Tag: lifestyle

Lawson To Perform At Sunderland Style Awards

By on 27th February 2016in Entertainment

One of the UK’s most exciting pop rock bands will be heading to Sunderland to appear at a major awards event…

Lawson, whose hits include Taking Over Me, Juliet and When She Was Mine, are to headline at the city’s Retail and Style Awards, which will take place at the Bridges shopping centre on April 23rd.

The event, organised by Sun FM and the Bridges, and supported by Sunderland BID, will celebrate the city’s top businesses and individuals across sixteen categories. The appearance by the band is part of a full evening of entertainment, which includes a three course dinner, fashion show and the awards ceremonies.

Plus, there is still time for nominations for the awards to be made before the closing date on February 29th.

“It’s a massive coup for us to get a band with the status of Lawson at our awards, and shows what progress the city is making,” said Julian Carter, MD of Sun FM.

“It will make what already promises to be a fantastic night even more spectacular.”

Other acts are already lined up to appear at the event, with further announcements to be made in the near future. Tickets are on sale for the night at £39, and are available from customer service at the Bridges, from the reception at Sun FM and via Eventbrite.

Andy Brown, lead singer of Lawson, said: “When we played the Stadium of Light a couple of summers ago, it was one of those gigs you never forget, and we can’t wait to come back to Sunderland to perform at the Retail and Style Awards.”

Ken Dunbar, Chief Executive of Sunderland BID and the main sponsors for the awards, said attracting a top band to appear showed the calibre of these awards.

He said: “The appearance by Lawson won’t just add another dimension to the night, but it will also turn the spotlight on Sunderland to a national audience, and showcase what an exciting and dynamic city it is.”

This the first year that the city’s Retail and Style Awards have joined forces, with businesses and individuals able to enter in a range of categories. Nominations are still being accepted via the Sun FM website at www.sun-fm.com/rsawards2016.

Categories in the retail section include awards for large, medium and small retailers, best customer service, employee of the year, manager of the year, up and coming business, and the Experience It Here award for the best city centre experience.

In the style section, nominations are being sought for the Most Stylish Mackem, along with sections for top bars, restaurants, salons and individual awards for top bloggers and the city’s most glamorous mam.

“We’ve already seen a fantastic number of entries for the awards, which is what we would expect given the excellent year 2015 was for the retail sector,” said Andy Bradley, Centre Director at the Bridges.

“And now, with an amazing band providing the entertainment on the night, it will be a memorable evening for a whole host of reasons.”

County Durham Leisure Centres Hold Sport Relief Fundraiser

By on 27th February 2016in Lifestyle

Council fitness coaches are inviting families to spin, swim and sprint in aid of Sport Relief…

As part of their continuing efforts to improve the health of people in County Durham, staff at Freeman’s Quay and Riverside leisure centres have organised fundraising fitness events this March.

Cllr Maria Plews, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for leisure, libraries and lifelong learning, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for people to visit our Durham and Chester-le-Street leisure centres, use some of the fabulous facilities we have, and support a great cause.”

A 24 hour ‘spinathon’ will take place at Freeman’s Quay Leisure Centre from 8pm on Thursday 17th March until 8pm on Friday 18th March.

Members of the public can book themselves in for a 30 minute slot – or longer if they feel up to the challenge – on one of the centre’s 13 spin bikes between 6.30am and 10.30pm.

Staff – including coaches Aiden McDaid, Steven Gardiner and Sam Renwick – will then continue the trial through the night.

With cyclists busy on the bikes, coaches Laura Gwynne, Claire Fothergill, Chloe Heslop and Carol Shaw will invite swimmers to take part in an hour long ‘aquathon’ on Friday 18th March.

From 9.45am to 10.45am visitors to the Freeman’s Quay pool will be able to dance along to everything from Abba to Glee, and the Beatles.

Meanwhile, at Riverside Leisure Complex, schoolchildren and sports club members will be encouraged to walk, jog or run a mile on its running track between 9am and 3pm.

The track will also be open from noon to 1.30pm for any member of the public who would like to take part.

All the events are free, but donations to Sport Relief will be requested.

Stadium Of Light Hold 3 Course Meal For Mums

By on 26th February 2016in Lifestyle

Families from across the North East are being invited to toast to their mothers in a special celebration at the Stadium of Light…

This Mothering Sunday (March 6th), the Sunderland venue will be hosting a Champagne reception, followed by a three course meal in its Riverview Brasserie.

