On Saturday 23rd February Horndale Community Association had a great night at Newcastle Greyhound Track thanks to funding from Great Aycliffe & Middridge Partnership. Everyone enjoyed the evening, even if they didn’t win. The best winner was the Community Spirit our trips and events bring to so many. Last year we secured £7,760 from the older generation fund, one of the three priorities set by the general public which say where the money allocated to Area Action Partnerships is spent. Every year the Partnerships carry out consultations which ask what the following year’s priorities should be, so it is important as many local residents join in the survey. Watch out for your consultation later this year. This funding has secured trips until mid 2020 for the older generation and each trip generates an income which is used to fund other trips and events, on average for every £1 in funding secured we generate approx 40p so on average two trips can subsidise another trip, we think this a great use of public money. I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that all Resident and Community groups are ran by unpaid volunteers, who put in many hours and take nothing out except the satisfaction of seeing people enjoying themselves or living in a better community. Newton Aycliffe has many groups all working for the benefit of others, I would guess no other town our size has so many groups, last weekend’s Community Spirit Craft Fair was a great example of this. Philip Clark, Chair