A new scheme aiming to help people in Northumberland detect cancer early urgently needs volunteers.

The community-based initiative, the Healthy Communities Collaborative (HCC), has been set up to help people living mainly in the Blyth, Wansbeck and Morpeth areas.

It aims to raise awareness of the disease so people can spot the early signs of breast, bowel and lung cancer.

Voluntary and community groups in Northumberland have been warned they are facing a reduction in funding for their work - because of the recession and tough budget savings required by the county council.

However, County Hall bosses have reassured the sector that a funding package of £1.3m will still be available next year. Budget proposals recommend more money for charities directly supporting those people worst affected by the recession.

These will include services such as credit unions and the Citizens' Advice Bureau.

Community groups in Northumberland are being urged by their MP not to get left behind in the race for lottery cash.

Blyth Valley's Ronnie Campbell is encouraging local organisations to check out the Big Lottery Fund's rules and conditions to see whether it can give their projects and community services a helping hand.

He is among many MPs all over the country who have been asked to spell out the potential benefits of bidding for lottery cash.

A leading North East mining and development company has topped the £1m mark in the amount of money it has given to local good causes.

A £4,800 handout to the Cramlington Voluntary Youth Project has taken the Banks Group's community fund past the £1m landmark.

The latest grant covers the cost of new garden and sporting equipment for the Cramlington project, which organises and hosts activities for local young people.

The next series of meetings for the newly formed community forums for Blyth, Cramlington and Seaton Valley are as follows:

Cramlington Community Forum- Thursday 14 January 2010 at 6:30 pm at St Nicholas Church, East Farm, Cramlington

Cramlington Folk Club will be tonight welcoming the enduring North East folk group Prelude as special guests for their weekly meeting.

Formed in Gateshead in the early 1970s, Prelude started out as regulars on the folk circuit in the region before they achieved success on both sides of the Atlantic, notably with an unaccompanied version of Neil Young's 'After the Goldrush', which reached the British and American top 20 in 1974.

One of the band's founder members, Ian Vardy, has recently rejoined the foursome for their latest set of dates.

The folk club will also welcome a guest performer later in the month with the visit of singer-songwriter and guitarist Anthony John Clarke on the 27th.

The gig at the Hind pub in Cramlington starts at 8.00pm tonight; advance booking for tickets is not required. Visit www.cramfolk.co.uk or phone 01670 715106 for more details.

People in Blyth, Cramlington and Seaton Valley will have an opportunity to hear from local organisations and have their voice heard at a set of community forum meetings, organised by the Northumberland Strategic Partnership in conjunction with CVA Blyth Valley.

The dates and venues are as follows:

Cramlington Community Forum
Thursday 8 October 2008, 6:30 pm at Northburn Sports and Community Centre

Cramlington Community Tennis Programme head coach Phil Barron has been voted Northumberland Coach of the Year for 2009.

Barron was presented the award by Northumberland LTA chairman Chris Lott at the Northumberland Closed Championshps, where he was watching several of his young stars play.

He received the prestigious award in recognition of his work in developing young talented players and for his club and community tennis activities.

Cramlington Table Tennis Club are sporting new shirts after a £2730 grant from the Community Foundation's Northumberland Grassroots Grants Programme.

The club, who were set up in 1995 and now have more than 100 members, aim to promote participation in the sport for people of all ages and abilities.

Members meet at the Sporting Club in Cramlington on Monday, Thursday and Friday evenings (7.00).

League games are played on the Monday and Thursday sessions, with Friday evenings dedicated as club nights when the majority of younger members attend. Practice tables are available on all the meeting nights.

Families in Northumberland are being urged to support a charity appeal aimed at helping needy children across the world.

The annual Operation Christmas Child appeal gets under way again next week and organisers are asking people to do their bit despite the recession.

The appeal involves donating shoeboxes filled with gifts, which are delivered to youngsters living in difficult conditions across the globe.