The menu for the event, planned under the new SOL brand, will include a choice of four starters, main courses and desserts, ranging from homemade salmon and dill fishcakes to roast loin of pork and strawberry shortcake.

Other options include country style terrine, lemon and thyme buttered chicken, passion fruit and mango tart and a traditional cheese board.

All mothers attending the event, run by 1879 Events Management, will receive a complimentary gift to take away, while children can dine for half price to ensure it is a real family affair.

David Moses, General Manager at 1879 Events Management, said: “Mother’s Day is the ideal time for families to show their mum, grandmother or female head of the household how much they care.

“This year we’ve worked hard to ensure the afternoon will not only be sparkling and extra special but also affordable for everyone too.”

Mother’s Day at the Stadium of Light is priced at £26.95 per adult or £19.95 excluding the Champagne reception, and a 10 per cent discount is available for SAFC season card holders.

To book call 0871 911 1555 or email conf&banq@safc.com. More information can be found at www.safc.com/whatson or www.facebook.com/stadiumoflight.

Metrocentre Call For Food Bank Donations

By on 25th February 2016in In & Around

The North East’s largest shopping centre is urging households to help the hungry by donating to a food bank…

Last year, staff and shoppers at intu Metrocentre, Gateshead, donated more than 200kg of dried and tinned food to Gateshead Foodbank to help those in need, and the aim is to donate even more this year.

In a bid to help as many people as possible, intu Metrocentre is asking shoppers to bring in food products they don’t use or want – or perhaps have given up for Lent.

The initiative, which will last until 20th March, is the brainchild of intu Metrocentre Chaplain Lyn Jamieson, who said: “It is very sad indeed to think that, in this day and age, in this borough, there are still people who do not have enough to eat.

“These may be families whose benefits arrive late or are reduced, people leaving an abusive relationship, with nowhere to go and no money, or students who can’t make ends meet. Sadly, there are many causes and levels of hardship.

“The Gateshead Foodbank has been set up to help those most in need, and as intu Metrocentre is at the very heart of the community, we are committed to gathering as much food and awareness as possible.”

Last year, foodbanks across the UK gave more than 500,000 emergency three-day food supplies to people in crisis. More than a third of the emergency foodbank supplies went to children.

The centre is calling for donations of:

  • Milk (UHT or powdered)
  • Sugar
  • Long life fruit juice
  • Tinned food
  • Pasta sauces
  • Breakfast cereals
  • Tea bags and jars of instant coffee
  • Instant mash
  • 500g rice and pasta
  • Jars of jam
  • Packets or biscuits and snacks

Donations can be handed in at any of the centre’s customer services desks or the Centre Management Offices, 1st floor, next to House of Fraser. For more information, visit www.intumetrocentre.co.uk.

Flying Scotsman Returns To East Coast Main Line

By on 25th February 2016in In & Around

Iconic locomotive 60103 Flying Scotsman officially returns to the East Coast Main Line alongside Virgin Trains’ modern day Flying Scotsman liveried train…

FlyScots-BodyImg

Railway history is being made today (Thursday February 25th) as Flying Scotsman officially returns to the East Coast Main Line to launch a season celebrating its return to the track. The celebratory season, which is sponsored by Virgin Trains, starts with today’s inaugural London-to-York run.

The iconic locomotive is being showcased alongside Virgin Trains’ own ‘Flying Scotsman’, complete with its brand new interior, at King’s Cross station before setting off on its five-hour journey to York. The Virgin Trains Flying Scotsman express service takes passengers between London and Edinburgh in just four hours – around half the time of the original steam train. It was unveiled in autumn by Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon. Virgin Trains is investing £40m improving its fleet on the East Coast, including new leather seats in first class, new seats in standard, new carpets and lighting.

Virgin’s Flying Scotsman is the first electric train in the fleet to have the new investment, and enters service on Thursday. It also showcases the new mood lighting which is being installed in First Class in all electric powered trains.

David Horne, Managing Director of Virgin Trains on its East Coast route, said: “The Flying Scotsman has an incredible history. It was the first locomotive to reach 100mph in 1934 and, in the pre-war era, it symbolized speed and style – service qualities which remain important to our customers today.

