners Cake Decorating

Hummersknott Academy

Thu

18.00

21.00

24 Sep

7 weeks

£63

Home Furnishings

Carmel College

Thu

18.30

21.30

24 Sep

7 weeks

£63

Jewellery Making

Hummersknott Academy

Thu

18.30

20.30

24 Sep

10 weeks

£60

How to set up a cake business

Crown St Library

Fri

9.30

11.30

25 Sep

6 weeks

£36

ITQ Level 2 Award in Excel Spreadsheets (Accredited)

L&S Tubwell Row

Fri

13.00

15.00

25 Sep

10 weeks

£120

Teaching and Preparation for Work Autumn 2015 Course Title

Venue

Day Start Finish Time Time

Start Date

Training, Assessment and Quality Assurance (TAQA)

Coleridge Centre

Tue

18.00

21.00

15 Sep

12 weeks

£450

Level 3 award in Education and Training (formerly PTLLS)

Coleridge Centre

Wed

18.00

21.00

16 Sep

13 weeks

£350

Enrolment dates Crown Street Library, Thursday 10th September 2015 12 noon – 1pm, Tuesday 15th September 2015 1pm - 2pm Coleridge Centre, Any week day 9am – 4pm Enrolments and payment can be made over the phone on 01325 248021

www.darlington.gov.uk/learningandskills

Course Length

Total Fee

Learning & Skills

Family Learning Courses Autumn 2015 Family Learning courses are fun, free and for all parents, grandparents and carers Course Title

Venue

Day

Start Time

Finish Time

Start Date

Course Length

Total Fee

FREE

Time for Books

Haughton Children’s Centre

Mon

9.15

11.15

14 Sep

10 weeks

Child Development

Crown Street Library

Mon

10.00

12.00

14 Sep

10 weeks

FREE

English made Easy

McNay Street Children’s Centre

Tue

9.30

11.30

15 Sep

10 weeks

FREE

Family Health & Safety

Art Club (including children for 1 hour)

Red Hall School

Tue

13.00

15.00

15 Sep

10 weeks

FREE

Skerne Park Academy

Tue

14.15

16.15

15 Sep

10 weeks

FREE

FREE

Maths made Easy

West Park Academy

Wed

9.00

11.00

16 Sep

10 weeks

Family Health & Safety

St Teresa’s School

Wed

9.15

11.15

9 Sep

10 weeks

FREE

Helping in School Level 2

Red Hall School

Wed

9.15

11.15

9 Sep

15 weeks

FREE

FREE

Play Talk

McNay Street Children’s Centre

Wed

9.30

11.30

16 Sep

10 weeks

Fun with Numbers

Mount Pleasant Children’s Centre

Wed

13.00

15.00

16 Sep

10 weeks

FREE

Time for Books

Cockerton Primary School

Wed

13.30

15.15

16 Sep

10 weeks

FREE

Child Development

Coleridge Centre

Thu

9.00

11.00

10 Sep

10 weeks

FREE

Play Talk

St John’s Academy

Thu

9.15

11.15

10 Sep

10 weeks

FREE

Play Talk

Borough Road Nursery

Thu

9.15

11.15

10 Sep

10 weeks

FREE

Family Health & Safety

Dodmire Children’s Centre

Thu

9.30

11.30

10 Sep

10 weeks

FREE

English made easy

Firthmoor Community Centre

Thu

12.30

14.30

3 Sep

10 weeks

FREE

Fun with Food

Coleridge Centre

Fri

12.00

14.00

25 Sep

5 weeks

FREE

Family Learning

Venue

Day

Start

Finish

Date

Fee

Time

Time

Spooky Walk

L&S Tubwell Row

Sat

14.00

16.00

7 Nov

£1 per child

Christmas Crafts

Crown St Library

Sat

10.00

12.00

5 Dec

£1 per child

Workshop

Learning & Skills also offer Apprenticeships, Diplomas and Study Programme, GCSE English, GCSE Maths and Functional Skills in English, Maths and ICT. For more details please phone 01325 248021.

Learning & Skills

Children attending the above workshops must have an adult in attendance at all times

Places are limited and need to be booked in advance For further information please phone Learning & Skills on 01325 248021, email l&s@darlington.gov.uk or text 07816 677851

www.darlington.gov.uk/learningandskills

Darlington Civic Theatre new season now on sale A world of entertainment awaits you at Darlington Civic Theatre, with something for everyone. Pick up a brochure or visit the website for details. ★★★★★

ALL STAR CAST FROM THE WEST END

‘OSCAR WILDE’S CLASSIC IN A DELIGHTFUL NEW CONTEXT’

Production photography ©Tristram Kenton: 2014, Harold Pinter Theatre

QUENTIN LETTS DAILY MAIL

Box office 01325 486555 www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk ★★★★ NIGEL

SIÂN

CHRISTINE

HAVERS

PHILLIPS

KAVANAGH

Added material written by SIMON BRETT

Directed by LUCY BAILEY

Design by WILLIAM DUDLEY

‘SPARKLING FUN’

DOMINIC MAXWELL THE TIMES

One Darlington Partnership working together for the Borough One Darlington Partnership brings together the private, public and voluntary sector to ensure Darlington is a great place to live, work and invest. All those involved in the partnership are committed to making sure Darlington, and the people who live here, can live well and reach their potential.

We believe that more can be achieved when everyone is focused on the same objectives. That is why we strive to involve as many people as possible from the community in our work and are passionate about sharing all our partners’ knowledge to achieve the best possible future for Darlington.

The partnership board meets regularly to discuss our plans and on these pages you can find out more about the contributors to this magazine and the organisations they represent.

Ada Burns, Chief Executive of Darlington Council

“As Chief Executive, I head up the day to day running of the Council and support the Leader and Councillors to meet their goals.

“I lead and take responsibility for the work of more than 2,500 staff who work for the many varied services we provide, from emptying the bins and repairing the roads to running council housing and protecting the most vulnerable in our society.

“With the Leader in particular, I also work within Darlington, the Tees Valley and nationally to secure resources and influence for what our community needs.”

Alisdair MacConachie, Chairman of One Darlington Partnership

“The partnership has a long and proud history of collaborative working which can be traced back as far as 1992. During that time we have steadfastly brought together the private, voluntary and public sectors to work for the benefit of Darlington and its people.

“I am delighted to introduce this new magazine to you as it gives us an opportunity to tell you about what we are doing and to hear your views about what else we could do to make Darlington an even better place to live.”

Katie Blundell, Darlington Cares Programme Manager

“At Darlington Cares we are passionate about supporting the local community. We help to coordinate the skills and volunteer resources of local businesses and match these to projects where they can make a positive difference.

“We run a range of different projects, which are based on Darlington’s community need, including making sure young people have the skills they need for employment, team challenges, skill-led projects and donation campaigns.

“We are always interested to hear from businesses and volunteers.

“Please get in touch with us on Twitter @darlingtoncares, like us on Facebook and visit our website www.darlingtoncares.co.uk for more information.”

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Bill Dixon, Leader of Darlington Council

“As Leader of the Council, I have overall responsibility for the Council’s performance and the wide-ranging services we provide.

I oversee all of the strategic functions of the Council and work with my elected Cabinet members to ensure we provide the best services we can. To achieve this, the Council employs professional officers to oversee the day-to-day running of services.

“I am passionate about partnership working and making sure that everyone in Darlington works together for the benefit of the Borough and those who live and work here. We already enjoy strong partnerships with other public services and with voluntary and community services and I am delighted that we can come together in this magazine to start a conversation with our residents.”

