The Mayor of Ferryhill, Councillor Dave Farry hosted an Italian themed Charity Night on Monday 2nd August at La Mensa Italian Restaurant in Ferryhill. The evening was supported by civic guests from around the County, local Councillors, community representatives, friends and family.

The Mayor said “The night was very enjoyable, excellent food and service and fantastic entertainment by singer Ian Bianchi. I hope everyone had a great evening and special thanks go to Kerry and all the staff at La Mensa for organising the event.”

The total amount raised for the Mayors charities was £428, this will be added to the Mayors Charity Fund and will be donated to Chance Drama, Ferryhill Town Youth FC, Little Treasures, Mainsforth Cricket Club & The Rifles-Care for Casualties, at the end of the Mayor’s year in office.

The next planned Charity event is a Sportman’s Evening, this will be held on Friday 3rd September 2021, 7pm – 11pm at Mainsforth Cricket Club in Ferryhill. Tickets for the evening are available from Ferryhill Town Hall at a cost of £25 each and will include a pie & pea supper as well as entertainment by guest speaker, ex Newcastle United Player & BBC Radio Commentator – John Anderson and Comedian – Terry Joyce.

At a meeting of Ferryhill Town Council’s Events Management & Community Engagement Sub-Committee Meeting held in June, Members agreed to allocate monies towards a variety of youth activities taking place during the School Summer holidays. Through liaison with the AAP several existing youth projects, which concentrate not only on providing youth activities, but also tackling holiday hunger were identified, these groups were invited to apply for monies from the Town Council to add value to their existing projects, other local organisations were also invited to submit applications.

Only three applications were received and all three organisations were approved for funding. Unfortunately, due to short notice for arranging activities and isolating due to covid only one 1 group were able to accept the funding. The Ladder Centre therefore, received £1,000 funding, this will contribute towards providing 4 weeks of summer activities with food support to 100 children. Including 3 days of in centre activities and a delivery service to the remaining children of food and activity packs. In total over the 4 weeks the project will support 25 children each week in centre and 75 children with home deliveries, so that all 100 children will benefit during each of the 4 weeks, with beneficiaries all receiving at least 1 week of in centre activities.

On Wednesday 28th July 2021, the Mayor of Ferryhill, Councillor Dave Farry and the Chair of the Events Management & Community Engagement Sub-Committee, Councillor Joe Quinn, welcomed Kath Merrington to Ferryhill Town Hall to receive a cheque for £1,000 on behalf of the Ladder Centre. Councillor Farry said “I am always very proud to present funding to local organisations on behalf of Ferryhill Town Council, we have so many fantastic organisations here in our Town and it is so important to support the young people, the Ladder Centre is an asset to the community”.

Kath thanked Ferryhill Town Council for their donation and said “Healthy food, sports and art activities will be the main priorities for summer but this funding would provide the opportunity to provide additional support to older children who may not engage with the Centre’s planned holiday provision. Funding would essentially provide an additional youth session each week over the summer targeting older children. By offering a session each week rather than in a solid block it is hoped that contact with the youths involved can be maintained throughout the summer holiday period. Food provision and positive activities will be provided by this project.”

Councillor Joe Quinn said “As the Chair of the Events Sub-Committee, I am happy that Ferryhill Town Council are able to support local organisations in this way, especially supporting the youth of our Town with these activities, we all need something to look forward to after the last year, I look forward to the continued partnership working in the future.”

The Ladder Centre are holding information mornings on Thursday 26th Aug 10am to 12 noon and again on Thursday 9th Sept 10am to 12 noon where they will be offering a range of new courses and social activities including a craft and chat session, seated exercise and other learning opportunities including functional skills, for more information call 01740 651639.

Paintings and Drawings by Lionel Playford 

Portrait drawings by pupils from Dean Bank Primary School 

August 5th to Sept 5th 2021 

Dean Bank & Ferryhill Literary Institute, St Cuthberts Terrace, Ferryhill

A celebration of the landscape surrounding Dean Bank, one made famous by Norman Cornish, artist and miner at Dean and Chapter Colliery at the bottom of the bank. Artist Lionel Playford was commissioned by the Dean Bank Regeneration Programme to create a series of location drawings and studio paintings celebrating the landscape and Norman Cornish’s own response to it.  

Like Norman, Lionel draws and paints portraits as well as landscapes and believes Norman is a considerable national figure as a painter of people and place. Last year he spent a morning with children at Dean Bank Primary School helping them draw portraits of each other in charcoal with Norman’s own charcoal drawings as inspiration. 

A Sportman’s Evening will be held on Friday 3^rd September 2021, 7pm – 11pm at Mainsforth Cricket Club in Ferryhill, to raise funds for the Mayor of Ferryhill, Councillor Dave Farrys’ chosen charities.

Tickets for the evening are £25 each and will include a pie & pea supper as well as entertainment by guest speaker, ex Newcastle United Player & BBC Radio Commentator – John Anderson and Comedian – Terry Joyce.

The Mayor of Ferryhill, Councillor Dave Farry said “I am really looking forward to this evening, I would like to thank Mainsforth Cricket Club for organising the event and hope we can boost the charity fund for my chosen charities, I’m sure it will be a great night”.