“We’ve embedded these qualities in our own Flying Scotsman, which has had its own refresh, including luxury leather seats in First Class, a new red hot look for Standard Class, new carpets and coloured mood lighting. Looking forward to the future, new Virgin trains arrive in 2018 which will make the four-hour Edinburgh-to-London journey the norm – half the time it took the Flying Scotsman to do the journey non-stop before the war.”

Virgin Trains’ fleet upgrade is part of its investment in the London-Edinburgh route, which has just seen it granted permission to run an extra 42 services a week on the route, boosting seat capacity by 22,000.

The original Flying Scotsman will be on display in York until March 6th. Virgin Trains runs in excess of 60 services a day to York, providing a great way for train enthusiasts to visit the National Railway Museum and see the enormous heritage of the East Coast line. Additionally, Virgin Trains is offering 30 per cent off Advance fares to York to encourage visitors to the region as part of a joint promotion with Visit England.

Campaign Launches To Boost County Durham Recycling

By on 25th February 2016in In & Around

A campaign is to be launched to encourage even higher levels of household recycling in County Durham…

Durham County Council has secured almost £31,000 from the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to promote its national Recycle Now ‘Good to Know’ campaign locally.

The council will promote the six month long Good to Know campaign from next Monday 22nd February.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of the different types of materials that can be recycled from different rooms of the home in the blue lidded recycling bins and recycling boxes, including those from which WRAP believes recycling rates are lower.

Good to Know will see the council’s strategic waste team getting the message out at school assemblies and roadshows, through social media, knocking on doors and handing out leaflets. The campaign message will also be advertised in newspapers and on the back of buses, as well as on radio.

Officers will also be giving out bin stickers, and putting stickers on recyclable items in Durham’s Sainsbury’s store.

Around half of the population already recycle, and the campaign aims to encourage people to do more by highlighting the benefits. For example, one drinks can could save enough energy to power a TV for four hours, and plastic bottles can be recycled and made into a chair.

Alan Patrickson, the council’s Head of Projects and Business Services, said: “More than six out of ten of us now describe ourselves as committed recyclers, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t do more.

“This campaign will raise awareness about the products people might still be unsure of, and help those that already do their part to recycle extra items and different materials that they might not have thought of.”

Good to Know will run alongside the council’s ongoing Bin it Right campaign, which aims to get people to put the right items in the right bin, in order to stop recyclable material being contaminated and made unusable.

Festival Of Thrift Relocates To Redcar For 2016

By on 24th February 2016in Lifestyle

Plans are afoot to take the fourth annual Festival of Thrift to the stunning location of Kirkleatham in Redcar on 24th and 25th September 2016…

The award-winning, free family festival shows people how to save money – and the planet – by being creative.

Heading out of its birthplace in Darlington for the first time since the inaugural Festival in 2013, the team wants to show how the event can inspire and support the economic future of communities throughout the Tees Valley.

The festival will return regularly to Darlington in future years.

A ten year plan is currently being drawn together for future festival locations, working towards 2025, the 200th anniversary of the world’s first passenger steam railway (which journeyed between Darlington and Stockton), and the year for which Tees Valley is bidding to be UK Region of Culture.

A proposal detailing the festival’s aims, values and programme will be presented at the Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council Cabinet Meeting at the Leisure and Community Heart on 1st March, where councillors will give the final decision as to the 2016 Festival taking place at Kirkleatham. HRH The Prince of Wales visited the estate last week as part of a wider visit to the borough, as The Prince’s Foundation is working with Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council to develop plans for its regeneration.

The proposal also follows the recent visit to Tees Valley by Lord Heseltine to discuss plans to drive forward investment opportunities to the region. Lord Heseltine has been appointed chair of the Tees Valley Inward Investment Initiative, with a specific remit to boost the region’s international profile.

The Festival of Thrift is the UK’s National Celebration of sustainable living. It brings together international and emerging artists, superscrimpers, makers and designers, as well as stallholders selling all manner of homemade, home-grown, upcycled, recycled and thrifty produce. The festival brings people together to share skills through workshops, talks, films and a whole lot of hands-on joining-in and making.

This year, the festival will concentrate on sustainable business development. If the move to Kirkleatham is agreed, the programme will also include locally grown produce, food and drink inspired by the kitchen gardens and traditions at Kirkleatham.