Stuart Errington, Chief Fire Officer County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service “People who live, work and visit Darlington are at the heart of our plans and actions every day. This stems from our control staff, who take 999 calls and deploy our crews to incidents; to our community protection and prevention team who advise and provide practical help to keep people safe.

“As a modern fire and rescue service we want to play our part in ensuring Darlington is a thriving town; key to this is reducing risk in communities and protecting those who are most vulnerable. This will only be achieved if public agencies, businesses and voluntary organisations work together.

“This is why we place such a strong emphasis on working in partnership and collaboration on projects such as this new magazine.”

www.onedarlington.org.uk

Graham Hall, Chief Superintendent Durham and Darlington Constabulary

Ron Hogg, Police and Crime Commissioner for Durham

Dr Andrea Jones, Chair of NHS Darlington Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)

“Darlington is policed from the main police station on St Cuthbert’s Way in the town. We receive around 100 calls per day from people in Darlington and about 20 of these are to report a crime. The most common type of crime we hear about is theft.

“I am fully committed to working in partnership to achieve the objectives set out in my Police and Crime Plan 2015-17. Effective partnership working in Darlington is strong and well developed and is essential to achieving our shared goals, which cannot be tackled effectively by one agency alone.

“We are a group of local GPs who are responsible for planning and purchasing local health care services.

We commission a number of local providers such as County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust and Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust, as well as working closely with all eleven member GP practices.

“I am in charge of policing across the Borough and I am dedicated to ensuring Darlington is a safe place to live, work and visit.

“My officers are working hard, alongside our partners, to make Darlington safer and we are proud to serve this town and its people.”

“I am a committed member of the Darlington Community Safety Partnership and I provide funding to support our shared objectives.

Improving outcomes for individuals and communities is at the heart of what we do, and I look forward to working more closely with our partners in the future.”

“We are keen to hear the views of local people and use patient feedback to improve services. Find out more at www.darlingtonccg.nhs.uk tel 01325 364271, email DARCCG.contact@nhs.net, twitter @DarloCCG”

Martin Barkley, Chief Executive, Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV)

Sue Jaques, Chief Executive, County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

Kate Roe, Principal, Darlington College

“We provide a range of mental health, learning disability and eating disorders services for 1.6 million people living in County Durham, the Tees Valley, Scarborough, Whitby, Ryedale, Harrogate, Hambleton and Richmondshire.

“We are the largest integrated provider of NHS care in the North East. We serve 650,000 people locally, 24 hours a day seven days a week. We are committed to putting our patients at the heart of everything we do, to deliver the very best care.

“One Darlington is an important community voice and a great way of finding out about life in Darlington.

“We continue to develop and strengthen our community services so that people receive the appropriate level of care and support they need in, or near, their own homes. When people need to spend time in hospital, our focus is on making sure they receive effective, therapeutic care.

“We provide care from Darlington Memorial, University Hospital of North Durham and Bishop Auckland Hospital, and from six community hospitals, 80 community premises and in patient homes across the area.

“With more than 6,000 staff working out of around 180 sites, we deliver our services by working in partnership with seven local authorities and clinical commissioning groups, a wide range of voluntary organisations, as well as service users, their carers and the public.”

“We believe in a strong future for health services in Darlington. We are working with our partners across the health economy, local authority and voluntary sector to deliver better quality, safer care and treatment to you, the people of Darlington.”

www.onedarlington.org.uk

“Darlington College is at the heart of this town, training the next generation of workers to keep the local economy strong and vibrant. The College offers a wide range of courses, apprenticeships and bespoke training packages for students of all ages and all abilities. As your local college, we work closely with employers in the region to meet their training needs and to find high quality work placements for our students as they prepare for the world of work.

“We want to share our success stories with One Darlington and its readers.

Please pop down to the College to see for yourself our amazing students, staff and facilities.”

one Darlington

21

Revolutionising the manufacture of precision medicines

An artist’s impression of the National Biologics Manufacturing Centre which will be managed by the Centre for Processing Innovation

Imagine a world where disease outbreaks could be stopped at the source, a world where patients could receive personalised treatment for specific diseases and have it manufactured at their bedside.

The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) is working towards making this concept a reality by helping companies to scale down traditional biopharmaceutical manufacturing methods and develop new techniques for the future delivery of medicine.

Located at Central Park Darlington, CPI’s Biologics Factory of the Future, which is due to open in 2017, in conjunction with the National Biologics Manufacturing Centre, will facilitate the development of innovative manufacturing technologies which will serve the needs of the future healthcare market.

Many current treatments of disease offer a ‘one size fits all’ approach meaning the same drug is administered to a large group of patients who have been diagnosed with a disease.

22

Ongoing medical research is allowing us to take a more personal approach to treating patients. It is now possible to customise medicine to meet the needs of a much smaller group of patients suffering from the same type of disease, this approach is called precision medicine.

Looking to the future, it is likely that we will see a shift in the way medicines are manufactured which will enable precision medicine to be a more common approach to treatment. By scaling down and integrating the process technologies required to manufacture these therapies into a small scale manufacturing unit, it is possible to rapidly change between different products and produce small volumes of specific therapies cost effectively.

These units could be used to treat small patient groups or be easily transported around the world to manufacture at the site of an epidemic.

CPI is helping to make this vision a reality by helping companies to scale down current manufacturing methods and develop new techniques for the future delivery of precision medicine.

www.uk-cpi.com

Accolades for Darlington in health care commissioning awards NHS Darlington Clinical Commission Group (CCG) won two awards at the inaugural North East and Cumbria Commissioning Awards this summer.

The CCG won ‘Best Integration Project of the Year award’ and Dr Jenny Steel, Chief Executive Officer of Primary Healthcare Darlington, won the ‘Exceptional Contribution to a CCG’ individual award.

The awards acknowledge the work in commissioning (planning and buying) health care services by the region’s NHS groups.

Darlington CCG received the integration award on behalf of partner organisations in Darlington, who have come together to establish older people multidisciplinary teams (MDTs).

The award recognises the way the partners work together to plan and achieve integrated care for vulnerable older people, and demonstrate an

understanding and awareness of the needs of patients and service users, to improve quality and safety. The partner organisations are the CCG, Darlington Borough Council, County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, Primary Healthcare Darlington, Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, community and voluntary groups, and Healthwatch Darlington.

Dr Andrea Jones, Chair of NHS Darlington CCG, was delighted with the award. She said: “MDTs are part and parcel of a range of initiatives in Darlington to transform the way we care for older people in the Borough, and the way that health services, care and support are provided in and outside of our hospitals.

“We will continue to work closely with health and care organisations across Darlington and listen carefully to what older people and others groups are telling us, to ensure we are delivering the right services based on the needs of our population.”

The CCG team accepting its awards at the North East and Cumbria Commissioning Awards

www.darlingtonccg.nhs.uk

one Darlington

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Help is on hand for sufferers of back pain It is estimated that 80% of people will experience back pain during their lifetime. Experiencing back pain is like getting the flu, we don’t necessarily like it, but it occurs to almost everybody at some point.

Most acute back pain is the result of simple strains and will get better. The majority of people do get better in six weeks with only a small number developing longstanding, disabling problems.

Dr Andrea Jones, local GP and chair of the NHS Darlington Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is leading a regional back pain programme which is hoping to benefit patients in Darlington over the next two years.

