Tag: north east

Washington Wetland Centre Welcome Newborn Otter Cubs

By on 23rd March 2016in Uncategorised

The excitement has quadrupled for the WWT Washington Wetland Centre family as four Asian short-clawed otter cubs arrived safe and sound…

The new arrivals were born on 3 March to Mimi and Musa, the award-winning wetland centre’s popular otter pair. The quadruplets arrive just 10 month after the pairs first otter cub ‘Squeak’ was born last May.

WWT Washington’s aviculture and captive animal manager Kristian Purchase said: “Our staff and volunteers are very excited to announce the safe arrival of 4 otter cubs.

“It’s still early days for them – they currently weigh 140g on average, have no teeth and won’t open their eyes until they reach about 40 days old so it will be a few weeks before Musa and Mimi bring them outside. Once again, they’re proving to be fantastic parents so we will be as hands-off as possible to let them bond and grow as a family.

“It’s been fantastic to see Musa and Squeak taking care of Mimi, bringing her food and bedding. We’ve even witnessed Musa collecting water to pass to Mimi in what looks like a ‘kissing’ action – something I’ve never heard of in Asian short-clawed otters which is incredible. Musa has also been teaching Squeak how to be a brilliant big sister and she’s certainly stepped up to the mark.

“Our wardens are closely monitoring all four cubs and visitors can hear all about their progress and what their arrival means for our team during the daily talks at 11.30am and 3pm.”

This is the second litter for Mimi and Musa who were first introduced at WWT Washington on Valentine’s Day 2013.

Musa was born at WWT Martin Mere in Lancashire on 3 October 2009, while Mimi began life at Chessington World of Adventures on 20 July 2011.

WWT Washington’s centre manager Gill Pipes said: “This is another fantastic conservation in action success story for both the WWT Washington team and of course, Mimi and Musa.

“Asian short-clawed otters are a vulnerable species on the IUCN red list and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) works alongside the IUCN otter working group to maintain a healthy captive reserve of bloodlines.

“WWT’s international work includes projects in areas that are home to wild Asian short-clawed otters such as That Luang Marsh in Laos and the Cambodian Lower Mekong Wetlands.

“We’d also like to thank our members and visitors for their valuable support.  This allows us to carry out such vital conservation work, as well as keeping our own otters well looked after and healthy – and as a result they have gone on to successfully breed for a second time.”

Asian short-clawed otters form a bond for life and can have two litters of up to six young per year, with gestation lasting about 60 days. In the wild they live in extended family groups, with only the alpha pair breeding. Older offspring help raise their younger siblings and will stay with their parents for a long time.

Kristian added: “Asian short-clawed otters are very sociable and often play group games, while helping younger generations to develop hunting and swimming skills. The young cubs will learn a lot from big sister Squeak and we know she’ll be excited to have some playmates at her first birthday party in May!

“Our visitors and members will get some fantastic opportunities to witness this incredible behavior up close in the coming weeks once the family is out in the enclosure, with great views from our accessible platform.  For now, the holt itself will be temporarily cordoned off, to give them the privacy and quiet time that they need.

“We look forward to sharing the cubs’ story in the coming months and can’t wait for you to meet them.  In the mean time, please join us in congratulating Mimi and Musa on their new arrivals!”

Did you know?

  • Otters are part of the mustelid family, which roughly translates as ‘smelly animal’.
  • Asian short-clawed otters are the smallest of all 13 otter species, weighing less than 5kg.
  • They are found in the mangrove swamps and freshwater wetlands of Bangladesh, Myanmar, India, southern China, Taiwan, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
  • Their most distinctive feature is their claws, which don’t extend beyond the fleshy end pads of their partially webbed fingers and toes – hence their name!
  • Their sensitive finger pads mean they’re very dexterous and use their paws, rather than their mouths, to hunt prey including molluscs, crabs and other small aquatic animals.
  • They communicate through at least 12 different calls.
  • Their life span is anywhere from 11-16 years.
  • The main threats to their survival are habitat destruction, pollution and direct persecution from hunting and trapping.

Northumbria Design Alumni In Copyright Battle

By on 22nd March 2016in In & Around

A Northumbria University graduate has lost a Supreme Court copyright case over his design for the Trunki – the world’s biggest selling suitcase for children…

Rob Law MBE, who studied Design for Industry, 2000, is founder and director of Magmatic, which sells the suitcase in more than 1,564 stores across 62 countries worldwide.

Following an appearance on BBC’s Dragon’s Den programme where he first introduced his creatively designed suitcase, Rob went onto international sales success and was later appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to business.

When a rival company,PMS International,launched the Kiddee Case, Rob’s company Magmatic claimed it had been ‘ripped off’ andoriginally won a high court judgement in 2013., However, this was overturned in favour of PMS by the court of appeal, first in 2014 and then again earlier this month.

