Deputy Mayor of Ferryhill, Councillor Liam Fellows visited a lovely local couple, Jack and Ann Gash, as they celebrated 60 years of marriage on Thursday 28^th September 2023, they were presented with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and an engraved whisky tumbler on behalf of Ferryhill Town Council, the presentation was extra special to the couple as the Deputy Mayor, Liam, is their grandson.

Jack, from Ferryhill Station, met Ann from West Cornforth at a dance at the old Ferryhill Station WMC and they were married at St Aiden’s Church in Chilton on 28^th September 1963.

After leaving school in 1955 Jack started work at Mainsforth Colliery and has worked in pits across the Durham Coalfield over the years, lastly Vane Tempest until the colliery closed in 1991, he then went on to become a greenkeeper at Ramside Hall until he retired in 2009.

When Ann left school she worked at Siemens and Smart and Browns before taking a break to raise the couples 4 children.  Once the family were up she returned to work as a cleaner in local schools and was cleaning supervisor at Ferryhill Station Primary School before retiring from Prismo in Ferryhill Station.

The couple who lived in Ferryhill Station, moved to Nottingham for 3 years following colliery work in 1967, they returned to Ferryhill and moved into Haig Street where they lived for 48 years before moving into a bungalow in Belsay Close this year.  They have 4 children, 10 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.

Jack enjoyed socialising with friends in the Eldon Arms and Commercial Hotel until the closure and Ann is a regular at Ferryhill Sport & Education Centre for the coffee morning, lunch club and weekly bingo.

The couple celebrated by hosting a party for family and friends to enjoy the occasion with them.

Mayor of Ferryhill, Councillor Curtis Bihari visited Denehurst Nursing home on Friday 29^th September to present resident, Ruth Thornberry with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a birthday card on behalf of Ferryhill Town Council as she celebrated her 100^th birthday.

Ruth, who is an only child, born to Lily and Ralph on 1^st October 1923, married Norman in 1946, has 2 daughters, Lynne who is married to Dave and Julie who is married to Neil, she has 1 grandchild, Michael who is married to Michelle and 1 great grandchild Grace Rose.

After moving to London many years ago, Ruth moved back up North in the 1960’s and has been a resident of Denehurst since she was 95 years old.

The family celebrated Ruth’s birthday on Sunday with a party.

Thanks to £1,777 external funding secured through the Neighbourhood Budget Monies of Councillor Peter Atkinson via the 4Together Partnership, Ferryhill Town Council is pleased to announce that it has been able to remove two very old, worn, and damaged public seats at Duncombe Cemetery, replacing them with two brand new, modern benches.

The original seats, which had been in-situ for over 30 years were so dilapidated that they were on the verge of being removed altogether. Thanks to Councillor Atkinson’s generosity, the Town Council has been able to prevent that from happening.

Councillor Atkinson said ‘It is important that residents are able to sit and remember their loved ones in peace when they visit Duncombe Cemetery, and as such I was only too happy to contribute monies from my Neighbourhood Budget allocation to ensure that public benches continue to be provided for residents use at the Cemetery.’

Ferryhill Town Council would like to say a huge thank you to Councillors Peter Atkinson, Curtis Bihari and Joe Quinn for contributing Neighbourhood Budget Funds via the Area Action Partnership, to enable the Town Council to install several commemorative benches around the Town. Three of the benches will serve as a lasting reminder of the Platinum Jubilee celebrated by HM Queen Elizabeth II, while the remaining three benches will commemorate the Coronation of King Charles III.  Benches are to be situated in all three wards of Ferryhill; at Dean Bank Park, King George V Playing Field (Broom Rec.), Mainsforth Sports Complex and the Surtees Doorstep Green.

Mayor, Councillor Curtis Bihari said ‘Myself and my fellow County Councillors were only too pleased to be able to contribute funds towards this project, which will provide a lasting and fitting tribute to the 70-year reign of HM Queen Elizabeth II and to our newly crowned King Charles III. Long live the King!’