Stella Hall, festival director, said: “I’d be delighted to head out to Redcar this year. Redcar received such a huge blow in 2015 with the demise of the steel works, which coincided with last year’s festival.

“We hope to show how each of us has skills and creativity we can contribute to create a sustainable community. The Festival of Thrift is dedicated to shining a light on the Tees Valley, celebrating the area’s individuality and the strength of its people.

“We will be heading back to Darlington for 2017, but the opportunity of holding the festival at Kirkleatham this year was too good an opportunity to miss.

“The site is the epitome of great regeneration. Kirkleatham has a fascinating museum collection, a stunning church and mausoleum, almshouses, railway cottages, park and woodland within walking distance.

“Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council will be sensitively developing the stables on site, with an eye to business startups. Together with the new adventure playground, it’s a complete gem of a festival location.”

Leader of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, Councillor Sue Jeffrey said: “The festival organisers and Darlington Borough Council have worked extremely hard to make the festival a huge success, and we would work closely with them to replicate that in Redcar.

“We would be delighted to welcome the festival in 2016, particularly to such a special site which perfectly suits the festival’s values. It would be a real boost to our communities to host such a fantastic event.”

Councillor Bill Dixon, Leader of Darlington Borough Council, said: “Darlington’s ingenuity gave birth to the festival, and we are delighted to see those ideas developed and explored in other settings and places, but look forward to welcoming the festival back home.”

The festival has continued to grow in size as well as reputation. In 2015 the festival welcomed 45,000 visitors throughout the weekend at its first home at Lingfield Point, Darlington, and scooped the Observer Ethical Award for Arts and Culture – a national coup for a home grown festival. In the same year, it won the North East Tourism Event of the Year.

This year’s festival will invite the UK’s thriftiest and most sustainable stallholders to build on some of the great programmes from previous years, including Alternative Village Fete with its mix of wandering performance and music stages, Oxglam recycled fashion shows, Bistros du Vin with local and amateur chefs, and Fix It Café, helping to save waste by fixing everything from a child’s music box to a broken computer. Workshops, demonstrations, exhibitions, The Big Talks and Peoples’ Encyclopaedia will all be about sharing skills, and showing how each of us has something special to offer. The most exciting elements will emerge from the history and heritage of the site itself, and will be announced in the coming months.

For more information, visit festivalofthrift.co.uk and sign up to receive email newsletters, keeping you up to date as the festival programme develops over the next few months.

Yarm Health Clinic Expands Following Major Rebrand

By on 24th February 2016in Local Biz

A leading health clinic has expanded its services and team following a major rebrand…

HealthHub Clinics, formerly known as Yarm Osteopaths and Physiotherapy Clinic, consists of 13 associate practitioners, who are experts in delivering first class health services and treatments.

Based on Yarm High Street, the clinic has built up an outstanding reputation as one of the North East’s leading providers for musculo-skeletal pain reduction and maintenance programmes.

Following the rebrand, which has also seen the clinic invest in a new website, HealthHub Clinics now offers a full range of physical, mental and social wellbeing services including Pilates, Yoga and Tai Chi, Nutrition and Naturopathy, Counselling, Mindfulness and Mediation, among others.

Established in 2000, the clinic has treated over 6000 patients across the Tees Valley and beyond, and it was a change of focus on wellbeing and demand for its services which led to the rebrand.

Osteopath Julian Crossley said: “Since we started 16 years ago, we have been known for our musculo-skeletal services, such as osteopathy and physiotherapy, and have built up a fantastic reputation for our work in these areas.

“However, over recent years there has been a huge increase in other health related therapies and wellbeing, which we are developing and expanding.

“We realised that now, more than ever, was the perfect time for us to add to what we already offer.”

The leadership team and its associates chose the name HealthHub Clinics as they believe it explains perfectly – yet simply – what clients can expect from the clinic.

Julian continued: “We decided on the name HealthHub Clinics as it encompasses all the various treatments and wellbeing services that are trending with people and current health awareness.

“We wanted to make sure that while the new brand made people aware of the extra services we now offer, they realise they will still receive the same excellent standards they have since we first opened.”

2016 looks set to continue a year of growth in both services and staff appointments for HealthHub Clinics, as the next few months will see the clinic welcome to its team, some of the region’s most reputable figures in the fields of health and wellbeing.

