Events 2024
Last year Tynedale Transformed partnered Hexham Debates, who run on line debates on matters to do with peace and social justice. We are continuing this partnership into 2024 and will, once again, be running 3 in person debates between now and June. Please listen to, and participate in, this season’s debates, whether virtual or in real life.
Link to Hexham Debates
PANEL DISCUSSIONS PROVIDED BY TYNEDALE TRANSFORMED:
11.00am to 12.30pm at the Church Hall, St Mary’s Catholic Church, Hencotes, Hexham, NE46 2EB
Saturday 24 February 2024: What Place Does Protest Have in Democracy?
Saturday 13 April 2024: How to Improve Regional Pay and Working Conditions
Saturday 1 June 2024: The Future of Food and Farming in Northumberland.
Tynedale Transformed is on the move in 2023
. In partnership with the Hexham Debates, we are holding a series of in person discussions
10.00 – 12.00 at St Mary’s RC Church Hall, Hencotes, Hexham NE46 2EB.
18th Feb at 10.00am – Housing, Health and the Environment
25th March at 10.00am – Health
29th April at 10.00am – The Environment.
All events are free.
Second Sunday Newsletter
COVID, Boris, cake, taxes, Brexit, Climate Change, lies, corruption etc.etc. It is truly appalling but we are still here shining a light on all this and more.
However, the team have decided that because we are at a point where people are tired of Zoom, but not ready to get together, that we will concentrate for a while on posting items of interest to keep us going.
We are publishing a monthly e-newsletter called Second Sunday News. It will be posted here, on the blog page and a copy be sent out to our mailing list via Mailchimp on the second Sunday of each month. It features opinion, local and national triumphs and links to articles and videos. We will continue to do this until we can arrange meetings and events face to face, indoors or out. So, until we meet, take care and stay safe
The TT team.
Sunday 12th June 2022
Like 40% of Tory MPs, Tynedale Transformed campaigns for change!
Let’s hope we both achieve our goals – we think the two could be linked. But at the time of writing this, Boris Johnson is still the Prime Minister. And, at the time of writing this, a new report says that third of schoolchildren in the North East are in receipt of free school meals. We certainly live in extraordinary and often shocking times.
So, as the world continues to horrify, it’s worth reflecting that there are still an awful lot of really good people on this planet. In fact – to coin a phrase – we are “the many” and it is only by using that collective power that we can hope to force change upon “the few.”
Here are just some of the really great things going on in our area:
Congratulations to The Haltwhistle Partnership which, as part of the Jubilee, has been awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
The Partnership is currently involved in a number of projects on housing, climate action, plastic re-cycling, heat from mine workings, a mini wool processing plant, to name but a few. Julie Gibbon, chair of The Partnership said: “We are delighted to receive such a prestigious award. Whether it is litter picking, gardening, offering advice, running activities or trailblazing new ideas, we couldn’t achieve anything without our wonderful volunteers.”
https://haltwhistle.org
The cost-of-living crisis is top of everyone’s agenda at the moment. We spoke to Sam Gilchrist at the West Northumberland Food Bank which continues its tremendous work helping those in need. She says her organisation has assisted more people in the last eight months than in the whole of the previous year. That’s more than four hundred households who’ve been in touch since energy prices started to rocket last October.
“Many people were just about keeping their heads above water until the energy prices began to soar, but now they really are in need of help and support,” she said.
The Food Bank doesn’t just help with food. It can also provide energy vouchers and it has a hardship fund. All this is supported by hundreds of people in our region who donate money and food every month.
Sam welcomes the recent Government announcement of support calling it a “welcome boost,” but she says it’s not nearly enough and with further price rises to come things are only going to become more challenging. “We’re particularly worried about rural poverty in smaller communities. And about people who don’t come forward. I say to anyone who feels too proud or ashamed to contact us, that this isn’t their fault. There are things happening beyond their control. People can just ring us, or email us, and we will help. They don’t need a referral,” said Sam.
https://www.facebook.com/westnorthumberlandfoodbank
https://www.westnorthumberlandfoodbank.org.uk
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/cost-of-living/food-bank-hexham-ponteland-northumberland-23965367
Then there’s Rosie’s Corner which helps families with clothes and shoes. Speaking to the Hexham Courant recently, the charity’s founder, Rosie Gilchrist said: “Over the last year we have provided families in need with over 1,000 items” “Donations are handled by messaging the Facebook page with drop off points in Hexham, as the unit is kept as a private and confidential place for families to get what they need.”