Please follow the links below to view the Notice of Conclusion of Audit for 2022-23 and the AGAR 2022-23

Notice of Conclusion of Audit 2022-2023

Annual Governance & Accountability Return 2022-23

Thanks to £1,223 external funding secured through the Neighbourhood Budget Monies of Councillor Peter Atkinson via the 4Together Partnership, Ferryhill Town Council is pleased to announce that it has recently been able to purchase and install a Public Access Defibrillator (PAD) at Mainsforth Sports Complex.

The defibrillator which has been installed outside the Bowls Pavilion at the Sports Complex has been fully registered with the emergency services, and going forward will act as a valuable piece of life saving equipment.

The Public Access Defibrillator (PAD) is built with user-friendliness in mind. It comes with voice prompts which talk through the whole defibrillation process.  All the operator needs to do is ring the emergency services to obtain the access code to the equipment, switch on the device and await further instructions.  The defibrillator features bold illustrations, LED lights and large buttons to simplify the process.

Councillor Peter Atkinson said ‘Public Access Defibrillators can play such a vital role in helping to save lives in local communities like Ferryhill, so I was only too happy to support Ferryhill Town Council to provide this life saving piece of equipment at Mainsforth Sports Complex. The new defibrillator will be a welcome addition to the Town Council’s other defibrillators, which are situated outside Ferryhill Working Men’s Club and Dean Bank Park Football Pavilion.’

Ferryhill Town Council is pleased to announce that the latest group to benefit from funding through its Members Initiative Fund is Endeavour Woodcrafts CIC, who recently attended a cheque presentation at Ferryhill Town Hall, where Councillor Kath Conroy presented a representative from the group with a cheque for £225 from her MIF allocation.

Endeavour, who are a non-profit making organisation that offers a day service providing training and education for adults with learning disabilities and mental health issues, in the art of woodwork design and crafts, used the funds to replace its damaged Fire Door ensuring the safety and security of its premises and service users.

Councillor Conroy said ‘I am delighted to be able to support such a worthwhile organisation.  Endeavour Woodcrafts CIC provides an invaluable service for vulnerable people in Ferryhill, and I am only too happy to support them.’

For more information regarding the Town Council’s Members Initiative Fund please contact Karen Younghusband at Ferryhill Town Hall on telephone: 01740 652157 or Email: kyounghusband@ferryhill.gov.uk

Ferryhill Town Youth FC are holding a coffee morning on Friday 29th September 2023, 10am – 2pm at Dean Bank Recreation Park to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer, please go along to show your support.

From Friday 8th to Sunday 17th September 2023, more than 40 venues in County Durham are offering free entry for Heritage Open Days, a national event which celebrates the architectural and cultural sites across England.  Tours, events, and activities for all ages will take place across the county, with free entry to attractions that would usually charge – including castles, churches, an underground mine, and a historic steel furnace.  Explore the fascinating history of County Durham and see the list of all 46 places which are taking part on Durham County Council’s Heritage Open Days web page.  This is such a great opportunity to celebrate and value our local area.

The Mayor of Ferryhill, Councillor Curtis Bihari, will brave the shave in support of those suffering from cancer.

The Mayor has chosen Teenage Cancer Trust as one of his chosen charities.  He has been raising money throughout the year with fundraising activities and events.  All proceeds will be split between the Cancer Trust and the three Ferryhill Resident Associations.  It is hoped the shave will take place early October, the date will be confirmed soon.

The Mayor said: “This is a fantastic cause and one that is very close to my heart. This small act of shaving my head is the least I could do to support the brave people tackling cancer.  Hopefully, I can raise a good amount.”

“For anyone wishing to sponsor me, you can leave a donation at the Town Hall or Ferryhill Sport and Education Centre. All support will be greatly appreciated and go towards a fantastic cause.”