Durham Community Action

Village Halls Week 2026

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 09:15:41 GMT

Village Halls Week 2026 focuses on the theme "Connecting communities to health and wellbeing". In this podcast, we spoke to Julie Gorman-Cliff, Wellbeing Coordinator at Burnhope Community Centre about how activities at their community building impacts the local community's health and wellbeing.

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Importance of local funding opportunities - Breathe Easy Darlington

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 15:24:08 GMT

In this audio case study, we spoke to Breathe Easy Darlington about how local funding opportunities made an impact on their charity.

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Celebrating 90 years of Durham Community Action

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 10:44:35 GMT

This podcast celebrates 90 years of Durham Community Action and reflects on the history of County Durham and how our support has impacted community organisations.

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REACH County Durham

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Julie Englund, Durham Public Health Research and Evaluation Practitioner and Rio Floreza, Durham Community Action's Community Involvement Lead sit down together as operational team members for REACH (Research and Engagement across Communities for Health) County Durham to reflect on the project to date.

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Safeguarding Adults Week 2025

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 08:55:32 GMT

As part of Safeguarding Adults Week 2025 we spoke to Lesley Jeavons, independent chair of the Durham Safeguarding Adults Partnership about safeguarding in County Durham, and also highlight the training and support we offer at Durham Community Action.

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Rural Durham Community Research Network

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 12:25:20 GMT

This podcast episode focuses on the Rural Durham Community Research Network. We chat to Jemma Austin, Research & Insight Project Lead at Durham Community Action about community research, the aims and objectives of the network and the work so far. We also spoke to community researchers Cath Robson from Weardale Together and Perry Gardner about the challenges rural communities face and how research can address these challenges and what benefits organisations and rural communities gain from them leading research.

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Rural Housing in County Durham

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 12:25:13 GMT

In this podcast, we spoke to our Rural Housing Enabler Susan Tron about rural housing in County Durham, including parish profiles, housing needs surveys and influencing housing development in your local area.

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Third Sector Trends Study

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 11:45:40 GMT

In this podcast, we spoke to Professor Tony Chapman from Durham University about the Third Sector Trends study.

The Third Sector Trends Study is a long-standing study of the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector and it aims to understand the different aspects of the VCSE sector’s structure and activity.

Have your say in the study here: http://bit.ly/4luLxZZ

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Community Spaces Grant - Sherburn Hill Hub

Fri, 16 May 2025 12:35:27 GMT

We spoke to David Hall, trustee at Sherburn Hill Hub about how grant funding from the Community Spaces grant, a regional partnership funded by the National Lottery Community Fund helped improve their local community.

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Volunteer Driver Campaign with Supportive

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 14:19:09 GMT

The role of a volunteer driver is a very rewarding position, providing transport for social journeys and health appointments for people in the local community but recruiting for the role can sometimes be challenging.

To help create awareness about the role, we spoke to Jack Ball, Volunteer Officer at Supportive about the main challenges they face in recruiting volunteer drivers, the benefits of the role and how volunteering impacts their service.

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Sintons Solicitors: Legal Advice for Community Buildings

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 15:42:24 GMT

Following the launch of a new toolkit to help trustees navigate legal issues about property, we spoke to Tom Wills from Sintons Solicitors about legal advice for community buildings.

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Village Halls Week 2025

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 06:00:00 GMT

This year's #VillageHallsWeek theme is celebrating, encouraging and supporting the efforts of volunteers who keep rural community buildings open.

We spoke to community halls consultant Louise Beaton about her new book "Halls for All: A History of Village Halls" which highlights the crucial role village halls play in rural communities.

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County Durham Poverty Truth Commission

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 09:53:50 GMT

This podcast episode focuses on the County Durham Poverty Truth Commission. We chat to project coordinator Cathryn Gathercole and project worker Julie Gourley about the projects aims, what it has achieved so far and plans for the future.