Dr Jones said: “Back pain is influenced by lots of factors. The best treatment for most people involves keeping active and adopting a healthy lifestyle. Most people with back pain don’t require a scan but for those who do, we need to make sure this is done in

a timely way. For those who are unfortunate enough to experience long term back pain we will be able to offer a new programme that is proven to help patients Dr Andrea Jones self-manage their condition effectively, allowing them to continue with their normal lives in a positive healthy way.”

The CCG wants to hear about patients’ experience of local NHS services before the programme starts.

Give your feedback at www.surveymonkey.com/r/ regionalbackpainprogramme The programme will be evaluated by Teesside University, and is funded by the Health Foundation, an independent charity, as part of the ‘Scaling Up Improvement Programme’, which aims to take successful health care initiatives and deliver them on a larger scale.

Success of scheme to improve access to GPs GPs in Darlington are working together in innovative ways to benefit patients in the Borough.

Following successful bids for money from the Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund, GPs in the town formed a local federation, Primary Healthcare Darlington (PHD), responsible for delivering a range of pilot services to improve access to general practice.

Dr Andrea Jones, Chair of NHS Darlington Clinical Commissioning Group, said “This has been a fantastic opportunity for our GP practices to work in a more collaborative way for the benefit of our patients.”

www.darlingtonccg.nhs.uk

Amongst the pilot services are: • Routine appointments to see a GP or nurse available on Saturdays • An evening telephone advice service being available, via NHS 111, enabling patients to speak to a local GP between 6pm and 10pm, Monday to Friday.

PHD is also piloting a Sunday GP ‘hospital to home’ service run from Darlington Memorial Hospital. GPs are supporting consultants in the acute medical admissions unit to allow early, safe discharge home for patients by ensuring the necessary health and social care is available.

Dr Jenny Steel, Chief Executive of PHD, said “By working in partnership with our communities and other service providers, we are able to trial new and innovative approaches to ensure the best outcomes for our population and better value for money.”

For more information visit www.primaryhealthcaredarlington.co.uk or contact your GP.

one Darlington

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Schools set to open doors Secondary schools are set to open their doors in a series of events designed to give parents, carers and young people the chance to find out more about the choices available.

There are currently 1,182 young people in Year Six in Darlington primary schools, who will be the next in line to apply for a place to start secondary school in September 2016.

Councillor Cyndi Hughes, Darlington Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “Choosing the right secondary school for your child is a big decision for any parent or carer.

These open days offer an ideal opportunity to find out more about what is available in the borough and meet some of the teaching staff.

“We hope parents and carers will also bring their youngsters along to see for themselves what Darlington’s schools can offer and help make the transition to ‘big school’ a little less daunting for all.”

Darlington’s eight secondary schools are hosting open evenings (and some days) on the following dates: Carmel College, A Catholic Academy The Headlands, Darlington

Monday 14 September, 6.30pm www.carmel.org.uk

Longfield Academy of Sport Longfield Road, Darlington

Tuesday 15 September, 6.30pm www.longfield.uk.com

Polam Hall School Grange Road, Darlington

Wednesday 16 September, 2pm and 6.30pm. www.polamhall.com

Darlington School of Maths & Science Eggleston View, Darlington

Thursday 17 September, 1.45pm and 6.30pm www.dsms.org

Haughton Academy – Education Village Monday 21 September, 6.30pm Salters Lane South, Darlington www.educationvillage.org.uk St Aidan’s C of E Academy Hundens Lane, Darlington

Tuesday 22 September, 5.30pm www.staidansacademy.co.uk

Hummersknott Academy Edinburgh Drive, Darlington

Wednesday 23 September, 6.30pm www.hummersknott.org.uk

Hurworth School Croft Road, Hurworth-on-Tees

Thursday 24 September, 5.30pm www.hurworthschool.org.uk

No booking is necessary and visitors can just turn up on the day. For advice or any questions about the school admissions process email school.admissions@darlington.gov.uk There is also an online application form at www.darlington.gov.uk/apply-for-schools

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www.darlington.gov.uk/education-and-learning

Darlington gets ready to welcome the iconic All Blacks Later this month the third largest world sporting event, the Rugby World Cup 2015 (RWC 2015), officially gets underway.

use their balance, agility and co-ordination in a fun way through passing, catching, kicking and try scoring!

Darlington is getting ready to welcome the reigning RWC Champions, the All Blacks, into town as they prepare for the competition ahead.

The town centre will be buzzing with entertainment on Saturday 3 October - look out for rugby themed street theatre around the town between 11am and 3pm.

A total of 41 bases were selected for the RWC, which takes place between Saturday, 19 September and Saturday 31 October, and Darlington Mowden Park RFC (DMPRFC) secured the visit of the reigning world champions, the iconic All Blacks.

The squad will be training at the Darlington Arena, home of Darlington Mowden Park, for six days from Saturday 3 October to Thursday 8 October.

To help you get into the mood, a rugby theme will be introduced into the town, rugby inspired Move More activities will take place in the Market Square, prior to and during the All Blacks visit. For details visit www.healthydarlington.gov.uk. Rug Rats Rugby Skills sessions for 2 – 4 year olds will take place at Crown Street Library every Tuesday throughout September and October – these sessions will encourage children to develop and

www.darlington.gov.uk

Nick Wallis, Darlington Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Leisure and Local Environment, said: “It’s a real privilege to welcome the All Blacks to Darlington – let’s give them a welcome to remember to spur them on in their preparation for this fantastic sporting event.”

Danny Brown from DMPRFC said: “We are delighted to welcome the iconic All Blacks to Darlington, not only for the club but also the local community and wider reaching towns. These are the best rugby players in the world and carry an immense aura about them. The response we have had so far has been superb with people enquiring how they can get involved in rugby. Working together with Darlington Borough Council I am sure we will make a good show for the town and the North East as a whole.”

one Darlington

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All aboard for the 190th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway!

It’s full steam ahead at the Head of Steam Darlington Railway Museum - as it celebrates the 190th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September from 10am – 4pm.

Visitors are encouraged to dress up in the style of the day with prizes on offer for the best costumes.

Mr Pease and Mr Stephenson will be greeting visitors on both days along with lots of free family fun including: Cockerton Prize Silver Band, songs and music performed by Ric Langford, mini train rides, Punch and Judy, face painting, children’s entertainer, a balloon modeller and fairground rides.

Book readings by Jaime Moussa and Tony Stowers and old film footage from the Northern Film Archive

will also take place during the festivities. Local school children have also been working with museum staff and local artists to create anniversary inspired artwork. Plus the café will be open serving delicious food during the event.

Free shuttle bus

A free vintage bus will shuttle members of the public between the museum and Festival of Thrift taking place over the same weekend.

For details call 01325 405060 or visit www.head-of-steam.co.uk; email headofsteam@darlington.gov.uk

Darlington’s award-winning festival of world-class theatre returns to Darlington for the fifth time from 1 – 4 October.

Highlights not to be missed, include: Wot? No Fish!! - Jabberwocky Friday

In 1926 shoemaker Ab Solomons drew a doodle on the wagepacket he gave to his wife Celie. Danny Braverman tells the funny and moving story of how he discovered the lost art of his Greatuncle Ab in an extraordinary story about love and art, history and fish balls.

“A remarkable feat” ★★★★ Sydney Morning Herald

Beats North – Jabberwocky Saturday

Is this a man’s world? Would it be nothing without a woman, or a girl? With words by Luke Barnes and Ishy Din and a live soundtrack scratched by award winning DJ Mariam Rezaei, come join the party and request a song.

