Surf spectacular
National championship at Druridge Bay

A Dog's life
We have the best dog beaches - it's official!

Affordable housing
Dreaming of your own house?

Deer Ambler
Spring surprise

Everybody's talking
Community forum promotes our interests

Hedging bets
Doing what comes naturally

Saving wildlife
Making a river change its mind

RNLI station shop
Spend money and save lives

Amble slimmers
Get thin and save lives

Editorial
Supermarket snags and what's in this "life saving" issue.

Have your say
Letters and email, including photos

Improving Queen Street
Grants can give you an uplift

National 'Elf
Dress up as an elf and save lives

Veggie basket scheme
Disadvantaged people help community

Neighbourhood watch
Keeping an eye on your neighbours

Coquet High School Partnership
Expected drop in pupil numbers

Women's house building project
The house that Jill built

Artograffi
Easter fun

David's Diary
News from Amble Development Trust

Town council report
News update from the Town Council

Confessions of an addict
Harry gives up the weed

Age Concern Northumberland
...need people who are concerned

Chinese freeze affects Welfare
Snow stops take-away

Child Trust Fund
Invest in your child's future

Penny
New year Resolutions

Amble Churches Together
Thoughts for New Year

County Councillors report
Future developments

A tale of two thefts
You have been warned

The Peer Mentors
Students help each other

Residents get the hump over bumps
Calming the traffic?

Dirty wellies in a wine bar
Rural romance

Small skinny latte
Toddlers make their own coffee shop

Poetry corner
Safe to shore

Paddlers Paradise
New look play area

Snippets...
Local food, recycling, school numbers, welfare update

What's On
Including live music, Easter services, volunteering at Warkworth Castle and more.

Greetings from Aglaia
Message from a tall ship

Ray King column
Kevin Keegan takes over. "We all eagerly await"

Women’s House building project

We now have a site in Amble where we can learn through experience and build our own workshop space. A small group of volunteers has helped to plan the first steps, with the help of Mary Kelly an architect who uses Walter Segal Self-Build Trust methods. Steps so far have included: visits to the site, revisiting earlier planning ideas, deciding how to keep the site safe, purchasing tools and planning further training, looking at involving the local community.

Now the site is prepared, the project needs a flow of around 15 volunteers to take part in the building process as we get the frame and the roof in place, and then to take part on a regular basis to complete the building.

Activity programme for 2008

January
External envelope: roof, sheathing (inc. temp openings cover, floor, soffit, ceiling sub-frame
February
Services: supply & mains connections, insulation, partitions, ceiling, mark up power points/ services, plasterboard/ OSB, prepare cover strips
March
Install doors and windows, fabricate/ order shutters, Internal supply of electricity and plumbing installations. Locate, fit and finish including toilet and shower.
April
Internal finishes including cover strips, sills, linings, tiling etc, installation of ramp We will be running courses in tool safety and maintenance on a regular basis throughout the programme, and volunteers need to take part in one of these sessions before getting involved. The next workshop will be in February.

There is FREE childcare for 0-8 year olds at Brambles Centre very close by while the work or training takes place, and other carer and transport needs can be met if needed.

If you want to get involved but can’t make a full weekend, or want to discuss any other aspect of the project, please phone Hala 01668 217056 or email hala@nnwn.org

This project recognises that the construction industry culture is a difficult one for women to access, and offers a women-friendly route into manual trades, through self build of a small structure and related training and enterprise support.

Local residents will be fully involved in the project as it develops, with opportunities for mixed groups to support the development as appropriate. Young students using the construction centre will be involved in helping to clear the proposed site and in preparing the ground.

Hala Zaluczkowska