WNCBC AGM 2026 and Workshop Opportunities from the police.

A message from our Chair, Tim Bird: Firstly, a plug for the WNCBC AGM. Thanks to those who have already booked tickets, I am looking forward to meeting you. There are still tickets left for those who wish to attend, for those who think there is no such thing as a free lunch, well there will be at the AGM, I hope to meet you there Please see the link included to reserve a spot at the AGM and Members gathering, After the AGM, which I promise will be as speedy as possible, there will be a couple of Informal presentations One from Tracey Morgan (Community Action Northumberland), focusing on REACH (Retrofit and Energy Assessments for Community Halls), and one from Tim Reed (Bardon Mill and Henshaw Village Halls) on the benefits of air-source heating paired with solar panels. There will then be a light buffet and time for networking with other hall representatives. Tracey Morgan, and Jake Delacey  (REACH) will also be available for one to one discussions about REACH (Retrofit and Energy Assessments for Community Halls) and The CAIRN (Climate Action in Rural North East) project. I hope as many of you as possible can come and join us. If you do intend to come, I would ask you to reserve a place as soon as possible, as this helps us plan numbers for the Buffet link to reserve a free place:  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-west-northumberland-community-buildings-consortium-agm-tickets-1998019616458 Secondly, there’s some info from the police about workshops which may be useful for rural halls:  I have just received the email copied below re workshops in Newcastle, the organiser has offered a 15% discount on Tickets to anyone associated with WNCBC, however loosely. To receive the discount, use the following code after you have put any required tickets in the shopping basket. The code is NCBC15 “I’m getting in touch from True Crime Collab because I thought one workshop at this year’s True Crime Forum could be particularly relevant to some of the rural communities represented through the West Northumberland Community Buildings Consortium. On Saturday 10 October, former Park Ranger Paul Bateman will lead  the following workshop: Out-Thinking the Offenders – Why Training is Our Best Weapon Against Wildlife Crime The 90-minute workshop explores how wildlife crime and suspicious activity can be recognised, why potentially important signs can sometimes be missed, and how people who regularly live, work or spend time in rural environments can become better equipped to know what to look for and how to respond appropriately. Given the Consortium’s connections with village halls and community buildings across West Northumberland, I thought Paul’s practical wildlife-crime awareness focus could be especially relevant to residents in communities surrounded by farmland, woodland, moorland and other countryside. The workshop takes place from 13:00–14:30 at the Maldron Hotel in Newcastle. People can attend in two ways: Wildlife workshop only – £35 Or the full True Crime Forum day – £89, including a morning workshop of choice, Paul’s wildlife-crime workshop, a 90-minute interactive Detective Experience with The Detective Rooms and lunch. We would also be very happy to offer a 15% discount on either ticket option for people coming through Consortium member communities. If you think the session could be of interest, I’d really appreciate you sharing it with your member community buildings or through any appropriate Consortium communications. Full details are here: https://truecrimeforum.co.uk/ Thank you very much. Kindest regards, Joccoaa Founder & Director True Crime Collab”