“It’s a great reminder of how much music affects our lives, and what solace it can bring” The List

This Is How We Die – Jabberwocky Saturday

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At The End Of Everything Else – Jabberwocky Sunday A modern Icarus tale about a yellow bird called Tito, for everyone aged 6 and over. The show is powered only by the collective energy of the team on stage generating cycle power.

You’ll love this if you saw the hugely popular, Paper Cinema’s Odyssey, that wowed Darlington audiences in 2013.

A motor-mouthed collage of paranoia, young love and ultraviolence. From the desk of New Yorker, Christopher Brett Bailey, comes a spiralling odyssey of pitch-black humour and nightmarish prose - strictly for ages 16 and over.

“It is the kind of event about which its audience will be proud to announce ‘I was there.’ ” ★★★★★ Plays to See

“It’s seldom that a moment of live performance on stage really shocks or transforms you. But it happens during this cartoon helter-skelter monologue” ★★★★ Lyn Gardner, Guardian

Tickets and more details from www.jabberwockymarket.org.uk and outlets around town.

www.head-of-steam.co.uk

National celebration of thrift returns for 2015 A British celebration of scrimping with style is set to return to Darlington this month following the success of last year’s Festival of Thrift, when more than 40,000 people descended upon Lingfield Point in Darlington for a weekend filled with free frugal fun.

Taking place on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September 2015, this year’s Festival will once again take place at Lingfield Point – founding host of the Festival – and will show people how reusing, recycling and upcycling can be fun, save them money and benefit the environment at the same time.

This year there will be an opening event taking place in Darlington Town Centre on the evening of Friday 25 September to start the celebrations.

Festival organisers are poised to bring together nationally known scrimpers, leading and emerging artists, makers, fixers, musicians and delicious food and drink to make, taste and buy. There’ll be debates, workshops, demonstrations and an array of stalls offering upcycled, recycled, sustainable and of course thrifty goods - all brought together in Darlington to help our communities towards a happier, more sustainable way of living. The Festival has been awarded the 2015 Arts and Culture Observer Ethical Award for putting creative sustainability at the heart of the event and for its enviable reach and solid community engagement, a wonderful accolade for a unique and inspiring event.

This year’s festivities will also form part of a weekend of celebrations for Darlington and the region as the town marks the 190th anniversary of the world’s first steam passenger train, which travelled between Stockton and Darlington in 1825.

www.festivalofthrift.co.uk

Festival director, Stella Hall, said: “As part of the 2015 Festival we’re excited to be linking in with the 1825 celebrations which coincides with the Festival of Thrift 2015 weekend.

“We’re developing a fantastic programme for this year’s Festival that will be bursting at the seams with famously thrifty entertainment and amazing artists, so much so I’ve included an extra staged area.

“Thrift is more than a trend – it’s here to stay, it’s a culture and a set of values to live by. The Festival is certainly helping to get it engrained into the lives of people across the North East of England and beyond. Our thrifters are a community and the Festival is a great opportunity for them to get together and share what they do, while enjoying great entertainment and a free day out.”

Eddie Humphries, Lingfield Point estate manager, added: “Last year around 40,000 people visited Lingfield Point over the two-day Festival, which gave us a great opportunity to showcase the business park and everything we have on offer - from public art to the award-winning upcycled office spaces.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone back for this year’s event on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September.”

For more information on the Festival of Thrift 2015 and its programme visit the website at www. festivalofthrift.co.uk and register for updates.

one Darlington

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News in brief Smoking in cars ban New laws come into force from October 1 which make it illegal to smoke in cars carrying children. People failing to comply with the law could face a £50 fixed penalty notice.

Help to stop smoking Stoptober is a 28 day initiative from Public Health England, which is backed by Fresh and encourages smokers to make a quit attempt, starting on October 1.

For your free support pack search for Stoptober online or call the national smoke free quitline on 0300 123 1044.

National award for diversity group Darlington’s Independent Advisory Group (IAG) has been put forward for a national award as it celebrates 30 years of work bringing communities together.

The group was nominated for a National Diversity Award for its work across the Borough celebrating diversity and tackling hate crime.

All for a good cause Darlington Folk Club’s resident band, Great North Road, collected more than £1,000 for Butterwick Hospice by playing in Darlington town centre during the summer.

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999 call to have fun at open weekend The emergency services have thrown open their doors to give people the chance to see what life is like for firefighters, police officers and ambulances crews.

Having fun at the open weekend

More than 5,000 people took the opportunity to visit Darlington fire and police stations’ open day.

Among the attractions were aerial ladder platform rides, safety demonstrations and the chance to rescue a teddy from a smoke filled building.

Phil Innis, Darlington area district manager for County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, said: “This was the first year we have had an open weekend in Darlington and it was a great success.”

The fire service holds many community events throughout the year, for information visit www.ddfire.gov.uk or follow CDDFRS on Twitter or Facebook.

Telephone fraudsters rob former mayor A former councillor and mayor of Darlington has called on people to be on their guard after he fell victim to a conman.

Joe Anderson, 87, lost £2,500 when he was called by someone posing as a fraud officer with his bank. He was persuaded to transfer money to a temporary account which the fraudsters then stole.

Mr Anderson with PC Murray

Mr Anderson said: “I am very wary now when the phone rings. I will do anything I can to stop it from happening to someone else.”

PC Tony Murray, from Durham Constabulary’s financial investigation team, said: “Never give out any personal information over the phone unless you are completely sure of the caller’s identity and their credentials.”

Anyone who has fallen victim to fraud should call 999, or Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 if no money has been lost. Mr Anderson’s money was replaced by his bank.

www.onedarlington.org.uk

Call to enjoy park life Businesses are being urged to help the town’s parks bloom, even if their staff don’t have green fingers.

As part of the Rethinking Parks project, Groundwork North East and Cumbria, Darlington Cares, Darlington Borough Council and the Friends of South Park, North Park and The Denes are encouraging businesses to get involved in the town’s parks.

Since January, 105 volunteers have spent more than 600 hours volunteering, with staff from companies including EE and Cummins, involved in painting, widening footpaths, resurfacing bike tracks and clearing community gardens.

Lisa Locke, from Groundwork North East and Cumbria, said: “You don’t need to have lots of staff or an interest in gardening to help the parks develop. The Friends groups may benefit from secretarial, planning or financial advice. It’s about being creative and thinking how you can help the parks thrive.”

Any business interested in finding out more can call Lisa Locke on 01325 353791 or email lisa.locke@groundwork.org.uk. The national Rethinking Parks project is supported by Nesta, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund.

www.onedarlington.org.uk

James Smy from EE getting to work

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News in brief Going for gold

More than 600 Year 4 pupils from 23 Darlington schools took part in the annual Community Games at Eastbourne Sports Complex. The aim of the multi-disciplinary event was to inspire young people to get involved in sport with information available on clubs and organisations throughout the town.

Market celebration

Darlington’s Sunday People’s Market has celebrated its third anniversary. The market, which meets on the first Sunday of each month, has expanded to around 40 stalls spread across West Row, High Row and Blackwellgate, selling everything from arts and crafts to household goods and fresh produce. For more information about Darlington’s markets go to www.darlington.gov. uk/markets

Parks’ success

West Park, South Park and West Cemetery have all received prestigious Green Flag Awards, which recognise the best parks and green spaces across the country.

A Green Flag flying is a sign to the public that the space boasts the highest possible standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent facilities.

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Have your say on parish boundaries Following the review of ward boundaries, the Council is reviewing the parish boundaries in Archdeacon Newton, Hurworth and Low Dinsdale. An initial consultation has taken place with parishes and draft proposals drawn up. Details of the consultation and maps of the proposed changes are available at www.darlington.gov.uk/ consultations.