You can read Julie's blogs here: https://www.durhamcommunityaction.org.uk/poverty-truth-commission-journey-journal

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West Auckland Memorial Hall - Energy Efficiency

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 08:00:53 GMT

We spoke to trustees at West Auckland Memorial Hall, Sharon and George, about how the community buildings energy efficiency grant helped to improve their building and the impact it has had for their local community.

Through our ongoing support we have helped them identify sustainable energy efficiency measures and to secure necessary funding to make the memorial hall more energy efficient.

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Trustees' Week 2024

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 07:30:00 GMT

This podcast episode celebrates Trustees' Week as we unite in celebrating, supporting and inspiring trustees' talents, viewpoints and experiences in County Durham.

We chat to trustees at Howden-le-Wear Village Friends and Croxdale Community Association and discuss a typical trustee 'day in the life', what they have learned in their role and their advice for others looking to become a Trustee.

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Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport Week

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 08:21:52 GMT

For Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport Week 2024 (7th - 13th October), we spoke to Rowena Carr, Sport Welfare Coordinator at County Durham Sport about why creating awareness for child safety in sport is so important.

For more information visit:

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/away-from-home/sports-clubs/

https://countydurhamsport.com/safeguarding/

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Community Research Network

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 10:58:46 GMT

This month’s podcast will discuss the development of a community research network in County Durham; which is a way of supporting local people to have an active role in research.

Interviews include: DCA's Community Partnerships Manager, Fiona Christian, co-founder of the Centre for Social Justice and Community Action & Professor of Sociology at Durham University, Sarah Banks and artist and Derwent Valley AAP Chair, Lea McConnell.

If you would like to find out more about the Community Research Network, email Fiona.christian@durhamcommunityaction.org.uk

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Real People, Real Stories: Social Prescribing in County Durham - Brightwoods Forest School

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 12:15:53 GMT

Durham Community Action was pleased to work alongside Social Prescribing Link Workers and local voluntary and community organisations to support the development of new social prescription activity in response to identified need.

This was made possible by funding from the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board.

Thirteen new activities were developed. We talked to Gemma and Louise from Brightwoods Forest School about the impact the funding for new social prescription activity in Teesdale has had in their local community.

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Real People, Real Stories: Social Prescribing in County Durham - Burnhope Community Centre

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 12:15:42 GMT

This was made possible by funding from the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board.

Thirteen new activities were developed. We talked to Julie from Burnhope Community Centre about the impact the funding for new social prescription activity in the Derwent Valley has had in their local community.

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Real People, Real Stories: Social Prescribing in County Durham - Nuvowellbeing

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 12:15:34 GMT

This was made possible by funding from the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board.

Thirteen new activities were developed. We talked to Natalie from Nuvowellbeing about the impact the funding for new social prescription activity in Stockton-on-Tees has had in their local community.

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Volunteers' Week 2024

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 07:54:06 GMT

Listen to our latest podcast episode, celebrating 40 years of #VolunteersWeek.

Interviews include: NAVCA's CEO, Maddy Desforges & CEO of local community resource TCR The Hub, Rachel Tweddle.

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Good to Grow Week 2024

Tue, 14 May 2024 11:42:11 GMT

Durham Community Action and Building Self Belief reflect on the impact Good to Grow Week has made in County Durham and chat about the power of volunteering to increase community gardening in the local area of Benfieldside in Consett.

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Village Halls Week 2024

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 14:23:54 GMT

This year's #VillageHallsWeek is celebrating everything village halls can do to ‘go green’.

We spoke to Auckland Youth and Community Centre about their recent Investors in the Environment bronze accreditation and Croxdale Community Association about the impact of their community garden.

Interviewees include: Business Development Manager at Auckland Youth and Community Centre John Wiseman & Croxdale Community Association trustee and treasurer Lynne McIvor.

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Welcome Spaces

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 14:01:47 GMT

This podcast episode focuses on the welcome spaces fund, a fund available to organisations in County Durham to host free weekly community spaces that aims to keep people warm, allow people to socialise and also receive advice and support.

We will discuss what welcome spaces are, how you can apply for the £3,000 grant and the impact the fund has made to a local community building in County Durham.