Speaking to Sky News, Rob said: “We created an original product in Trunki and protected it by computer generated registered design – a process used to protect a third of designs across Europe.

“In my honest opinion, the Trunki was wilfully ripped off.

“We stood up to this behaviour, held it to account and took our case all the way to the highest court in the land – only for the judges to rule that we are not protected against the copy.

“They’re effectively sending knights into battle without armour,” he added.

Following the court appeal, Rob has now launched his ‘Protect Your Design’ campaign, which has been backed by a number of leading designers and entrepreneurs from across the UK. This campaign has called for tougher legal protection for the 350,000 designers who contribute £33.5 billion to the British economy each year. 

Rob added: “I urge the Supreme Court to re-examine this muddled judgement and do the right thing – not only for Trunki but for the hundreds and thousands of creative British companies that make the UK a thriving economy.”

To find out more about Rob Law’s campaign, you can use the #ProtectYourDesign hashtag on Twitter.

Northumbria offers a range of courses through its award-winning School of Design. For more information go to: www.northumbria.ac.uk/design.

Easter Bunny Set To Attend Sunderland Sunday Lunch

By on 21st March 2016in Lifestyle

The Easter Bunny is hopping to Sunderland for a very special Sunday Lunch…

On March 27 the Stadium of Light will be donning its best Easter bonnet and serving up a three course feast for families from across the North East.

Featured in the menu, devised by chefs from 1879 Events Management, are a host of traditional British dishes, including creamed potato soup with shredded leeks, roast beef with Yorkshire pudding and a farmhouse cheese selection.

Stadium tours will be available throughout the afternoon, with all young visitors also receiving a free gift from the Easter Bunny.

David Moses, General Manager at 1879 Events Management, said: “Easter Sunday is a great opportunity for families to get together and enjoy a little quality time, without the pressures of work or education.

“This year we’ve invited the Easter Bunny along to deliver a few extra gifts alongside our three course lunch and stadium tours.”

Easter Sunday at the Stadium of Light is priced at £19.95 per adult.  Children eat for half price 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 also be found at www.safc.com/whatson or www.facebook.com/stadiumoflight.

Lumley Castle Hosts Wild Food Event

By on 20th March 2016in Entertainment

Foodies keen to find out more about foraging are invited to a special event at one of the North East’s most historic venues…

On Sunday 22 May, Lumley Castle Hotel, Chester-le-Street, is giving visitors the chance to learn more about ‘wild food,’ with the help of bush craft and survival expert Bruce Ferguson, of Wild North Discovery.

Throughout the morning he will take them on a tour of the 600-year-old castle’s ancient woodland in the search for wild ingredients, such as garlic, herbs, edible roots and berries.

Not only will he teach them to seek out and identify wild ingredients during a one and a half hour walk, but chefs from the hotel’s renowned Black Knight restaurant will then serve lunch, incorporating the foraged food.

Between courses, Bruce, who has been foraging for wild food for more than 30 years and recently took actor and presenter Robson Green seashore foraging for an upcoming episode of hit TV show, Tales from Northumberland, will give a talk about safe, legal and sustainable foraging.

He will also talk about food to look out for later in the year that may not yet be in season and the various types of location at which wild food can be found.

“This is the first time we have held an event of this sort,” said the hotel’s director of sales Tina Lowes “and we are all very excited to see what edible treasures can be found in Lumley Castle’s grounds.

“Not only will visitors enjoy an interesting and informative morning but they will then be served a wonderful lunch, incorporating the fruits of their labours.”

Places for the Foraging at Lumley day cost £29.50, to include lunch and can be booked by calling 0191 3895845 or emailing banquets@lumleycastle.com.

Durham Foster Carers Lauded At Awards Ceremony

By on 19th March 2016in In & Around

The amazing efforts of foster carers in County Durham have been lauded at an awards ceremony…

Durham County Council has held its Foster Carer Awards Ceremony, an annual event to recognise the work of foster carers and celebrate their achievements.

Foster carers were recognised for completing national training qualifications and long service.

Four foster families were also given Special Achievement Awards for going the extra mile in caring for children and young people.

Thursday night’s celebration at County Hall in Durham was organised by the county council’s fostering service.

More than 70 people joined in, including authority staff and members led by chief executive Terry Collins, corporate director of children and adult services Rachel Shimmin, cabinet member for children and young people’s services Cllr Ossie Johnson, and chairman of the corporate parenting panel Cllr Peter Brookes.

John Angus and Keven O’Shea, who are long term foster carers for three children, received a Special Achievement Award.

John said: “This is the first Fostering Awards Ceremony we have attended and we were overwhelmed!

“We see fostering as something normal that we do, but being recognised for everything we do for the kids is just amazing.

“Fostering can be challenging sometimes, but to us it’s the best thing we have ever done, we love having the children as part of our family.”

Florence Coulter, the council’s fostering team manager, said: “Foster carers make a real difference to the lives of the children and young people that they care for.

“We have amazing carers in County Durham and these awards are our way of saying thank you for everything they do.”

Anyone interested in finding out more about becoming a foster carer can contact the fostering service on 03000 269 400 or visit www.durham.gov.uk/fostering.

MFC Foundation Introduce New Transition Project For Teesside Schools

By on 18th March 2016in In & Around

Last October, Head of Ofsted Sir Michael Wilshaw said that the importance of a good start to secondary school “cannot be overstated”…

And now, a new schools project on Teesside is set to give children their best chance yet when making the step up from primary to secondary education.

Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation is teaming up with Middlesbrough Council to roll out the schools transition project, with more than 300 children to receive support from ‘transition coaches’ from the later years of primary education through to their first years at secondary school.

Delivered by qualified staff from MFC Foundation, the official charitable arm of Middlesbrough Football Club, the pull of the Boro badge will be used to engage with the young pupils. As well as leading classroom activities to prepare youngsters for the step up, the transition coaches will provide a consistent point of contact for the children throughout the process.

The £100,000 scheme, which includes £70,000 of funding from Middlesbrough Council, will be piloted in three Teesside secondary schools and their 12 feeder primary schools from May.

Recent government research has suggested that the culture shift from primary to secondary school is one of the most critical periods of a child’s education. Published by Ofsted in September 2015, a report entitled ‘Key Stage 3: The Wasted Years’ concluded that “the rate of pupils’ progress and achievement [in Key Stage 3] were not good enough”.

It is hoped that the project will provide a positive catalyst to improve Key Stage 3 for children in the Tees Valley.

MFC Foundation is currently advertising three staff positions to work on the transition project. The closing date for applications is Tuesday 22 March. Please visit www.mfcfoundation.co.uk for more details.

Stewart Smith, MFC Foundation’s Chair of Trustees, said: “Raising aspirations through education is a huge part of MFC Foundation’s vision for the Teesside community.

“We’re delighted to have the opportunity to work with Middlesbrough Council to target and improve a crucial part of the school experience for our young people.”

Middlesbrough Mayor Dave Budd said: “We are committed to improving outcomes for all young people, and the transition from primary to secondary is one of the most important periods in a great many young lives.

“Through this important scheme Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation is creating a unique opportunity to engage children in our disadvantaged communities and help them improve their self-belief, life skills, employment prospects and health.

“It is a fresh approach which has the potential to change lives for the better, and we are pleased to be able to support it.”

Princess Anne Awards Youth Offending Service Butler Trust Award

By on 17th March 2016in In & Around

Two staff from County Durham Youth Offending Service have received a prestigious national award for their innovative work…

Practice improvement officer Sarah Caden and speech and language therapist Susan Stewart have been given a Butler Trust Award 2015/16 – an “Oscar” of the criminal justice world – for their “outstanding dedication, skill and creativity” in transforming the service’s approach to young people’s communication needs.

And at St James’s Palace, the pair were presented with their accolade by the Trust’s patron, HRH The Princess Royal.

Sarah Caden said: “Receiving this award is brilliant as it gives us a platform to highlight the significant needs of young people who offend.

“Sixty to 90% of them have speech, language and communication needs and we hope to transform youth justice to put meaningful conversations at the heart of everything we do.

“This award is for all the young people we work with.”

Sarah and Susan – who is seconded to CDYOS from North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust – won one of just 10 Butler Trust awards handed out to staff working in prisons, probation and youth justice services across the UK this year, following over 300 nominations.

Lord McNally, chairman of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales, attended the award ceremony and praised the work of the Durham duo.

Lord McNally said: “It was a real pleasure to attend the Butler Trust award ceremony and to see so many inspiring examples of dedication and innovative work being formally recognised.

“Congratulations in particular to Sarah Caden and Susan Stewart at County Durham Youth Offending Service on their award and the tremendous work they have done in improving the service’s approach to young people’s speech, language and communication needs.”

Sunderland Live Appoint New Chief Executive

By on 11th March 2016in Local Biz

Sunderland Live Limited is excited to announce that Alison McDonough has recently been appointed as the new Chief Executive of Sunderland Live…

Andrea Winders, Executive Director of Sunderland City Council, said: “Alison has a great track record of events management, and has experience being involved with some very high profile events. This, combined with her deep industry knowledge and exceptional management skills, makes Alison uniquely qualified to lead Sunderland Live successfully into the future.”

Alison has already had a great impact on the team, which currently delivers the citywide programme of award-winning events that are helping to establish Sunderland regionally, nationally and internationally as a leading destination for events.

Alison said: “I am delighted to be part of a dynamic team of event entrepreneurs, delivering live events like Sunderland International Airshow, Sunderland Illuminations, community engagement programmes and – in 2018 – the launch of the Tall Ships event.

“Having a platform as fantastic as Sunderland is a dream come true. I am very proud to say that Sunderland is live!”

Alison brings with her a wealth of experience, having previously worked for local and international companies specialising in marketing and communications, events management and company development. She has also worked on transformational change programmes in industry, managed high profile accounts in FMCG, and has recently worked within a leisure business, investing in luxury properties for exclusive event hires.

Her rich personality is a clear indicator as to why she is a mentor for small businesses, an active volunteer for Cancer Research UK and a representative for constituents as a Governor of local Hospital Trust.

Sunderland Live formed in April 2013, and the team have been collectively delivering events for over 25 years. With their experience and expertise, they will be working collaboratively with strategic partners to strengthen Sunderland as a Destination City.

The event team has delivered spectacles including the Sunderland International Air Show, which last year attracted more than 1 million people to the city, and the ever-popular Sunderland Illuminations, which welcomed over 285,000 visitors in Roker Park alone.

Sunderland Live also brings military events, including the Freedom of the City and Remembrance Parade, to the city centre. Attracting thousands of spectators, these remain popular and poignant events.

Alison adds: “I’d like to offer my thanks to everyone who has been so supportive to the Sunderland Live team. Our annual events programme is currently being finalised and will be published shortly.

“I’m very excited to be a part of this growing cultural scene, and am very excited about the new opportunities that are ahead.”

For more information, visit www.sunderlandlive.co.uk, or follow Sunderland Live on Facebook.

Canny Beds & Furniture Open New Team Valley Store

By on 11th March 2016in Local Biz

Leading North East furniture supplier Canny Beds are celebrating the opening of a brand new store this month…

We all know how difficult it can be to find good quality furniture and beds at prices you can afford, which is why Canny Beds & Furniture believe they have brought together the best possible furniture at down to earth prices.

Whether it is the bedroom, dining room or living room you’re looking to add beautiful furniture to, you can rest assured that you’ll find it here for the best price online.

CannyBeds

This month (March), Canny Beds’ brand new store will be open in Team Valley, which means you can choose between that or the Chester-le-Street store to pop in and find your new furniture. Want to check availability beforehand? Call 0191 410 9994 to chat to one of their staff in advance.

Testimonials:

“Seamless ordering and delivery. Bed of good quality and assembled easily. Great price.”

“Brilliant communication, bought bed for my 3 year old and it is excellent quality and very easy to assemble. All round excellent product for price.”

“Speedy delivery and the cheapest I found the bed anywhere!”

“Brilliant. Lovely comfy matress. Great price and service.”

Darlington Building Society Helps Local Florist Put Down Roots

By on 11th March 2016in Local Biz

Recent visitors to the Darlington Building Society in Northallerton might have noticed a new addition to the High Street branch in the form of an in-branch florist…

The Wallflower Floral Artist, which is owned and run by 32 year-old Lisa Sopekan, held a special pop-up shop at the branch from which she sold her signature bouquets and single flowers customers.

As part of its 160th anniversary celebrations Darlington Building Society has pledged to use its resources to help local business and organisations. One of the ways it is doing this is by sharing spaces in its 10 branches that can be used for a limited amount of time for businesses and customers to reach new people.

The Wallflower Floral Artist, which specialises in floristry for weddings and other events, is the first local business to take advantage of the opportunity to reach new customers in Northallerton.

Lisa Sopekan, owner of The Wallflower Floral Artist, said: “When I saw that Darlington Building Society was offering space in its branches for local businesses I jumped at the opportunity to reach new customers and spread the word about my business.

“I’m new to the world of business, but I have always loved flowers and floristry. I think my passion comes across when I get to speak to customers face-to-face.

“The company is only a few months old, so it’s really important that I get out there, to allow people to see examples of my work. In this line of work a lot of the customer base comes from word of mouth.”

Kayleigh Turner, Branch Manager at the Northallerton branch of Darlington Building Society, said: “It’s fantastic to have The Wallflower Floral Artist using the free space we have in the branch. A big part of the ethos of the Society is supporting local people so it’s great to be able to help a new business get off the ground in this way.

“Although this is the first time we have had a pop-up shop from a local business at the branch we hope to have many more throughout 2016 as we celebrate the 160th anniversary of the formation of the Society.

“We’re always looking to support local people, businesses and organisations in any way possible, from opening up spaces in our branches, to helping move equipment around and even financial support.”

If any local organisations or businesses would like the opportunity to share some space of one of Darlington Building Society please contact them direct on contact-us@darlington.co.uk or pop into your nearest branch.

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