News and Events ...
We are delighted to be one of the many organisations and businesses to support local enthusiastic volunteers in producing a monthly newsletter for Haltwhistle and District. The first edition of the Haltwhistle Herald is out now and can be found here. A limited number of paper copies have been printed and are availble from outlets around the town, including the Community Bookshop. Our congratulations and thanks go to the volunteer team on producing such a good quality, informative publication.
Heritage Exhibition
Trustees from Bellingham Heritage Centre have kindly set up a Heritage Exhibition in our ground floor unit at Westbourne House (next to the Post Office). The three main parts to the exhibition are an account of Alfred Wainwright's visit to Haltwhistle 85 years ago; a celebration of LNER holidays, since 2023 marks 100 years since LNER was formed and a presentation describing what is was like for a teenager living at Housesteads in AD138. There are also trains for youngsters to play with along with colouring sheets to ensure all the family enjoy their visit.
The Exhibition is now closed, however special openigs can be facilitated by prior arrangement until the exhibition is removed. Contact Julie Gibbon
We are grateful to all the local volunteers who manned the exhibition over the 2 months it was open, during which more than 300 people visited. We hope to facilitate more exhibitions in the future.
Volunteering Opportunities
The Haltwhistle Partnership has various volunteering opportunities so whatever your interest if you want to help, please make contact in the first instance with our Chairman Julie Gibbon.
We are currently looking for volunteers to help with the following activities:
Community Shops - The Partnership operates two community shops on Westgate - a general charity shop and a bookshop. These are run entirely by volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering to help please call in to the shops and talk to our volunteers.
Sustainability - in its widest sense. We are looking for 2 volunteers to receive Carbon Literacy training and 2 volunteers to receive training in signposting energy advice. Also if you are interested in helping to make Haltwhistle and district Carbon Neutral then please make contact.
Station Adoption Team - looking after Haltwhistle Railway Station, litter picking, reporting faults, locking and unlocking the waiting rooms.
Community Gardeners - looking after the garden at the rear of Westbourne House and various beds around the town including the tubs at the Railway Station. The group meet on Wednesday mornings at 10am.
Haltwhistle Growing Together Community Allotment - looking after the polytunnel, herb, fruit and vegetable beds in the garden at Hillside, 33 Park Avenue, Haltwhistle (bottom of the school drive). Meeting times vary depending on the season.
Older People's Project - supporting older people with weekly coffee mornings (Tuesdays 10am to noon), monthly lunch club and a monthly memory cafe.
Zigzag - supporting those feeling isolated for whatever reason. Meet twice a month for activities and chat.
Trustees - helping to run the Partnership including supporting and initiating projects, operating residential and commercial property, advocating for and representing the community.
Working Groups - helping to develop and run projects under the guidance of the Trustees e.g. Community Projects WG, Renewables WG, Community Shops WG.
HISS - Haltwhistle is Something Special In partnership with Sustainable Haltwhistle and the Tyne Valley Community Rail Partnership, volunteers research and prepare information for the poster exhibitions displayed in the waiting room on platform 1 at Haltwhistle station. We are grateful to Cross Country trains for their financial support for the graphic design work and to Northern for permitting us to display the posters.
Karbon Homes has generously donated a special fund to benefit community projects in and around Haltwhistle. The Haltwhistle Partnership is administering this fund and has set up a Steering Group of volunteers to encourage applications and support the funding and delivery of projects in the community.
Anyone who lives or works in Haltwhistle or any of its 10 surrounding parishes is encouraged to share their ideas with the group. If necessary members of the group will then help develop and deliver projects. The link for more information, expressions of interest and application forms can be found here.
The Steering Group has recently allocated £13,000 to a further 4 community projects bringing the totals to 18 grants allocated to 13 different organisations, amounting to around £70,000. Funding is still available and the steering group meets every 6 weeks or so with the next meeting scheduled for 9th November.