The Great Aycliffe Community Aid Partnership monthly meeting last Monday took on a new format as 24 partners of GACAP met at DISC offices near the Blue Bridge in Newton Aycliffe.
The meeting took on the form of “speed dating,”. where tables of up to eight partners shared information about their organization. After ten minutes they were encouraged to move onto the next table. The buzz in the meeting room was exciting with new alliances being formed.
Two new partners joined. The Silent Tea House have a tea shop opposite Poundland in Newton Aycliffe town centre and are geared towards the deaf community with the added option for non deaf people to learn signing. The other newcomer was Prince Bishops Community Bank a credit union. Both gave a short presentation to partners prior to the “speed dating” experience.
The date of GACAP’s AGM was agreed as Monday 18th April, and in line with their governance, all officers will stand down from their posts. The out-going secretary Joan Clark, confirmed she will not be standing again, saying it was time to allow new blood to develop as an officer.
Joan has been with GACAP since its inception and has seen tremendous growth over the past 12 months, going from 15 partners in March last year to 24 partners this year. Joan concluded by saying she would remain as a partner of GACAP as a representative of Newton Aycliffe Junior Neighbourhood Watch.
If you feel you would like to find out more about GACAP and its aims and objectives or be nominated as an officer please contact the secretary on secretary.gacap@gmail.com
Great Aycliffe Community Aid Partnership is made up of statutory and voluntary welfare organisations whose aim is to give immediate aid to disadvantaged people in our community. New partners welcome.