The Council is asking all residents of the relevant parishes and surrounding areas, to give their views on the proposals by 30 September. All submissions will be published on the Council’s website and will help to inform the final decision which will be made in November. Any changes will be implemented after elections of councillors for the new boundaries take place in May 2016.

Tees Valley to bid for City of Culture status The Tees Valley has declared its intent to bid to become the UK City of Culture in 2025.

Tees Valley Unlimited, the Local Enterprise Partnership, and its partners will work together to put forward the bid, which will be decided in 2020.

The bid will build on cultural successes already achieved in Darlington and the rest of the Tees Valley, including the Festival of Thrift, the bicentenary of the birth of passenger rail travel in 2025 and the planned national centre of excellence for children’s theatre in Darlington, Theatre Hullabaloo.

Paul Booth, Chairman of Tees Valley Unlimited, said: “A successful UK City of Culture bid would create a long term legacy which could generate massive social and economic benefits for many years to come. The bid will be developed in consultation with communities and organisations across the Tees Valley. We urge everyone to get involved in this marvellous opportunity to tell the world all about our contemporary strengths as well as our historic achievements.”

Festival of Thrift

www.onedarlington.org.uk

Showing that Darlington cares

Volunteers from Esh Group, Sherwoods and Cummins hard at work at The Bridge Centre for Visual Arts

Businesses across Darlington are showing they care about the Borough by supporting an innovative volunteering scheme.

Since it began in October 2012, Darlington Cares has worked with local businesses and their staff to deliver more than 4,000 hours of volunteering across nearly 50 projects.

Darlington Cares coordinates the skills, expertise and volunteering power of businesses and their staff and matches them to projects, community groups and local charities where they can have the most impact.

Another successful project is the Ready for Work programme, developed in collaboration with Foundation for Jobs and Whessoe Engineering Ltd. This scheme supports secondary school students in developing the skills they need to get a job. Following a successful pilot at Hummersknott Academy, the scheme is set to be rolled out across more schools to ensure even more young people are ready for work when they leave school.

To find out how your business could join Darlington Cares visit www.darlingtoncares.co.uk

There are 23 Darlington Cares members including: Cummins, EE, the Department for Education, Lingfield Point, Sherwoods, DeepOcean, Darlington Building Society, Harvey and Hugo and Modus. They have worked on a variety of projects aimed at tackling youth employability, poverty and community engagement.

Amongst the projects is the Busy Readers Scheme which trains volunteers to listen to children read at school for one hour a week.

The scheme is running in nine schools, with around 80 volunteers working with more than 2,000 school children.

www.darlingtoncares.co.uk

Employability mentoring at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College with Cummins, Student Loans Company, Darlington Borough Council and Sainsbury’s

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What’s On! There’s always lots going on in and around Darlington. Read on for more information on events and activities coming up soon. Visit www.darlington. gov.uk/events for more details.

If you have any events you would like listing in future editions, email communications@ darlington.gov.uk or call 01325 406058.

Listings are free and we will try and include as many as we can. Please note, deadlines for listings are around eight weeks before publication date. One Darlington comes out every other month.

Why not visit the website listing all that’s going on in your area – you can also add your own event or club. Visit www.whatsonindarlington.co.uk or follow @darloforculture on twitter for more details.

SEPTEMBER The Afternoon Lectures – Thursday 3, 1.45pm, at Head of Steam. _____________________________________ Darlington Model Railway Club Model Exhibition – Saturday 5 and Sunday 6, 10am – 4pm, at Head of Steam.

A wide range of model railway gauges and layouts. _____________________________________ Darlington Dance Festival – Monday 7, 6.30pm at Civic Theatre Dance schools, community groups and local schools present a celebration of dance. _____________________________________ The Simon and Garfunkel Story 50th anniversary tour – Tuesday 8, 7.30pm at Civic Theatre.

Full live band and all their hits. _____________________________________ Lost Property! – Tuesday 8 September – Sunday 29 November, at Head of Steam.

Photographs of Darlington’s long vanished railway legacy. _____________________________________ Darlington Orchestra rehearsals: From Tuesday 8, 7 – 9pm, in school term-time, at church hall of St Thomas Aquinas Church, DL1 3PU. Playing standard of Grade-IV or above is preferred, and new players of all ages are welcome. Experience of playing in an orchestra is not essential but would be helpful. For further details email darlingtonorchestra@hotmail.com, visit www.darlington-orchestra.org.uk or follow us on Facebook/Darlington-Orchestra or Twitter @DarloOrchestra

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An Evening with Ann Cleeves – Wednesday 9, 7pm, at Crown Street Library. An evening with Ann Cleeves, the author of Vera and Jimmy Perez from the Shetland novels. _____________________________________ Milkshake Live “Party Party” – Saturday 12, 1pm & 3.30pm at Civic Theatre.

With Little Princess, Bananas in Pyjamas, Noddy and Tessie Bear, Milkshake Monkey and many more. _____________________________________ Mail Rail – Saturday 12 September – Sunday 29 November, at Head of Steam.

A new family-friendly touring exhibition. _____________________________________ Heritage Open Days – Saturday 12 and Sunday 13, 10am – 4pm, at Head of Steam.

Enjoy free entry and free guided tours by the Friends of the Museum. _____________________________________ Rhythm & Blues Festival – Sunday 13, 1pm – 5.30pm, Market Square.

Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the R & B Festival in Darlington. Free event run by Darlington Council, Darlington Rhythm ‘n’ Blues Club and Gasto Promotions includes performances in pubs and clubs around the town. Pre-festival events run from Wednesday 9 – Saturday 12 at The Quaker House, from 9pm. For details call: 01325 388427 or visit www.darlington-r-n-b-club. co.uk _____________________________________ The National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company and The National Festival Orchestra – Tuesday 15 – Saturday 19, 7.30pm at Civic Theatre. Matinees Thursday 2pm & Saturday 2.30pm.

Free pre-show talk Tuesday 5.45pm (ticket required). _____________________________________ The Mikado – Tuesday 15 & Wednesday 16, 7.30pm at Civic Theatre. _____________________________________ HMS Pinafore – Thursday 17, 2pm & 7.30pm at Civic Theatre. _____________________________________

Baroque by Candlelight – Monday 21, 7.30pm, at Civic Theatre.

With beautiful settings, costumes, candles, classical music and song. __________________________________ Let Me Entertain You – Tuesday 22, 7.30pm, at Civic Theatre.

Features all of Robbie’s hits, including; Rock DJ, Angels, No Regrets and many more. __________________________________ Mowtown’s Greatest Hits – How Sweet it is – Wednesday 23, 7.30pm, at Civic Theatre.

100% live show with songs from Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson Five and many more. __________________________________ The Tommy Cooper Show – Thursday 24, 2.30pm & 7.30pm, at Civic Theatre.

The story, the gags, the magic of Tommy Cooper. __________________________________ Dinosaur Zoo – Friday 25 (1.30pm) & Saturday 26, 11am & 2pm, at Civic Theatre.

An imaginative and hilarious live show.

For ages age 3+ 190th Anniversary of Opening of Stockton & Darlington Railway (S&DR) - Gala Fun Days Saturday 26 and Sunday 27, 10am – 4pm, at Head of Steam.