Interviewees include: Naomi Stevens, Senior Fund Manager at County Durham Community Foundation and Kath Merrington, development worker at Ferryhill Ladder Centre.

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Trustees Week 2023

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 11:45:09 GMT

This podcast episode celebrates Trustees’ Week as we celebrate the individual talents, viewpoints and experiences each trustee brings to their board.

We will discuss why having a diverse board of Trustees makes such an impact, the importance of demystifying myths surrounding the role of a Trustee and advice if you’re thinking about becoming a Trustee.

Interviewees include: Jan Worters (Chair of Durham Community Action), Elaine Kilgannon, Linda Bird and Sarah Banks (Trustees at Durham Community Action), Emily Burns (Trustee at County Durham Community Foundation) and Terry Murray (Trustee at Citizens House).

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Horden Minewater Project

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 08:19:42 GMT

Durham Community Action chat to Graham Easterlow at East Durham Trust about the Horden Minewater Project.

A former County Durham coal mine could be used to grow food and support local businesses in Horden. The feasibility study will explore various ways to use heat from the mine water and examine the infrastructure already installed.

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Cree Network

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 08:06:42 GMT

This episode of the Durham Community Action podcast focuses on the Cree network, that consists of 40 Cree groups that operate to support and promote the health and wellbeing of County Durham residents.

We chatted to service users at RT Projects, Just for Women and Dene Valley Community Partnership about what the Cree means to them and the impact it has had on their health and wellbeing.

The specific views expressed by individuals in the content of our podcasts, case studies and other media are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Durham Community Action or it’s associates.

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Whorlton Village Hall

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 08:01:15 GMT

Durham Community Action chat to Chris Connolly, chairman of Whorlton Village Hall about how the Hallmark process, community building energy efficiency grant and help from a local trade company has made an impact to their village hall and local community.

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Vision for Volunteering

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 08:00:26 GMT

This episode of the Durham Community Action podcast focuses on the power of volunteering, a reflection on Volunteers' Week and the 'vision for volunteering', a ten-year collaborative project designed to create a better future for volunteering.

We chatted to our volunteering specialist Charlotte Linton about the vision for volunteering and Samantha Townsend, volunteer coordinator at Auckland Youth and Community Centre about the impact volunteers give to their organisation and the power of volunteering.

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Energy Efficiency and Climate Action

Tue, 16 May 2023 07:30:00 GMT

This podcast focuses on energy efficiency and climate action within the voluntary and community sector.

We chatted to Nathaniel Spain, Going Green Together Project Coordinator at VONNE about their climate action initiative and Heather Liddle, Trustee at Nettlesworth Community Centre about how the community building energy efficiency grant benefitted their centre to help improve their heating systems.

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Jack Drum Arts - Crowdfunding

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 10:05:55 GMT

In this audio case study, we spoke to Helen Ward from Jack Drum Arts about their Winter Light Parade. Through the help of crowdfunding, Jack Drum Arts raised over £14,000 to produce their local cultural event.

Listen to Helen chat about the benefits of crowdfunding and how you can start.

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Social Prescribing in County Durham

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 08:00:07 GMT

This episode celebrates Social Prescribing Day, an annual celebration of social prescribing, recognising link workers, local community groups and regional and national organisations which support people’s health and wellbeing.

We chat to DCA's health and wellbeing co-ordinator Susan Garrett about social prescribing in County Durham and social prescribing link worker for Claypath and University Faith Walkwell about her role and the social prescribing link workers network.

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Village Halls Week 2023

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 07:30:14 GMT

This week celebrates Village Halls Week (23rd - 27th January); the theme of this year’s campaign will look at how village halls can provide warm, welcoming and inclusive spaces, something which is especially important as the country faces a cost-of-living crisis.

We chat to Naomi Stevens from County Durham Community Foundation about their warm spaces fund and Lynne from Fishburn Youth and Community Centre who has recently benefitted from the fund in order to create a warm space for their local community.

