Bees and Trees in Cresswell

The environment

We have contributed to all of our forecasts and have gone further with branch out work with Northumberland Rivers Trust and local parish councils. We completed a bat survey and have organised a bio blitz for this summer. Work has also included securing a £250K lottery project which starts this week, which will take this even further.

The local economy

U3A, Probus, Rotary Clubs. Donations have been steady (but could be better) We have generated modest income in donations from seeds and plants

Volunteering, jobs & education

We have active gardening groups on Tuesdays and Thursday with an average of 8 volunteers. We recruited additional volunteers to assist with opening the site, including young people. We recruited and trained and equipped 18 bee keepers. We hosted two visits from the Northumberland Scouts (38 participants) and two visits from the Bacmans Holiday Club with over 250 attendees from disadvantaged backgrounds (food and drink compulsory). Santa came to Cresswell prior to Xmas with 75 beneficiaries. The NHS Green Gym visited the site on 3 separate occasions and the project participated in NHS Sustainability Workshops and the establishment of a new charitable venture with the NHS - Nature Connects. We worked with the award winning Bridge Project to welcome supported placements and volunteering. Placements with schools and colleges have been offered but not taken up because of the issues to do with safeguarding and ensuring placements are supervised (the nature of our opening means we cannot offer 5 full days). We produce a monthly newsletter, which goes to over 100 Friends of the Pele Tower. The Pele and garden has been used in one video shoot and 6 separate photo shoots. 2 volunteers have attended Safeguarding training. 5 have attended 1st Aid Training. We held 10 hours of bee training for 18 participants

Arts, culture & heritage

We hosted two art exhibitions plus a marine heritage event to mark the 200 anniversary of a beached whale at Cresswell, accepting four vertebrae of the whale for permanent display. We secured £250k in Lottery funding. We hosted visits by advisors for the National Garden Scheme and will be joining this in 2023. We planted our heritage orchard. We have weekly displays inour garden green space such as medieval archery and medicines. We have been used for video, photo shoots as well as being chosen by Big Lottery and Historic England for their national campaigns. Heritage Open Days included inventions of the NE and Armour and had over 400 visits. We also hosted a Jubilee Beacon ceremony - over 3000 visitors outside the tower. We have invited two local artists to join us in residency (subject to funding). We have started to create dressing up clothes for children. We have established a small medieval reenactment group. We have supported local research into local history and provide a repository of information and a libray for public use - unearthing previously hidden gems. We have formed links with other community sites in Whitley Bay, Newcastle and Durham and have provided advice. We have amassed a small but important collection of bricks from local collieries and brickworks with the intention to include these as a wall with interpretation about the link between wealth, legacy, coal and local culture - these items are becoming scarce and feedback has been very positive. A volunteer has drafted a booklet about the garden and its use, which has been further enhanced by accidential discovery of previously buried garden features including a boiler house that would have heated the wall and a re-alignment of the entrance. We received and displayed not only the whale bones (200 years old) but also part of a Mk7 Spitfire found on the beach and a WW2 anti-aircraft gun sight! People now have somewhere to share them!

Activity, health and leisure

All forecasted aims were exceeded - all elements overlap. We have also been pleased to partner with new groups and individuals in our area. Supported placements have had very positive impacts on clients as well, with some reaching the workplace and some continuing to visit and also to volunteer, since the Bridge Project ceased. We have been very encouraged by recent volunteering by younger people and hope this can expand. Many volunteers are recently retired and love being in social contact with others. We were pleased to link with Northumberland Wildlife Trust and host their volunteers for their annual Volfest, which allows us to share information and signpost activity. Park Dean Resorts Ltd used the Pele Tower and Garden as part of their New Year advertising campaign and many of the visitors we receive originate from this site. We work with NHS Green Gym and have helped establish a new charity promoting outdoor recreation and participation. We have worked closely with local charity & NE Co-Operative to assist deprived families and to provide food and drink during the current cost of living crisis.