LOVE Northumberland awards celebrate the county's unsung green heroes

The cream of the county’s community work has been celebrated at this year’s LOVE Northumberland awards. 

Schools, community groups, organisations and individuals were recognised for their efforts to keep the county clean and green with awards across seven categories in what is now the event’s 16th year. 

Representatives of all shortlisted entries attended the event at The Alnwick Garden hosted by BBC Radio Newcastle presenter Anna Foster, with awards presented by The Duchess of Northumberland. 

Councillor John Riddle, cabinet member for Environment and Rural at Northumberland County Council, said: “These awards recognise and celebrate some stunning examples of how people in our communities are working together to improve our beautiful county. 

“Everyone who entered should be extremely proud of themselves for what they are doing in Northumberland. 

“These awards have now been going for 16 years and each year the judges are struck by the high standard of entries. 

“The efforts of volunteers, local community groups and individuals to improve their local environment is invaluable in our county and it’s been great to recognise them through these awards.” 

Winners: 

• Schools Go Smarter Sustainable Travel Award – Ellington Primary School – Active Playtimes  

• Best Children’s Project – Grange View C of E Primary School, Widdrington - Growing Together – from garden to community 

• Best Young People’s Project – Alnmouth Sea Scouts  - All in the Same Boat 

• Best Urban Project – Friends of Valley Park (Cramlington) - Habitat Creation Project 

• Best Coast or Countryside Project – CRAG Little Shore (Amble)- Bathing Water designation for Little Shore 

• Best Community Response to Climate Change Emergency Project – Dr Thomlinson Middle School, Rothbury - Simonside Felt Mushroomers 

• Outstanding Individual Awards – Julia Chambers (Amble/Warkworth), Dai Richards (Morpeth) 

More information on winners: 

Ellington Primary School have been running a hugely successful walking bus for the past 3 years which has helped to reduce traffic around the school, but they wanted to do more, so have introduced their new Active Playtimes programme encouraging children to come to school by scooter or bike and then use them at break times.  

Since its introduction the project has transformed the school environment, because pupils know they can use their bikes at breaktimes they now choose to travel actively, and families are supporting this. This has helped create a calmer, safer, greener space around the school.  

The wider aim of Active Playtimes is to encourage all pupils to be able to cycle or scoot to school and to support this, the school has bought a fleet of balance bikes so that the youngest children can learn to ride a bike. 

Grange View’s whole-school gardening project provides pupils from Reception to Year 6 with the opportunity to grow, maintain and harvest fruit and vegetables within raised beds and the school allotment. Led by the Deputy Headteacher, the project is supported weekly by local youth workers who help facilitate planting and decision-making, strengthening links between school and the wider community. 

Pupils learn about sustainable food production, seasonal growing and caring for the environment through hands-on experiences. The project encourages responsibility, teamwork and a strong connection with nature, while also supporting pupil wellbeing through outdoor learning.  

Alnmouth Sea Scouts are working towards their Environment Conservation and Earth Tribe badges through a hands-on programme of activities designed to help them understand, care for, and take action to protect the natural world.  

Their journey includes a beach clean-up at Alnmouth, where they collect litter and remove debris to help protect marine wildlife and keep the coastline safe and beautiful. They also took part in a coastal walk, learning to identify invasive species and explore the threats facing local habitats and wildlife.  

Working with the Coquet Rivers Action Group (CRAG) at Warkworth on the River Coquet, the Scouts carry out water sampling investigations to learn about water pollution, its effects on biodiversity, and why healthy rivers are vital for both  wildlife and local communities. 

Throughout the project, the young people will create a photo diary documenting their experiences, reflections, and what they have learned. .  

Through music, storytelling, and practical action, the Sea Scouts hope to inspire others and highlight the importance of protecting our county’s rivers, coastline, and wildlife for future generations.  

The Friends of Valley Park habitat creation project has transformed areas of the site into thriving spaces for wildlife, while also helping the local community better understand and value biodiversity.  

Volunteers have been focusing on practical, sustainable improvements that will continue to benefit nature for years to come. 

A major addition this year has been the creation of a new wildflower meadow in the existing

community orchard.The meadow was designed specifically to encourage bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects.  

