Newbrough Town Hall receives £20,000 to support the residents of Newbrough, Northumberland, with the development of a community crisis hub.
Newbrough Town Hall received £20,000 from The Northern Powergrid Foundation in support of a generator for the town hall to become an emergency preparedness resource in case of power outages in the villages of Newbrough, Fourstones and Warden, providing shelter, warmth and refuge centre.
The project will enable the local communities to come together in case of a power outage, whether it be short or longer lasting, by providing them with access to a warm, lit space with the ability to prepare warm food, charge mobile devices for communication, access to wifi and even overnight accommodation. The local community has an established relationship with the Hall through its Warm Wednesday initiative and this provision of resilience allows for relationships to cement and flourish.
David Spearman, member of the Newbrough Town Hall Management Committee said "We are very grateful for the Northern Powergrid Foundation for their grant which is to be used to install a standby generator at the Hall to provide emergency heating and also charging facilities for residents' mobile phones. This will enhance the facilities we already have in terms of a large kitchen and in extreme cases there is space for temporary overnight accommodation, both in the Hall and the adjacent bunk house."
Photo L-R: Chris Mitchell, Northern Powergrid Regional Customer Service Manager, David Spearman, Trustee of Newbrough Town Hall Management Committee, Helen Hinds, Northumberland County Council Business Resilience and Emergency Planning Lead and MP Guy Opperman outside of Newbrough Town Hall.
The challenges for Newbrough, Northumberland, residents
Due to the possibility of further power interruptions at Newbrough and the impact they would have on the services offered to the local community the trustees identified a need to increase their resilience.
The solution for Newbrough, Northumberland, residents
The trustees identified a need for a generator to allow the hall to remain open for the local community to safely reside during times of power interruptions.
Support from the Northern Powergrid Foundation
The Northern Powergrid Foundation supported the community project with a £20,000 donation to go towards a generator.
More about the Northern Powergrid Foundation
The Northern Powergrid Foundation’s mission, complementing Northern Powergrid’s ambition to be a force for good in the communities it serves, is to support communities most affected by changes in the economy, environment, and society because of the shifting energy landscape. This will be achieved by supporting projects focused on helping to tackle energy resilience during emergency events, vulnerability, fuel poverty, levelling the rural divide, innovation, social support, and community collaboration. Funds are available to support the communities across the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire served by Northern Powergrid.