Groups in Berwick and north Northumberland hail impact of community chest funding

As part of the Community Chest programme, the local authority will provide up to 75 per cent of costs needed, up to £5,000.

Among the groups to benefit from recent rounds of funding were the Berwick and District Camera Club, the Berwick Community Trust and Cornhill Community Action. At last Thursday’s meeting of the North Northumberland Local Area Committee, representatives from each group explained the impact of the funding boosts.

The Berwick Community Trust received £1,200 for a defibrillator in the town. The trust’s Becky Murray said: “We had brilliant support from our county councillor, Catherine Seymour, on this. We wanted to increase the spread of 24/7 defibrillators across the town and we were successful.

“The North East Ambulance Service has directed the public to the defibrillator four times, although it has not been used which is a good thing. People know it is there – we hope it is never used, but it is there if it is needed.”

The camera club received funding for a new projector to display members’ work. Club member Chris Jary said: “Last year we asked for a grant to improve our projector and screens.

“It is particularly important because people spend a lot of time processing their images, getting them just right. To show them digitally to the public, if the projector isn’t up to scratch they look awful, which is distressing as a photographer.”

The final group to speak was Cornhill Community Action. The group used funding from the council to help in the renovation of the village’s former primary school into a thriving community centre with space for businesses.

Villager Martin Devon said: “We started with £19,000 and we have been grateful to receive money from the Community Chest in two successive years. Altogether we have spent £78,000, which obviously involved other funders.

“We now have five small business units up and running and a waiting list of would-be tenants. In time, we expect to be able to use some of the money earned to create a modest benefit fund for people in the parish and to help the parish council with maintenance of the building.”