Grants totalling more than £130,000 have been distributed to community projects across Crook, Willington, Tow Law and the surrounding villages.

From creative activities for children, to improving access to allotments; from installing outdoor gym equipment, to introducing 20mph zones near a school – the latest funding allocations from Durham County Council’s 3 Towns Area Action Partnership (AAP) are set to benefit people of all ages.

The grants awarded from the AAP’s area budget include:

  • Crook-based Jack Drum Arts has been awarded £13,740 from the AAP’s area budget fund for five weekly creative sessions for seven to 25-year-olds. Classes will include youth theatre, performing arts, world dance, drumming and movement. Jack Drum Arts has also received £2,000 from Cllrs Olwyn Gunn and Fraser Tinsley’s neighbourhood budgets to provide the Song of Hope project at Our Lady and St Thomas RC Primary School in Willington.
  • Northern Heartlands has been awarded £8,186 from the AAP’s area budget to fund creative sessions aimed at helping people to reconnect and feel more confident during the pandemic. The sessions also aim to combat social isolation and provide employment for independent artists.
  • Crook Community Leisure has received £8,354 from the AAP’s area budget to help fund the Crook Community Leisure Virtual Training programme. The project will provide online training to groups of all ages and those with disabilities and will include talks on nutrition, wellbeing, relaxation techniques and mental wellbeing. The funding will also pay for new IT equipment.
  • Sunniside Community Association has been awarded £6,898 from the AAP’s area budget to install outdoor gym equipment near the new play park in the village.
  • Tow Law Community Association has received £5,890 from the AAP’s area budget to provide laptops for the community centre. The security system in the centre will also be upgraded.
  • Durham Constabulary has been awarded £22,152 from the area budget to help fund a youth club.

Other funding awarded includes:

  • Thornley Village Hall has received £7,956 from Cllr Richard Manchester’s neighbourhood budget for replacement windows and a new door to improve security and energy efficiency.
  • Cllrs Olwyn Gunn and Fraser Tinsley have awarded £11,815.50 from their neighbourhood budgets to install a 20mph zone around Sunnybrow Primary School. Cllr Richard Manchester has also awarded £5,817.91 from his neighbourhood budget to install a 20mph zone in Sunniside.
  • Cllr Andrea Patterson has awarded £8,532.12 from her neighbourhood budget to replace fencing at three locations in North Bitchburn. ‘Please Drive Carefully’ signs will be attached to each fence.
  • Cllr Patricia Jopling has granted £15,000 from her neighbourhood budget to improve the road leading to Garden Place and Church Hill Allotments in Crook.
  • Cllr Anne Reed has awarded £3,620 to 4th Willington Scout Group from her neighbourhood budget to improve the Scout Hut. This will include installing a new kitchen with cupboards, cooker, washing machine and tiles.
  • Cllr Anne Reed has awarded Crook Golf Club £3,000 from her neighbourhood budget to help create a mini golf course.
  • High Jobs Hill Allotment Association has been awarded £ 2,500 from Cllr Anne Reed’s neighbourhood budget for new gates.
  • Howden-Le-Wear Allotments has received £1,044 from Cllr Anne Reed’s neighbourhood budget for new fencing.
  • Crook Town Cricket Club has received a total of £3,000 from Cllrs Anne Reed, Cllr Patricia Jopling and Cllr Andrea Patterson’s neighbourhood budgets to replace the netting of three artificial cricket nets.
  • Billy Row (and District) Community Association has received £3,208.61 from Cllr Richard Manchester’s neighbourhood budget for a Lifeline auto defibrillator with a coded wall-mounted case and carry bag.

Sandy Denney, 3 Towns AAP co-ordinator, said: “These projects may all be different, but they all have one thing in common – they will make a positive difference to our communities. We are delighted to support them and look forward to seeing the many benefits they are sure to bring.”

To find out more about Durham County Council’s 14 AAPs and their work, visit www.durham.gov.uk/AAPs