Museum and gardens Come along to Head of Steam to celebrate the 190th Anniversary of Opening of the S&DR. Entertainment includes storytelling, children’s entertainer, face painting, Victorian games, dancers, guided tours, talks, Punch and Judy, stalls and much much more. FREE ENTRY.

The Gondoliers – Friday 18, 7.30pm.

Saturday 19, 2.30pm & 7.30pm at Civic Theatre. _____________________________________ Hurworth Country Fair – Saturday 19, 10.30am – 4pm, official opening 11am, at Hurworth Grange Community Centre A fun family day out with entertainment, crafts, produce stalls, pet show, live music and lots more. Contact 01325 720840 for details or visit www.hurworthcountryfair. co.uk

www.whatsonindarlington.co.uk

Festival of Thrift – Saturday 26 & Sunday 27, at Lingfield Point and town centre.

A free and fun celebration of everyday living with upcycling, recycling and much more. For details visit www.festivalofthrift.co.uk Tenors unlimited – Songs from Venice to Vegas – Monday 28, 7.30pm, at Civic Theatre.

This is the must-see show of the year. _____________________________________ Doug Scott’s Everest The Hard Way – Tuesday 29, 7.30pm, at Civic Theatre.

Brand-new lecture for the 40th anniversary. _____________________________________ Syd Lawrence Orchestra The Swinging Big Band – Wednesday 30, 7.30pm, at Civic Theatre.

Featuring the music of Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra and many more. _____________________________________ Off The Beaten Track – runs until Thursday 31 December at Head of Steam.

Exhibition of digital prints of locomotives by local artist Martin Thorpe. _____________________________________

OCTOBER Jabberwocky Market – Thursday 1Sunday 4, various venues in Darlington.

Darlington for Culture hosts award-winning festival of world class theatre. For more details and tickets log onto website at www. jabberwockymarket.org.uk/ _____________________________________ La Traviata – Tuesday 6, 7.30pm, at Civic Theatre.

With a live orchestra, sung in Italian with English subtitles. _____________________________________ All Star 60s – Wednesday 7, 7.30pm, at Civic Theatre.

Hits from the 60s including, Twist and Shout, Do You Love Me, Wild Thing, and many more. _____________________________________ The Afternoon Lectures: “Steam in and Around Darlington – Part 2” a talk by Chris Nettleton – Thursday 8, 1.45pm, at Head of Steam. _____________________________________ The Ken Dodd Happiness Show – Thursday 8 & Friday 9, 7.30pm, at Civic Theatre.

With non-stop gags, guest artistes and songs. _____________________________________ The Basil Brush Show – The Full Fox on Tour – Saturday 10, 11am & 2.30pm, at Civic Theatre.

Britain’s most loveable fox on stage.

www.whatsonindarlington.co.uk

Puttin’ on the Ritz – Sunday 11 - Tuesday 13, Evenings 7.30pm, Matinee Tuesday 2pm, at Civic Theatre.

With Robin Windsor and Anya Garnis from BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. Songs include: I Got Rhythm, Easter Parade and Puttin’ On The Ritz. _____________________________________ The Signalman & The Waiting Room – Wednesday 14 – Saturday 17, Evenings 7.30pm, Matinees Thursday 2pm, Saturday 2.30pm, at Civic Theatre.

A spine-chilling two ghost stories in one evening.

Free post-show talk Thursday 7.30pm. _____________________________________ Charity Folk Concert by Darlington Folk Club – Thursday 15, 8pm at the Copper Beech, Neasham Road.

Featuring Great North Road & others.

Proceeds to St Teresa’s Hospice. _____________________________________

NOVEMBER The Importance of Being Earnest – Tuesday 3 - Saturday 7, Evenings 7.30pm, Matinees Wednesday & Thursday 2pm, Saturday 2.30pm, at Civic Theatre.

Oscar Wilde’s much loved play. _______________________________ The Afternoon Lectures: “The Hackworth Brothers” a talk

by Jane Hackworth-Young – Thursday 5, 1.45pm, at Head of Steam.

VENUE CONTACT DETAILS

An Evening with Gervase Phinn – Monday 19, 7pm, at Crown Street Library art gallery.

An evening with Gervase Phinn to celebrate the Library’s 130th Anniversary. To book, pop into the Library or call 01325 462034. _____________________________________ Under Foot – Wednesday 21, 9.30am, 11am & 1.30pm, at Civic Theatre.

A magical and sensory experience for ages one to five years.

For all school bookings call Theatre Hullabaloo on 01325 352004. _____________________________________ South Pacific, presented by DarlingtonOS – Wednesday 21 – Saturday 31, Evenings 7.15pm, Matinee Saturday 24, 2pm, at Civic Theatre.

Ticket Hotline 01325 244659 or book online at www.darlingtonos.org.uk _____________________________________ Little Boo! Spooky Fun Day – Sunday 25, 11am - 3.30pm, at Head of Steam.

Come along in your favourite Halloween costume. Magician, arts and crafts and a spooky treasure hunt. _____________________________________ Family Arts and Crafts – Thursday 29 and Friday 30, 1pm – 3pm, at Head of Steam.

Half term family arts and crafts. _____________________________________ The History Wardrobe presents: Gothic For Girls – Friday 30, 7pm, at Head of Steam. Tickets £8.50 (Booking is essential) The dark drama of black in fashion, and the best of supernatural stories. With costumes and readings from Jane Austen, Charlotte and Emily Brontë, Mary Shelley, Charles Dickens, and more.

Civic Theatre

www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk Box Office 01325 486555

Head of Steam

Tel 01325 405060 or visit www.head-of-steam.co.uk; email headofsteam@darlington. gov.uk. Entrance fees apply in most cases.

Crown Street Library

Tel 01325 462034. Contact the library for details of Bookstart sessions.

Cockerton Library

Tel 01325 461320.

The Bridge

For details of what’s on at the Bridge visit www. thebridgedarlington.org.uk, Tel 01325 244174 or email info@thebridgedarlington.org.uk

The Forum

For details and bookings call 01325 363135 or visit www.theforumonline.co.uk

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Clubs and Societies If you would like your club or society listed on this page, please get in touch. We will include as many entries as often as we can. Listings are free. Email your information to communications@darlington. gov.uk or call 01325 406058.

There is a web page on the Council’s website dedicated to local clubs and societies. Visit www.darlington.gov.uk/clubs Darlington SING Community Choir meets Wednesday evenings from 7.15pm – 9.30pm term time at Cockerton Band and Musical Institute. No auditions, all welcome (18+) to join us for a free taster session. For details visit www.darlingtonsing.co.uk, email darlingtonsing@gmail.com, our Facebook page, or call 07542 167 503.

Love Tango Darlington meets at the Green Room, 34 Duke Street, Darlington every Thursday 7.30pm – 11pm. Learn to tango or just to dance. Search for them on Facebook.

UK Forces Veterans Café meets every Wednesday 10am – noon at Age UK Bradbury House, Beaumont Street, Darlington.

All ex-service men and women are welcome for a cuppa, quizzes, talks, activities or a chat.