https://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/19801723.rosies-corner-hexham-recognised-charity
https://www.facebook.com/Rosies-Corner-316985049221736
https://rosiescorner.org.uk
Higher Ground is a social enterprise project which seeks to improve mental health and well being through gardening. It is based in Allendale. We spoke to Project Manager Jane Pryde at their recent plant sale and book swop. “We have a coffee drop in every Thursday between 10.30-12.30. Anyone can come along. And we’re extending the invitation to newly settled Ukrainian families in the Allen Valley,” she said. The site includes a community orchard, classroom, vegetable and herb gardens, reflection spaces and a sensory garden.
“Gardening is profoundly good for you.. a great way of keeping people active and keeping them outside helping their sense of wellbeing,” added Jane.
http://www.higher-ground.org.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/highergroundallendale
Talking of gardening, Hexham Town Council has successfully raised £8,690 to fund a project called Grow Hexham. Grow Hexham matches local gardeners with idle gardens. Using recycled tools, shared skills, knowledge and food for the benefit of the grower, the owner, the fresh food bank and the environment. The fundraiser, which finished at the end of the December, benefitted from a 65% grant from The North of Tyne Combined Authority, who hope that the scheme can be rolled out into the whole region in the future.
Penny Grennan, the Town Councillor who’s leading on the project said, “We are very excited that so many people have supported our fund raiser, now we need to make it happen. We need gardeners; spare plots to garden; and we are recruiting for the job of co-ordinator.” If you are interested in any of these, please contact Hexham Town Council through their website, or use the link below.
https://www.hexhamtowncouncil.gov.uk/?s=Grow+Hexham
Lastly Hexham Climate Action always supports re-wilding projects. One of which has been underway at the Sele in Hexham, where there’s less mowing and more growing. All of us can do this in our own gardens.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2161521853905604
Sunday 13th May 2022
We send you our best wishes at this unbelievable time…
Stay safe and thank you for your support and contributions so far.
All the best
The TT team
The Second Sundays 2021
Sunday 12th December on Zoom
Tynedale Transformed spent the year wrestling with serious issues. Christmas 2021 was time to have some FUN.
On Sunday 12th December we met on zoom for a mix of:
Christmas jokes, demonstrations (not with placards), a quiz, stories and much, much more.
The TT team
Sunday 14th November on Zoom
For Tynedale Transformed’s Second Sunday, on November 14th, we reviewed COP26, what impact they will have on Climate Change and what we need to do next. We were sad to cancel the live events, but offered a variety of recordings, useful, recent articles and featured a Hexham Debate by young people, conversations with organisations and local activists. We know that these have stimulated a great deal of discussion amongst our followers. It will be the basis of a more intense programme to be held in the new year.
Sunday 10th November on Zoom
We had a great day thinking about refugees, people in crisis. We shared a debate, had a conversation with a social worker from Social Workers without Borders, held a discussion with a variety of people and ended the day with a session on using stories, including a story from an oral storyteller!
Sunday 12th September. 5pm on Zoom
We read an article on how big business, including High Street banks, is entering the rented housing sector. and discussed : What happens when Corporate landlords build thousands of houses for rent? Where does this leave the tenant? What about small landlords? What are the alternatives? among other things!
July 11th 2021: Facing the Future Reading Group.
Sunday 11th July. 11.00am on Zoom
We read an article about the Preston Model and discussed on how it could be applied to Tynedale.
June 13th 2021: Facing the Future Reading Group.
Tynedale Transformed is launched a reading group for our June Second Sunday
Sunday 13th June. 5.00pm on Zoom
There is no need to read the article in advance, we will read it together and discuss it as we go along.
“How Flatpack Democracy beat the old parties in the People’s Republic of Frome”
Following the overturning of the Conservatives in May 2021, the largest “party” on Hexham Town Council is Open Hexham. Open Hexham are a Flatpack Democracy group. What does flat pack democracy mean and how does it work?
Please join us.
More Flatpack Democracy Resources here
May 9th 2021: Pick of the Tops.