To find out more about HealthHub Clinics, visit www.healthhubclinics.co.uk. You can also follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

Mum Braves Freezing Sea For Charity Fundraiser

By on 23rd February 2016in Have Your Say

A mum whose son died for forty minutes after a cardiac arrest is getting ready to battle the freezing cold sea to raise money for the charity that kept her by her son’s hospital bedside over 60 miles away from home…

 

Elizabeth Bruin, 29, from Berwick-Upon-Tweed, will be swimming in the North Sea on 20th February to raise money for The Sick Children’s Trust.

Four years ago, the charity gave Elizabeth and husband Paul, 35, free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation so they could be with their seven-year-old son, Lewis, when he was rushed to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary.

Lewis, now 11, was a very healthy and active boy before he had a sudden cardiac arrest. He had a complex heart defect which caused his heart to beat abnormally fast, resulting in a heart attack at home, where he was then resuscitated for forty minutes. Once stabilised at his local hospital, Lewis was rushed to Newcastle’s specialist children’s hospital. Elizabeth and Paul were given a ‘Home from Home’ for four days at The Sick Children’s Trust’s Crawford House before their son was transferred to Freeman Hospital, Newcastle, for keyhole surgery.

Elizabeth, who volunteers for the British Heart Foundation, says: “I couldn’t get my head around what was happening. Lewis had been absolutely fine – we thought he just had a sickness bug. When I got the call from my Mum and Paul to say an ambulance was on its way, I couldn’t believe it.

“During this hell, we were fortunate enough to stay at Crawford House. When we went to Freeman Hospital there was no accommodation available for us, as the new ‘Home from Home’ Scott House hadn’t been completed, which made us appreciate just how much The Sick Children’s Trust helped. It was the worst time of our lives – we had no idea whether he would pull through or not, so being just a minutes’ walk away from his bedside and having a direct telephone to the ward was so valuable.

“The Sick Children’s Trust provided us with a ‘Home from Home’ for four days – it was crucial that we could stay together as a family and be there for one another. Because of their wonderful support, we’d like to thank them by raising some funds to help other families with sick children.”

Lewis, who attends Scouts every week, and is the ‘happiest he’s ever been’, will be supporting his Mum on the day.

Crawford House Manager, Gail Stonley, says: “After all these years, it’s wonderful to hear this news from Elizabeth, and we’re so pleased that Lewis is doing extremely well. Elizabeth’s event will do wonders to support families whose children are seriously ill at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, but it will also help raise local awareness of the charity in Berwick-Upon-Tweed. It’s vital that families know that this service is available to them, as a ‘Home from Home’ helps make things just that little bit easier.”

To find out more about The Sick Children’s Trust, please visit www.sickchildrenstrust.org.

Winner Of Gym Membership Heads From Couch To 5k

By on 23rd February 2016in Lifestyle

A hairdresser is hoping to go from her couch to running 5k after winning free use of Newton Aycliffe’s newly refurbished leisure centre…

 

Sophia Langan, 27, entered Durham County Council’s New Year fitness contest, with the prize being three months free membership for her and a friend.

Now, with husband Anthony, 36, she has visited her town’s freshly re-opened facility to start a journey to fitness she hopes will inspire others.

Sophia, from Newton Aycliffe, said: “I entered the competition when I decided I needed to do more exercise and get myself fit.

“In the past I’ve had severe back problems and haven’t been able to run, but now they are fixed, with my husband, I’m aiming for the NHS recommended ‘Couch to 5k’.

“I’m very excited to have won this competition, as it will really get us in the exercise groove for the long term.

“I’m hoping to increase my core strength and fitness levels, and the goal for us both is, by the end of the trial, to be able to run 5k with ease.”

Sophia and Anthony, an IT trainer for the NHS, visited the centre earlier this week for their gym inductions, and over the coming weeks the council will be tracking their progress in an effort to inspire others to follow in their footsteps.

Councillor Maria Plews, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for leisure, libraries and lifelong learning, said: “The council is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of all its residents and their families.

“This is a great opportunity for Sophia and Anthony to make a real change to their lives, and I hope others will follow their lead and make the most of the fantastic facilities we have at our council-run leisure centres.”

For more information about gym memberships at Durham County Council leisure centres, visit www.durham.gov.uk.

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