News

Ashington’s Civic Head, Cllr Caroline Ball, joined Full Circle Food Project for their annual BBQ, meeting volunteers and visitors as the community group marked another year of bringing people together over good food.

Ashington Town Council, Full Council Meeting meeting is being held on Tuesday 28th July, starting at 6:00pm. The meeting is held in the Town Hall, Council Chamber, 65 Station Road, Ashington, NE63 8RX.

Ashington’s Civic Head, Cllr Caroline Ball, recently visited Ashington Hirst Running Club to learn more about how a £1,355 grant from the Town Council will support the club’s activities and community events throughout the year.

On Monday 20 July, Ashington’s Civic Head, Cllr Caroline Ball, visited First4Darts to see first-hand how a £4,700 grant from Ashington Town Council is helping the organisation continue to grow and develop opportunities for the local community.

Ashington Town Council could earn thousands of pounds a year in interest on its reserves — at lower risk than its current banking arrangements — under a new treasury management plan recommended by the Council’s Finance and General Services Committee, which goes to Full Council for approval next week.

The proposal is the final step in a systematic review of the Council’s finances which began in 2022, when the Council first allocated its reserves to specific purposes — setting money aside for the future replacement of play areas, elections, allotments and other known costs — followed by the adoption of a formal Reserves and Contingency policy. The proposed Investment Strategy and Treasury Management Policy would complete that work.

Ashington Town Council is stepping up its scrutiny of Northumberland County Council’s highways investment programme, making the case that Ashington’s roads deserve a fair share of planned spending — and asking searching questions to ensure the evidence supports that case.

Ashington Town Council is delighted to confirm that it has approved funding of £4,300 towards the establishment of a junior parkrun in Ashington — a free, weekly, volunteer-led 2km run for children aged 4 to 14.

The decision, made unanimously by the Council’s Finance & General Services Committee, means the full £4,800 start-up cost is now in place, with the Council having already committed £500 earlier in the year. Councillors were united in their enthusiasm for the project, describing it as a lasting investment in the health and happiness of the town’s young people, following recommendation by the Council’s Youth Advosiry Committee.

We’re sorry to share some disappointing news. Ashington has not been shortlisted for UK Town of Culture 2028.

The competition was extraordinary — 398 towns applied from across the UK, with just 15 selected for the shortlist. We’re disappointed, of course. But we’re also proud, and rightly so.

Our thanks go to Cllr Caroline Ball, who led our bid with passion and belief from the very start, and to every group, organisation and resident who helped tell Ashington’s story. Caroline is a champion among champions — of Ashington, for Ashington, always.

Ashington Town Council, Finance & General Services Committee Meeting meeting is being held on Tuesday 14th July, starting at 6:00pm. The meeting is held in the Town Hall, Council Chamber, 65 Station Road, Ashington, NE63 8RX.

Ashington Town Council’s Civic Head, Cllr Caroline Ball, joined civic and military dignitaries this week for the Armed Forces Day Thanksgiving Service, organised by the Ashington Branch of the Royal British Legion (RBL).

The service was attended by Deputy Lord Lieutenant Julie Cordon and Ian Lavery MP, who laid floral tributes alongside the Civic Head and President of RBL Ashington, Mr Al Vaziri. Ms Cordon was accompanied by her brother, Mr John McConville, Chair of the charity Brainbox. Both spoke with Cllr Ball about the charity’s work supporting children and young people affected by acquired brain injury, and their families, across Ashington and Northumberland. Veterans, members of the public, the Army Cadet Force and Ashington Sea Cadets stood proud throughout a fitting service led by Padre Major (Retired) Philip Gray, MBE, whose address reflected on the origins of the day. He noted that what is now Armed Forces Day began life in 2006 as Veterans’ Day, introduced at a time when British troops were heavily committed in Iraq and Afghanistan and investment in, and recognition of, the Armed Forces was widely felt to be low. The day was created, the Padre explained, to motivate troops serving at the time by showing them that the nation stood behind them — a message that resonates as strongly today as it did at its inception. The observance was renamed Armed Forces Day in 2009.