May’s Second Sunday came hot on the heels of the local elections. Many of our followers had been busy campaigning and wanted to spend Sunday relaxing, reflecting and planning for the future. Consequently, for this Second Sunday we highlighted a small selection of items that we have found particularly useful, thought provoking or enjoyable over the last months to encourage you to explore our extensive resource bank and re-visit some of the events.
The events we highlighted were:
Climate Action. A Hexham Youth Debate: Local young people talk about what needs to happen to address Climate Change
Re-Imagining Rural Life: A vision of the future in the rural areas addressing sustainability, self reliance and fun.
Reporting from a Dictatorship: First hand experience of reporting from Nicaragua and what the implications are.
The Future of Democracy: From the local to international media, what is the relationship between the media and the truth.
The Hexham Radical History Tour: An audio tour that proves that things are not quite as they seem. Find the leaflet, download the tour to your phone, listen on SoundCloud, check out the bibliography or just watch the Vimeo conversation.
The Power of the People: A quiet revolution: This shows what is possible in a small town
The Future of the NHS: A panel discussion from the local to the regional and beyond.
The Importance of Hope: A provocation. read it here watch the Vimeo recording here
April 11th 2021: The Future of Democracy.
With a range of elections taking place throughout the country on 6th May and democracy currently under attack throughout the world, April’s Second Sunday considered What we mean by democracy and what form it could take.
The full programme of events is available here
The Vimeo recording of the Hexham Debate featuring Peter MacFadyen, founder of Sustainable Frome and author of Flatpack Democracy is here.
A Vimeo recording of the conversation with Chris Jackson, considering the importance of local journalism to democracy, is available here.
The video files Chris wanted to show in his presentation are available here.
A Vimeo recording of the panel discussion, featuring regional and local responses to how democracy can work and what it mean, will be available here shortly.
Resources for the day, including interesting video and film links are available here
March 14th 2021 : The Future of the NHS
On March 14th we considered what can the pandemic could teach us about a good society, how the NHS brand and logo are being appropriated by private companies and considered the future of our NHS.
The full programme of events is available here
The Vimeo recording of the Hexham Debate featuring Helen Salisbury is available here.
A vimeo recording of the conversation with Jude Letham is available here.
A recording of the panel discussion with Jenny Firth-Cozens, Amanda Pickering and Lesley Duke is available here.
The documentary “Under The Knife“, which is about the privatisation of the NHS by stealth and was produced by Pamela Kleinot and directed by Susan Steinberg is no longer available free.
Resources for the day available here
February 14th 2021 : “Our Climate Crisis”
Time to love the planet!
On February’s Second Sunday we linked to a Vimeo broadcast of the Hexham Debate, “Climate Crisis: Young People’s Perspectives on Their Future.” we were in conversation with some climate activists and hosted a panel discussing the current situation and it’s relevance in Tynedale. We had a live, keynote address by Dr Alan Whitehead, shadow minister for Energy & Business and Minister for Labours Green Deal as well as excellent contributions from prominent regional and local people and a chance to question them about their work.
The full programme is available here.
Resources available here
The Hexham Debate in which young people discussed their fears and ideas is available here.
The Vimeo of the conversation with XR is available here
The Vimeo of the Climate Crisis Discussion is available here.
January 10th 2021: Happy New Year
Because of lockdown the Second Sunday on 10th January was entirely virtual. We shared our favourite pod-casts, articles and publications with you.
The subjects are wide ranging and, we hope, interesting. They are available via this link and are available now as part of the website resources.
December 13th 2020: A Community Christmas
We learned about making our winter festivities fairer and more sustainable whilst having fun. We looked at what’s happening around our region, how our communities are supporting each other and sharing the seasonal cheer.
The programme is here
The “Make it Christmas” resources are here
The Journey through Tynedale is here
Watch the zoom discussion about the role of community at Christmas on Vimeo here
Watch our Christmas Party on Vimeo here
Download an A4 poster here
November 8th 2020: WHERE DO WE BUY WHAT WE NEED IF THE SHOPS SHUT DOWN?
The programme is here
The resources are here
A chance to watch the events of the day, including recordings of the zoom events here.
October 2020: TT2020: Our Launch Festival.
The programme of the day is here
To watch the zoom events of TT20 see the TT20 revisited page.
The resources are here.