If you would like to book a ticket for this event please contact Ferryhill Town Council on 01740 652157 or email shewitson@ferryhill.gov.uk by Friday 20^th August 2021.

A raffle will be held on the night and all monies raised will be donated to the Mayors Chosen Charities, namely, Chance Drama, Ferryhill Town Youth FC, Little Treasures Autism Group, Mainsforth Cricket Club and the Rifles-Care for Casualties.

Ferryhill Summer Gala will take place on Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th August 2021. Show Rides will be operating in the Market Place Car Park from 11.00am – 6.00pm on both days. On Sunday, 8th August, road closures will be in operation to accommodate a range of attractions taking place between 11.00am – 5.00pm including a variety of Market Stalls, Catering Vehicles, Face Painting, a Magician and a Stilt Walker.

Free parking will be available during the event, in the Car Park at the rear of the former Nat West Bank, and temporary bus stops will be in operation for the duration of the road closures.

Anyone wanting more information about the Summer Gala, or any other event being organised by Ferryhill Town Council should contact Ferryhill Town Council on (01740) 652157.

Ferryhill Town Council is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a Bronze Investors in the Environment Accreditation for its commitment to reducing its environmental impact.

In response to the Climate Change Emergency declared across County Durham, the Town Council adopted its own Environment Policy in October 2020 and begun the process of monitoring all of its resources including gas, electric, water, fuel, paper and waste. Determined to reduce its resource usage and its Carbon Footprint, the Town Council made a pledge to Investors in the Environment, and have worked hard to implement an Environmental Management System that will ensure that the Council continues in its environmental journey, implementing measures that will see the Council significantly reduce the level of greenhouse gas emissions it releases into the environment each year, with the aim of becoming Carbon Neutral.

Claire Thompson, Executive Manager of Genee, who deliver the Investors in the Environment Accreditation Scheme across the North East of England said ‘Ferryhill Town Council has really committed to understanding its environmental impact and making the right plans to reduce it and achieve its Climate Change Declaration ambitions.  Karen Younghusband has enthusiastically led much of this work, and the Council has achieved a well-deserved Bronze Level Investors in the Environment Accreditation.  I look forward to seeing the implementations of these plans resulting in future resource and carbon emission reductions in 2022’.

Town Mayor, Councillor David Farry said ‘Ferryhill Town Council takes its responsibility for the environment seriously and is thoroughly committed to reducing its carbon footprint, and its impact on the environment. The Council is extremely grateful to Claire Thompson at Genee for all her support in guiding us through our Investors in the Environment journey. I am thrilled that Ferryhill Town Council has achieved a Bronze Accreditation, and I look forward to building on this success moving forward, eventually becoming Carbon Neutral, while also encouraging other partner organisations to improve their own green credentials.’

The Mayor of Ferryhill, Councillor Dave Farry is holding a charity raffle to raise funds for his chosen charities, with the grand prize being a Playstation 5. The prize was very kindly donated by Tarmac Quarry and was presented to Councillor Dave Farry by Mr John Eustace, Quarry Manager and Mr Trevor Brown. Over the last year the new games console has been well sought after, with shops running low on stock, the Mayor thought this would be the ideal time to raffle the Playstation 5 and give a local resident the chance to win it.

Tickets will go on sale on Monday 19th July 2021 at a cost of £5 per ticket and will be available from Ferryhill Town Hall, some local Councillors and also at local events organised by Ferryhill Town Council due to be held over the next couple of months, details of which will be advertised in due course.

All proceeds from the raffle will be shared between the Mayors chosen charities which are Chance Drama, Ferryhill Town Youth FC, Little Treasures, Mainsforth Cricket Club & The Rifles-Care for Casualties.

The Draw will take place at the Ferryhill In Bloom Presentation Evening on Thursday 7th October 2021 and the winner will be contacted after the draw.

Town Mayor, Councillor Dave Farry said “I was over the moon when I received the donation from Tarmac Quarry, I can’t thank them enough, the last year has been so difficult for local businesses and for them to still support local charities is just fantastic. This year I have chosen 5 local groups to help financially and it is hoped this raffle will boost the fund substantially as well as providing the winner of the raffle with a brilliant prize.”

Please support the Mayors charities by purchasing a ticket, you never know, you could be the lucky winner of a Playstation 5!

If anyone would like to donate a prize to be used on a tombola or raffle during the Mayors year in office please contact Ferryhill Town Council on 01740 652157.

Ferryhill Town Council will once again be holding an Art and Photography Exhibition. This event allows local artists and photographers, both experienced and amateur to showcase their work. Like last year the Art and Photography Exhibition will once again be held virtually. 

 In order to enter this years Competition, the Town Council is inviting local artists and photographers, both experienced and first timers to take photographs of their artwork (no more than 4 entries per person) and email them to nrees@ferryhill.gov.uk by no later than Wednesday, 14th July 2020.  You must also include your name, address, telephone number, age (if under 18) and Exhibit Names in your email. 

All entries received will be displayed online on the Town Council’s Facebook page from Monday,  26th July 2021.  Entries will be judged by the Events Management and Community Engagement Sub Committee. Winners will be announced in due course and a presentation evening for the winners will be organised for the end of September/ beginning of October. 

I understand that once again it is disappointing we are unable to hold the exhibition in Ferryhill Town Hall however, we really look forward to seeing your work and sharing it with our local community.