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.

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.

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 £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.

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

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.

The dates and venues are as follows:

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

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.

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.

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.

Northumberland County Council has £300,000 available from its growth fund to allocate to projects aimed at improving or creating green spaces in Blyth and the South East of the county in 2009/10.

Grants are for schemes which improve ecology and quality of life and will be administered by the South East Northumberland New Growth Point Partnership.

On the 6th September 2009 model aircraft enthusiasts will converge on Cramlington & District Model Aircraft Clubs site at East Cramlington, just off the A192 between the Keel Row and Laverock Hall Roundabout.

This is the club's second running of The Great North Fly In in conjunction with the North East Area of the British Model Flying Association.

Barry Elliot, who has served as a CSO in Cramlington and Seaton Valley for the past four years, identified a communication issue between police and the deaf communities in Northumberland.

He was nominated by the area command to attend a year long British Sign Language course at Newcastle College, which he has now achieved a level one in.

Neville Furness, pictured right, has served as treasurer of Cramlington-based Azure Charitable Enterprises for the past 22 years after joining the charity, then known as SHAW Project, for what he thought would be just a few months.

Joe Oliphant, left, welcomes new treasurer Ian Watson, centre, and bids farewell to Neville Furness, right

Neville is also the charity's vice chairman and a member of its board of trustees, positions which he will maintain despite stepping down as treasurer.

Sunderland is top of the list for longest allotment waiting lists nationally, with North Tyneside and Blyth Valley claiming third and fourth place respectively.

The National Society of Allotment and Leisure Growers linked up with the Transition Town West Kirby group to make the survey.