Berwick News
Christmas Message from The Town Mayor, Councillor John Robertson
17 December 2012
2012 has been a memorable year for the country as a whole, and no less for Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Despite the continued worries for many people around employment and rising prices, Berwick people have risen to the challenge of celebrating the Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympics with enthusiasm. The Jubilee Party and the Olympic Torch, as well as the traditional events such as the Tweedmouth Feast and Riding of the Bounds, have shown Berwick-upon-Tweed at its best. We even managed to arrange fine weather, unlike most of the country.
The town was also successful in its bid to become a Portas Pilot town, winning a grant to help improve the town centre; this has since been added to by the County Council and Arts Council. This will help build on the work that is ongoing in the town centre to its historic buildings, and which is now having a real impact.
In September we heard that we had retained our 'silver' award in Northumbria in Bloom, with several individual awards to be proud of.
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Behind all these successes is the very hard voluntary work of many people in the community, and we owe them a great debt of thanks. The Town Council has provided backing and help where possible, easing the way with grants, decorating the town, and starting the long haul of improvements and repairs to seats, bus shelters, gardens and other features which all help to keep Berwick-upon-Tweed a welcoming town to be proud of.
We have also enjoyed a close partnership with our Neighbourhood Services colleagues from the County Council, with our local police officers, and with local contractors who have worked hard, sometimes at very short notice, to do their best for our town.
The year is coming to a close with the best possible Christmas present for Berwick - news of a £900,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund, to be spent on restoring Castle Vale Park and Coronation Park. This provides a fantastic opportunity not only to bring back some much-loved features to the heart of our town, but to involve young people and volunteers in developing and caring for their own community. The Town Council, as a lead partner with the County Council and Castlegate Area Residents Association, is proud to be associated with this exciting project.
We know that 2013 will bring new challenges, not least trying to find the best outcome for maternity and other health services in Berwick. But we can build on the positive progress from 2012. On behalf of the Town Council, I wish everyone a very peaceful Christmas and Happy New Year.