Volunteers also constructed a dead hedge using natural materials gathered during woodland management activities.  This feature creates valuable shelter for birds, hedgehogs, and insects, while also helping define pathways and reduce  disturbance to sensitive areas. 

A bug hotel has also been installed at the woodland entrance, and an educational information board has been placed alongside, explaining the importance of insects and microhabitats. 

CRAG Little Shore is a beach suitable for families with young children right in the centre of Amble. It is used extensively by locals and tourists. It receives water from both the North Sea and the River Coquet. 

The project aimed to encourage DEFRA to designate Little Shore as a bathing water site. With this protection comes regular testing of E. coli by the Environment Agency, and signage that provides bathers with information about suitability for bathing.     

The application for bathing water designation required substantial effort for the volunteers and

Little Shore was one of only 13 sites in England to make the short list.  

Last month they heard that their efforts have been successful - Little Shore has been designated as

a bathing water site! 

A core team of 10 volunteers phoned, wrote letters and emails, knocked on doors and talked at meetings to gain business and community support for the application and to explain what bathing water meant to the town.   

Dr Thomlinson Middle School heard that Simonside was to be purchased by Northumberland Wildlife Trust to manage, so as the Simonside Hills are on the doorstep of the school they decided to raise funds for this project.  

Every child in the school made two felt mushrooms (made with local wool), so over 400 mushrooms! They took the felt mushrooms to Simonside and made a variety of installations at various iconic locations, and the results were made into an awe-inspiring slideshow used to publicise fundraising at a local event featured on the national news, along with David Attenborough's appeal video bringing in £1,000,000 donations! 

To celebrate this success, each child painted a watercolour painting of a felt mushroom scene.

These watercolour paintings were then used to decorate a neglected room in the school which is now a peaceful space used for children who need to talk to professionals in a relaxed environment (the “Mush-Room”). 

The school intends to continue to be deeply involved in this project and students are so much more aware of how special Simonside is and why we must all work together to preserve it for the future.  

Julia Chambers is an inspirational person. She has made a huge difference to the community in which she lives and the nearby environment.  

She is a member of her local Rotary and Women’s Institute, runs a local environment group (Warkworth Green Matters) and the Warkworth and Amble rivers group. She has been instrumental in the creation of a local garden near the Warkworth Cricket Club.  

Julia is Vice-Chair and a founding member of CRAG (Coquet River Action Group). In two years, this group has grown to support over 100 volunteers to test the water quality at over 40 sites along the River Coquet from the headwaters at Barrow burn down to Little Shore in the estuary at Amble.  

While CRAG volunteers are delivering results, Julia and the committee have worked in the background to set up an organisation, develop standardised methodologies, apply for and receive grants, and communicate to volunteers and a wider audience.  

Julia’s biggest and most recent achievement is attaining DEFRA bathing water designation for Little Shore in Amble.  

She is a naturally gifted people person. It is the connections she made, particularly with politicians and officials, which made the difference to the application.  

Without Julia, Amble Little Shore simply wouldn’t have received DEFRA bathing water designation. 

Dai Richards is an inspirational volunteer. The person who has nominated him tells us that when they started out many years ago as a solo litter picker who wanted to start up a local group, Dai enthusiastically shared his wealth of experience in organising  community litter picking and environmental improvement activities.  

Dai motivates with his encouragement and supports others with his knowledge, even lending others his bespoke safety signs! Dai has mentored others who are keen to get involved and continues to be a source of inspiration.    

Examples of the initiatives he has spearheaded over very many years include the creation of the Morpeth Litter Group, helping to keep Morpeth and the environs tidy with regular community events, the tree guards project, and the community planting scheme, replanting recycled plants donated by local parks to brighten areas of the town for the residents and visitors.  

Dai has invited dozens of local people to be involved in his activities and has also worked with local schools to raise awareness of the problems associated with litter. He works tirelessly behind the scenes with Keep Britan Tidy,   

Northumberland County Council and other volunteer groups to try and reduce the impact of litter on our communities and countryside.  

Several of his initiatives have been successful and awarded LOVE Northumberland recognition in the past but the driving force behind the projects, Dai himself has not achieved individual recognition – until now.