Subscribe to our RSS feedrss

North East Market Town Award goes to Morpeth

Source: One North East
Posted on: 9th October 2009

A project which aimed to boost community morale following the devastating floods in Morpeth just over a year ago will tonight be named the winner of the North East Market Town awards.

With Castle Morpeth Borough Council leading on the economic recovery group, the Greater Morpeth Development Trust (GMDT) set up a Morpeth Arts and Flood Recovery project in a bid to bring the whole community together through a range of arts and culture activities, creating a better social environment and meanwhile raising money for flood victims.

In partnership with the economic recovery group, GMDT created an arts and culture programme, which ranged from crafts, heritage and cultural activities, events such as the Recycle Rally, The Walking Festival and The Ice Festival – a celebratory event in March this year which included an ice rink, toboggan slide, bands, fire eaters and a musical fireworks display to mark the return of many families to their homes.

The aim was to strengthen the link between community activities and the support for businesses affected by the floods, with people using the opportunity to raise money for flood victims through collections at events and promoting the idea that the community is here to help one another through a difficult time.

The North East Market Town Awards – part of the National Market Town Awards run by Action for Market Towns – each year celebrate the great variety of volunteer-led projects that are helping to regenerate and sustain small towns throughout the country and recognised awarded GMDT with the award at the launch of the refurbished Town Hall in Morpeth tonight (Friday October 9 2009).

Chief Executive Officer at GMDT, David Lodge, said: “GMDT is a development trust set up to work with the local Community across a range of activities.

“It is down to the hard work of the partners we worked with that have made the programme happen and we were delighted to play our role to bring everyone together.”

Funding for this project came from a liveability grant, Awards for All grant and various contributions from Northumberland County Council, Castle Morpeth Borough Council and One North East.

One North East’s Strategic Rural Policy Manager, Frances Rowe, will be presenting the award at Morpeth Town Hall along with Heather Small from Northumberland Strategic Partnership.

Frances said: “Morpeth was hit badly by the floods with the pride of the town very low during the aftermath.  So while all the work being carried out to lead the economic recovery of Morpeth was of course essential, this project played an extremely important part in raising morale and restoring pride once again with organisations across the board working together to tackle the aftermath of the crisis.

“The work carried out by GMDT rallied the troops and helped to raise money for flood victims promoting the idea that local people were there for one another through that difficult time, so it’s very well done for winning this regional award and the very best of luck going forward in the national competition.”

Topics: , , , , , , ,

Print This Article in Plain Text Print This Article in Plain Text


Receive the Gov Monitor Newsletter

Latest Headlines

In The News

Edinburgh Council Steps Up To Communal Stair Security

A new drive to improve stair

White House Highlights U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Fights Financial Reform

This week, Senator Chris Dodd introduced

Cancer Patients In Edinburgh To Receive Benefits And Grants To Cope With Financial Burden

A new service offering Edinburgh cancer

White House: Without Health Care Reform Expect Premiums To Skyrocket

As our year long debate on

Edinburgh To Begin Search To Replace 3 Top Council Members Who Are Retiring

Three members of the senior management