Call 01325 362 832 or email veterans@ageukdarlington.org.uk or visit www.ageukdarlington.org.uk Darlington Folk Club meets every Thursday evening 8pm at The Copper Beech, Neasham Road, DL1 4DH. Weeks alternate between guest nights and singarounds for singers/musicians/poets. All welcome. For details visit www.darlingtonfolkclub.com

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Darlington Lecture Association meets monthly on a Monday evening from September to April at Carmel RC College. Illustrated lectures on travel, adventure, the arts, architecture, wildlife, gardens and more. Contact 01325 363350/ 265930 or visit www.darlingtonlecture.org.uk Darlington Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society meets first Tuesday of every month in the Copper Beech, Neasham Road, Darlington at 7.30pm. Non-members welcome, free admission. Future events include: Early Flower Show, Saturday September 12 and a Late Flower Show, Saturday November 14 both at Bondgate Methodist Church Hall, Bondgate, Darlington, 11.30am - 4.00pm. For details call 01325 319134 or email wise755@btinternet.com Dolphin Juniors Premier Badminton Club (DJ’s) meets on Saturday afternoons 2pm - 4pm at The Dolphin Centre Darlington. Players from 6-18 years of age welcome to play socially or competitively.

Visit www.dolphinjuniors.com or email peterwalton1@aol.com or call 07917 095 478.

Social Art Group meets every Friday10am – noon, at Friends Meeting House, Skinnergate, Darlington. A friendly drop-in group with occasional visiting demonstrations. All levels welcome, bring own materials, £3 per session.

Contact 07925 024 056.

405 (Darlington) Squadron Air Cadets meets Monday & Thursday evenings every week 7pm - 9.30pm at Bradford Armoury, Neasham Road, Darlington - 01325 484489 (Mon/Thurs evenings only).

Email oc.405@aircadets.org or visit www.raf.mod.uk/aircadets

Clubs at Crown Street Library Did you know that Crown Street Library is the meeting place for a wide range of clubs?

Many of these are taking part in the Library’s 130th birthday celebrations. All are free to join with the exception of the Keep Fit class which costs £2.50 per session.

The Knitting group meets every Monday 10am - noon, new members welcome.

Keep Fit group meets for an hour of gentle exercise on Wednesdays 2pm - 3pm.

Two reading groups meet once a month, on Second Wednesday of the month at 1.30pm and on the second Saturday of the month at 2pm.

An audio book group is available for anyone with sight problems and children aged six - 11 years can enjoy reading and creative writing with ‘Wordy Worms’.

From October, the Alzheimer’s Society will be running a Dementia Café on the first Tuesday of the month from 1.30pm - 3.30pm. For details contact 01325 462034.

www.darlington.gov.uk/clubs

Crown Street Library celebrates 130 years Join in the celebrations as Darlington’s Crown Street Library reaches its 130th anniversary in October.

There’s lots planned for people of all ages so please come and join in: Wednesday 9 September Author Talk with Anne Cleeves, 7pm. Tickets £5 (includes glass of wine & nibbles).

Saturday 12 September Launch of BOO - 10.30am, Children’s book illustrations Exhibition, in the Art Gallery, continues until Thursday 29 October.

Thursday 1 October until mid-November WWI Poppy Project - name a poppy for each WWI soldier from Darlington who served and died in battle.

Saturday 3 - Saturday 17 October Saturday Story Club - 10.30am, members will create celebration banners for display during the birthday week.

Thursday 22 – Saturday 24 October Clervaux Bakery will provide a pop-up café for the day.

Library tours available. Booking required.

Sunday 18 October A Very Victorian Lady Exhibition - 2pm. Four Victorian working women tell their stories through clothes with a unique display of original gowns and accessories. Tickets £8.

Thursday 22 October Mobile library and Deefor – 10.30am -1pm, library mascot, visit to Joseph Pease.

Monday 19 October Author Gervase Phinn – 7pm. £6 per ticket (includes glass of wine & nibbles).

Monday 19 – Saturday 24 October Shelfies & Memories – Visit the library and take a selfie with your favourite book and share your favourite library memory on our memory board.

Friday 23 October Unveiling of the new artwork in the Junior Library, Age UK Darlington’s Ukulele group performance from 11.30am – 12.30pm, children’s entertainment all day along with cutting of the anniversary cake at noon.

Saturday 24 October Children’s party at Crown Street, 10am – noon. Free DJ Gary, face painting and folk band performances throughout the day. Booking required.

For more information call 01325 462034.

Students playing fair Kind-hearted students have been spreading the word about Fairtrade Luke Savage, Holly Nichol, Rebecca Fellows, Katelyn Harker and Georgia Grubb, Year 7 students at St Aidan’s Academy, Darlington have been helping chaplain Martin Stand raise awareness in the Academy and in local primary schools by leading school assemblies.

They visited St John’s, Rydal and Firthmoor Academies, helping the younger children understand the Fairtrade messages.

Mr Stand said: “They were absolutely brilliant and have grasped the Fairtrade concept perfectly, which allowed them to explain it so well to the younger children.”

www.darlington.gov.uk/libraries

St Aidan’s Academy chaplain Martin Stand with students, L-R, Luke, Holly, Rebecca, Katelyn and Georgia

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Council Leader’s Column I was delighted when it was announced that the National Biologics Manufacturing Centre, managed by the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), would be based in Darlington. The centre, funded by £38m from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, will provide firms with technical support to research and develop potentially life-saving cures and vaccines. Top specialists from across the country are set to move into the centre, putting the Borough, and the region, at the heart of the growth of the UK’s biologics industry. See page 22 for more details.

I am confident the success of Biologics will inspire other industries to invest in the Borough, which will help increase our profile on the national and international investment stage and will bring jobs at all levels to our community, especially our young people.

Closer to home, it has been another successful summer of events in and around the town centre with activities for all the family. Turn to pages 28 & 29 for more details about the return of the award-winning Jabberwocky Market and Festival of Thrift this month. Both are great events that have really put Darlington on the cultural map. Don’t forget to keep an eye on our website www.darlington.gov.uk/ events to find out what else is happening in the coming months.

During the summer, we have been starting to look ahead to the next budget. As a council we provide a wide variety of services from leisure facilities and caring for the elderly to collecting bins and making sure vulnerable children are safe. I believe everything we do is of great value to you, the residents of the Borough. As we await to hear in December what our grant from the Government will be, and how this will affect what we can provide, we are already thinking about new ways of working with partners to ensure Darlington remains a great place to live, work and visit.

Cllr Bill Dixon MBE (@billdixondton) Leader of the Council

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Ward Surgeries Your local councillor is there to listen to you and find out about the issues that are affecting life in your ward. You can email, telephone or meet with your local councillor at regular ward surgeries. Find out more at www.darlington.gov.uk Emailing councillors If you wish to email your councillor their e-mail address is: firstname.lastname@darlington.gov.uk For example, if you wish to email Bill Dixon, type in bill. dixon@darlington.gov.uk The only exceptions are Andy Scott (Haughton and Springfield Ward), Anne-Marie Curry (North Road Ward) and Tom Nutt (Whinfield Ward); their email addresses are shown with their ward surgery details.

BANK TOP AND LASCELLES

Veronica Copeland (L) Tel 358530; Chris Taylor (L) Tel 243298; Wendy Newall (L) Tel 251574 - Cleveland Bridge Social Club; 12pm-1pm Sat 12 Sep, Sat 10 Oct and Sat 14 Nov. St John’s Church of England Academy; 6pm-7pm Tue 15 Sep, Tue 20 Oct and Tue 17 Nov. King William Street Community Centre; 5pm-6pm. Fri 18 Sep, Fri 16 Oct and Fri 20 Nov.

BRINKBURN AND FAVERDALE

Sue Richmond (L) Tel 351538 Brinkburn RA Club; 6pm-7pm Thu 1 Oct and Thu 5 Nov. Richard Grundy (C) Tel 266314, Rachel Mills (C) Tel 482906/ 07534 285 614; West Park Academy; 6pm-7pm - Wed 14 Oct and Wed 11 Nov. Brinkburn RA Club; 6pm-7pm - Tue 13 Oct and Tue 10 Nov.

