Footprint find may be 7,000 years old
Footprints which could be 7,000 years old have been unearthed at a popular Northumberland visitor spot.
The prints, some made by animals and others possibly by humans, have been preserved in a newly exposed area of peat bed at Druridge Bay.
It is believed the 100m long bed may have been uncovered during the recent tidal surge that hit the East coast.
The finds follow discovery of similar footprints, since dated at more than 7,000 years old, at nearby Low Hauxley in an organised dig which took place last year.
Archaeologist Barry Mead, Greater Morpeth Development Trust’s Heritage Officer, found the latest prints on his daily walk along the beach near his Cresswell home with his dog. Barry was involved in last year’s dig and now regularly walks the length of Druridge Bay to seek new findings.
Specs handed over in charity drive
Unwanted pairs of glasses have been donated to charity for people in the developing world.
Newcastle’s Specsavers store has received more than 1,500 pairs of glasses in the last year and the donations are still rolling in.
The old or unwanted specs are recycled by Vision Aid Overseas, a charity which specialises in providing eyecare for those in poverty-stricken countries around the world.
The money made from recycling the glasses is then used to fund the charity’s work. Since its inception in 1987, the UK-based charity has helped more than one million people in the developing world.
Rachel Aiken, director of Specsavers in Newcastle, said: “We would really like to thank the public for being so generous with their donations.
“Vision Aid Overseas is a fantastic organisation and we would love to continue to support the charity with the help of the community. We would like to encourage anyone with old glasses to drop them off at our in-store collection point.” Vision Aid Overseas works in Africa to transform access to eyecare services and is part of the Vision 2020 initiative to eliminate avoidable blindness by 2020.
Since 2003 Specsavers stores have collected and recycled more than a quarter of a million glasses for the charity, and have raised over £550,000.
As part of its work with Vision Aid Overseas, Specsavers has made a significant commitment to improving eyecare provision in Zambia.
Pupils look to future
Pupils have been preparing for the merger of their school with a new play.
Youngsters from Church High, in Jesmond, have been performing The Next Big Step.
The Year 3 pupils have adapted the classic play to meet their own experiences, as Church High prepares to join with neighbouring independent school Central Newcastle High School this coming September.
Jill Brown, head of Church High junior school, said: “I think teaching the girls in this way about the changes they will undergo when we become Newcastle High School for Girls has been an excellent way of helping them understand the journey they will go on. All of the girls are very excited for the future and all they have to look forward to.”
New offices in Consett open for business
A £3m office development has opened its doors in County Durham.
ViewPoint, named by pupils at the nearby Villa Real School in Consett, boasts 20,000sq ft of office space for small businesses in the former steel town.
It was officially opened this week by chairman of Durham County Council Coun Pauline Charlton.
Set in the countryside, the development, funded by the county council and the European Regional Grant Fund and built by Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd, has space for 46 offices with seven tenants having already moved in.
Based at Consett Business Park, the new offices are managed by Business Durham.
Anyone interested in using the new offices can contact Julie Jennings from Business Durham on 01207 693902.
Teenagers offered career advice at event today
Pupils and young job seekers will be able to find out more about apprenticeships and further education with an information afternoon today.
South Tyneside Council is holding the event at Mortimer Community College, on Reading Road in South Shields, from 3pm to 6pm.
The event, which co-incides with National Apprenticeship Week, will give attendees the chance to meet some of South Tyneside’s major employers, learn more about courses and get career guidance.
Coun Joan Atkinson said: “We’re delighted so many important organisations are supporting this event and we hope young people will take up the opportunity to gain some invaluable advice.
For more information, call 0191 424 7400 or visit www.southtyneside.info
Teenager to shave head to raise funds for Kacie Martin
A teenager is planning to lop off her locks to help raise funds for brave youngster Kacie Martin.
Diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1, one-year-old Kacie will never sit, stand or support her head alone.
With her daughter unable to play with ‘normal’ toys, her mum Nicole from Wallsend has set about raising as much money as possible to help give Kacie the specialist and sensory equipment her young daughter needs.
The genetic muscle- wasting illness affects Kacie’s breathing and she is regularly treated at the RVI when she has severe respiratory problems.
Although she has been fitted with a ‘bipap’ machine to help her breathe through the night, a longer-term solution if she can no longer breathe on her own could be to have a tracheostomy fitted to her throat.
Wanting to help Kacie, family friend Sam Mossman, 18, will take the hot seat later this month having her long, brown hair chopped off to raise money for Kacie’s fund.
Sam, an art and sociology student from Newcastle, said: “My family and friends have been really supportive. I’m sure I’ll be nervous on the day of the head shave but right now I’m excited. I’ll be donating my hair to the Little Princess Trust which makes wigs for children with cancer.” To donate go to www.gofundme.com/sponsorsam
Hunt for perfect burger
Three family pubs are calling on punters to create the perfect burger.
The Pack Horse, in Burnopfield, The Black Bull, in Benton, and the Duke of Wellington, in Kenton, are looking for help to create pub restaurant chain Flaming Grill’s first crowd-sourced burger.
Entrants will be encouraged to use a selection of ingredients, from wild boar and pineapple to lamb and brie, to help design a tasty new burger creation.
Five finalists will win a family meal at their local pub before going into a nationwide vote on the Flaming Grill Facebook page.
The overall winner will scoop £500 in cash and see their burger creation being tucked into by people in 93 pubs across the country.
Mark McIntyre, general manager at the Pack Horse, said: “We want to add some new twists to our burgers and what better way to do it than to ask our guests to design their perfect creation?”
Participants can enter by using the Build a Burger app on the Flaming Grill Facebook page, www.facebook.com/flaminggrillpubs . Entry closes on March 14.
Free gym passes
A gym is pledging support to this year’s Sports Relief by offering free day passes.
PureGym on Jackson Street in Gateshead town centre is offering the passes to get people active.
The passes will be available to use over four days, on March 15, 16, 22 and 23.
General manager of PureGym Gateshead Claire Robinson said: “Sport Relief is a fantastic charity which does a lot of good work both in the UK and abroad.
“We are delighted to be a part of it and hope that the local community will show their support by registering for their free day pass.”
The pass will provide access to gym equipment and classes. To redeem your free day pass, simply go to www.puregym.co.uk and type in the code ‘sportsrelief14’.
New sexual health clinics at Blyth Community Hospital
New sexual health clinics will be delivered in the region.
Confidential help and advice on all aspects of sexual health will be available at Blyth Community Hospital.
The service, part of Northumberland Sexual Health Service which is run by Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, will open on Tuesday in the Thomas Knight Day Unit.
Joanne Coyne, lead sexual health specialist nurse at Northumberland Sexual Health Service, said: “We are delighted to improve access to a wider range of sexual health services under one roof. Anyone can come to see us if they’re worried about any symptoms they’ve got, or if they need advice, or just a sexual health check-up.”
Core cities meeting
The influential Core Cities Cabinet meets in Newcastle today.
The eight political leaders of some of England’s biggest councils will meet to discuss their job creation lobbying to Government and city growth efforts.
Nick Forbes, Leader of Newcastle City Council and Vice Chair, Reform, Core Cities Cabinet, said: “Our great cities once led the world with social and economic change through great urban reformers such as Chamberlain and Peel.”
He added: “Once again we need to empower our cities’ political leaders, with their communities, to set free and energise our cities.”
The group is made up of the political leaders of the eight cities of Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield.