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Now open to organisations including voluntary and community organisations, schools, town and parish councils, and statutory health authorities. Grants of between £300 and £10,000 are available.

There is up to £2 million available across the UK and organisations can submit applications before the three deadlines of 21July, 22 September and the 24 November 2010.

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Tears were shed at the Wansbeck Country Club's last ever fundraising evening at Bedlington Community Centre, as they prepared to move out to a new home because of continuing uncertainty over the building's future.

The club is relocating to nearby Bomarsund Colliery Welfare where it will continue with its long-running monthly musical evenings held to raise cash for medical and other charities.

An appeal has gone out for more parents and carers to join the organisation and come up with ideas and suggestions to move its work forward.

The Northumberland Parent, Carer and Professional Forum aims to help families across the county which have youngsters with special needs.

Scott Hackett, 15, claimed gold in both points fighting and continuous fighting in the World Kickboxing Council's English National Open Championships, making him the country's champion for both styles.

Little brother Kyle, 12, won silver in continuous and bronze in point fighting.

Both boys, of NFKA Guide Post club, have now qualified to fight for England in the World Championships in Portugal this November.

Youth projects and independent schools are among the organisations which have been told by the county council to stop sending youngsters on Duke of Edinburgh awards' scheme expeditions until further notice.

Council bureaucrats say they have no choice but order an immediate suspension of expedition activities.

The choir meets for rehearsals every Thursday at 7.30pm in Ashington High School.

Anyone interested in joining is welcome to come along, or can make contact with the choir by calling Bob Brind on 01670 790169.

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.

The meeting point for the 10am start is the entrance to the reserve next to the Choppington Welfare Centre.

Members of the public can go along for the full three hours or can just drop in for half an hour.

Heather O'Neill, from Northumberland Wildlife Trust, said: "The litter pick is a great way for people in a community to get to know each other a bit better.

"Very often people come along to an event such as this and feel such satisfaction at the end of it that they volunteer for future activities."

Wansbeck Writers and the Wansbeck Art Group - which both meet weekly at the Parkhead Centre in Ashington - joined forces on the year-long project which combines the written word with work created on canvas.

The 48-page full-colour book, A Picture Paints A Thousand Words, features about 50 paintings by 18 members of the amateur art group. Each is accompanied and complemented by a piece of poetry or prose written by 16 members of the writers' group.

Northumberland Care Trust, in partnership with Age Concern, is looking for volunteers to become "senior health mentors" to other older people in their community.

Ann Kirkup, project co-ordinator for the health mentor scheme in Northumberland, with Jean Sanders in Newbiggin, who has volunteered as a senior peer mentor.

The volunteers will be trained to help, support and encourage those they are mentoring on the benefits of healthy eating and exercise, as well as offering social interaction.

A five-strong team behind the proposed Synergy station - which would broadcast to about 130,000 people on the FM frequency - need to raise up to £60,000 to get it on the air.

Now hopes of launching the first of two trial broadcasts this summer are fading fast because of difficulties in securing grants, donations and sponsorship during the economic downturn.

The You Decide initiative in Wansbeck was part of a national pilot scheme to involve local people and communities in deciding how public money should be spent in their area.

It culminated in a special Decision Day when 37 bidders put their case for a share of the money before an audience of local people equipped with electronic voting pads to decide who got what and how much.

The Monday evening youth club has been set up at Bedlingtonshire High School's sixth form centre for children too young for the existing youth club in Bedlington. It now has around 50 members.

Its success has led to the forming of a similar club at Meadowdale Middle School on Wednesdays.

Left to right: councillor Brian Richmond, Wayne Broderick, the Ashington Judo Club Senior Coach, Chris Weitz, Stephen Miller and Jamie Kirkwood

Rower Jamie Kirkwood, 19, and the Ashington Judo Club have been chosen as this year's top performers in the sporting hotbed of Wansbeck.