COCKERTON

Paul Baldwin (L) Tel 362690; Jan Cossins (L) Tel 241124; David Regan (L) Tel 495258 – Windsor Court; 10am-11am - Tue 8 Sep, Tue 13 Oct and Tue 10 Nov. Cockerton Library; 6pm-7pm - Thu 10 Sep, Thu 8 Oct and Thu 12 Nov

COLLEGE

Tony Richmond (C) Tel 351538; Ian Galletley (C) Tel 07507 904 109 - Abbey Junior School; 7pm-8pm Wed 9 Sep, Wed 14 Oct and Wed 11 Nov.

EASTBOURNE

Roderick Crichlow (L) Tel 488173; Bill Dixon (L) Tel 486588 - Pilmoor Green Community Centre; 5pm-6pm - Wed 16 Sep, Wed 21 Oct and Wed 18 Nov. Firthmoor Community Centre; 3pm-4pm - Wed 30 Sep, Wed 28 Oct and Wed 25 Nov. Kevin Nicholson (I) Tel 07791 807 629 - Firthmoor Community Centre; 1pm-2pm - Thu 17 Sep, Thu 22 Oct and Thu 19 Nov.

HARROWGATE HILL

Gill Cartwright (C) Tel 382276 - Longfield Academy of Sport; 5pm-6pm - Wed 7 Oct and Wed 4 Nov. Marjory Knowles (L) Tel 265847; David Lyonette (L) Tel 464693 - Harrowgate CIU Ltd; 7pm-8pm - Wed 9 Sep, Wed 14 oct and Wed 11 Nov.

www.darlington.gov.uk/your-council

in your area

Key: (L) Labour (C) Conservative (LD) Liberal Democrat (I) Independent

HAUGHTON AND SPRINGFIELD

Chris McEwan (L) Tel 283262; Andy Scott (L) Tel 253707, andrew.scott@darlington.gov.uk; Nick Wallis (L) Tel 488797 - Haughton Methodist Church; 7pm-8pm - Wed 9 Sep, Wed 14 Oct and Wed 11 Nov. Salvation Army, Thompson St; 6pm-7pm - Wed 9 Sep, Wed 14 Oct and Wed 11 Nov. ASDA Foyer; 10am11am - Sat 3 Oct and Sat 7 Nov.

HEIGHINGTON AND CONISCLIFFE

PARK EAST

Cyndi Hughes (L) Tel 480975; Malcolm Wright (L) Tel 484374; Michael Nicholson (L) Tel 240750/ 07906 552 714 - Forum Music Centre; 6pm-7pm - Wed 7 Oct and Wed 4 Nov. St Augustine’s Parish Centre; 6.30pm - 7.15pm - Wed 9 Sep, Wed 14 Oct and Wed 11 Nov. Coleridge Centre; 6pm-7pm - Fri 11 Sep and Fri 13 Nov. St Colombus Church; 6pm - 7pm - Fri 9 Oct.

PARK WEST

Gerald Lee (C) Tel 314622; Paul Crudass (C) Tel 374537 – St Marys Church Hall, Piercebridge; 10am11am - Sat 3 Oct, High Coniscliffe Church Hall; 10am11am - Sat 7 Nov.

Bob Donoghue (C) Tel 352582; Heather Scott (C) Tel 468547 - 76 Carmel Road South; 5pm-6pm - Fri 18 Sep, Fri 16 Oct and Fri 20 Nov.

HUMMERSKNOTT

Alan Coultas (C) Tel 350453; Charles Johnson (C) Tel 463712 - Carmel RC College; 6pm-7pm - Mon 28 Sep, Mon 26 Oct and Mon 30 Nov.

Bob Carson (L) Tel 240627; Stephen Harker (L) Tel 380039; Linda Hughes (L) Tel 07904 772 387 – Reid Street Primary School; 6pm-7pm - Wed 7 Oct and Wed 4 Nov.

HURWORTH

RED HALL AND LINGFIELD

MOWDEN

SADBERGE AND MIDDLETON ST GEORGE

Joe Kelley (LD) Tel 266760 – Hurworth Grange Community Library, Hurworth Road; 6pm-7pm - Thu 1 Oct and Thu 5 Nov. Lorraine Tostevin (C) Tel 333382 - Hurworth Grange Community Library, Hurworth Road; 6pm-7pm - Wed 16 Sep, Wed 21 Oct and Wed 18 Nov.

Bill Stenson (C) Tel 468249; Pauline Culley (C) Tel 07535 470 805 – Mowden Junior School; 6.30pm7.30pm - Mon 5 Oct and Mon 2 Nov.

NORTHGATE

Eleanor Lister (L) Tel 254091; Sonia Kane (L) Tel 486754 – Corporation Road Primary School; 6pm7pm - Wed 7 Oct and Wed 4 Nov.

NORTH ROAD Anne-Marie Curry (LD) Tel 07531 304 050, annemarie.curry@darlington.gov.uk; Fred Lawton (LD) Tel 467413 - St Thomas Aquinas Church, North Road; 1pm-2pm- Wed 23 Sep, Wed 21 Oct and Wed 25 Nov. Morrison’s North Road, Car Park Entrance; 6-7pm Wed 9 Sep Dawn Storr (L) Tel 07543159224 – Morrison’s North Road, Car Park Entrance; 6pm-7pm - Wed 7 Oct.

PIERREMONT

Ian Haszeldine (L) Tel 741508/ 07807 381 613; Lynne Haszeldine (L) Tel 493298 - Red Hall Community Centre, Headingley Crescent; 6pm-7pm - Wed 9 Sep, Wed 14 Oct and Wed 11 Nov. Heathfield Primary School; 6pm-7pm - Wed 23 Sep, Wed 28 Oct and Wed 25 Nov.

Brian Jones (C) Tel 332820; Doris Jones (C) Tel 332820; Steve York (C) Tel 332025 - Sadberge Village Hall; 6pm-7pm - Tue 29 Sep and Tue 24 Nov. Bishopton Village Hall; 6pm-7pm - Tue 27 Oct. Dinsdale Court; 6.15pm-7.15pm - Tue 22 Sep, Tue 27 Oct and Tue 24 Nov.

STEPHENSON

Jan Taylor (L) Tel 243298; Katie Kelly (L) Tel 260239 - Wesley Court Community Centre; 11am-12pm - Sat 26 Sep, Sat 24 Oct and Sat 28 Nov. Gurney Pease School; 6pm-7pm - Wed 9 Sep, Wed 14 Oct and Wed 11 Nov.

WHINFIELD

Helen Crumbie (L) Tel 462642; Tom Nutt (L) Tel 360953, thomas.nutt@darlington.gov.uk – ASDA Foyer; 10am-11am - Sat 3 Oct and Sat 7 Nov.

MPs’ SURGERIES: Jenny Chapman MP will be holding Surgeries at the Constituency Office, 40a Coniscliffe Road, Darlington DL3 7RG on the following Fridays between 9.30 and 11.00am: 4 and 18 September, 2 and 16 October, 6 and 20 November. Please telephone 01325 382345 for an appointment.

www.darlington.gov.uk/your-council

Phil Wilson, Sedgefield MP’s Constituency office, 4 Beveridge Walkway, Newton Aycliffe, DL5 4EE is open to the public from 10am - 3pm, Monday to Friday. For a dedicated surgery call 01325 321603 or email trippettp@parliament.uk.

one Darlington

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