More details about the fund and charter can be found here:

Warm Spaces Fund - County Durham Community Foundation (cdcf.org.uk)

Warm Spaces Charter - Durham County Council

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Just for Women

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 15:01:41 GMT

Durham Community Action chat to cree manager Lestryne Tweedy at Just for Women about their organisation and how the co-op local community fund has helped their centre. We also spoke to Just for Women volunteer Wendy about how volunteering has made a powerful impact in her life.

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Safeguarding in the voluntary and community sector

Tue, 03 Jan 2023 10:49:46 GMT

This podcast focuses on safeguarding within the voluntary and community sector.

We have chatted to our volunteering manager Abby Thompson about safeguarding in the voluntary and community sector in County Durham and Danny Mulholland from drug and alcohol recovery service 'Humankind' about what safeguarding means to their organisation and the importance of training and safeguarding policies & procedures for staff and volunteers.

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Shildon Alive

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 11:42:42 GMT

Durham Community Action chat to Paula Nelson, manager at Shildon Alive about the work that they do for their local community, the importance of their community food hub and how the advice and support they received from DCA helped them to improve their organisation.

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Funding in the voluntary and community sector

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 09:17:56 GMT

Durham Community Action chat to Liam Weatherill from Wheels 2 Work County Durham about how the advice and support they received from DCA helped them to gain funding for their organisation.

We also chat to DCA community development officers Tracy & Susan about community development training workshops and top tips for professional fundraising.

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Hunwick Cricket Club

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 08:47:22 GMT

Durham Community Action chat to Chris Pratt at Hunwick Cricket Club about how the advice and support they received from DCA helped them to improve their community building for the local community.

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Community Growing and Food Network

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 14:04:04 GMT

This podcast focuses on the Community Growing and Food Network at Durham Community Action.

We have chatted to our Community Development Officer Lyndsey Hocking who talks about what the network is about and how to get involved, Lucy Donner at Great Aycliffe Garden Guild about the benefits of the network and Joanne Iceton from Little Chefs Big Chefs about their new eco-market project and how they found their funding journey.

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Volunteers Week

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 10:54:09 GMT

This podcast celebrates the success of Volunteers Week and gives an insight into volunteering within County Durham.

We have chatted to our volunteering specialist Charlotte Linton who talks about the support we give to volunteers and organisations in County Durham and to Andrea Emerson at Durham County Carers Support about why volunteering is so important to the local community, the benefits of volunteering and their various volunteering opportunities.

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Dipton Jubilee Centre case study

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 08:07:12 GMT

Durham Community Action chat to trustee Karen Dodds at community building Dipton Jubilee Centre about how the advice and support they received from DCA helped them to improve their centre during lockdown.

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Hallmark Award

Mon, 04 Apr 2022 09:35:51 GMT

We are delighted to be launching our third podcast to create awareness about the Hallmark award. Hallmark is a quality standard scheme for village halls and community buildings and aims to support, establish and reward good practice and encourage improvement in established customs and procedures.

We have chatted to our Community Development Officer Isla and ACRE Village Halls Manager Deborah Clarke who talk about the history of the Hallmark award and why its important, and to St Paul’s Centre in Spennymoor about how they found the process and its benefits.

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Village Halls Week 2022

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 09:06:34 GMT

We are delighted to be launching our second podcast to celebrate Village Halls Week. The theme of this year’s campaign is to challenge halls to do something different and innovate for the future.

We will give you an insight into what is involved in the work community buildings do in County Durham.

We have chatted to our Community Development Officers Tracy and Isla who talk about the support, advice and guidance Durham Community Action give to community buildings in the county, and to representatives of Framwellgate Moor Youth and Community Centre, Blackhall Community Centre and Dipton Jubilee Hall about the ways they are ‘innovating for the future’ this Village Halls Week.

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Trustees' Week 2021

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 09:10:30 GMT

We are delighted to be launching our first ever podcast to celebrate Trustees' Week.

We will give you an insight into what is involved in being a trustee for DCA. We have chatted to our Chair of the Board of Trustees Jan Worters and Trustee Linda Bird who talk about their involvement with DCA and the wider voluntary and community sector in County Durham.

Listen and find out why they became involved with DCA, their roles within the board and their views on the future of DCA.

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