Matt Baker named as patron of Deerness Gymnastics Academy | Easier

Deerness Gymnastics Academy is delighted to announce that one of Durham’s favourite sons has agreed to become the patron of the gymnastic club and charity.

Matt Baker, presenter of The One Show, Countryfile and the Olympic gymnastic coverage, is a former gymnast himself and trained and represented the County Durham club as a youngster in the 90’s, becoming junior British Champion in the acro-gymnastics men’s four in 1994. He will now become the club’s Patron, supporting them in their aim to develop happy, healthy and confident children through the development of sport and gymnastics in particular.

Matt Baker returned to the gymnastics club, last year, after sharing the stage with the Club’s display team at Durham’s Olympic Torch event to record a documentary about his love of gymnastics. Following the visit, where he spent a few hours training with the club’s current gymnasts, he was approached about taking on this new role, which he accepted without hesitation.

“Gymnastics has played a massive part in my life and Deerness Gymnastics Academy, in particular, has a special place in my heart. I am really pleased that I can now play my part in helping the club grow and continue to provide great opportunities for children and young people in Durham and right across the north east,” said Matt Baker.

via Matt Baker named as patron of Deerness Gymnastics Academy | Easier.

Demolition of Oversteads House – Ushaw Moor

Only a WEE bit left !

Demolition – Nearly Done !

Oversteads House – During Demolition

Oversteads House – During Demolition

Oversteads House – During Demolition

MORE PHOTOS to FOLLOW

Oversteads House was built in 1972.

PLANS to build nearly 40 affordable homes for older people on two former sheltered housing units have been given the go-ahead.

The Vela Group, also known as Housing Hartlepool, wants to build 20 apartments and two bungalows on Brandon House, in Brandon, and 16 apartments on Oversteads House, in Ushaw Moor, both near Durham. All accommodation would be exclusively for the over-55s.

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The Gospel Window | St Lukes Church, Ushaw Moor.

The Gospel Window | St Lukes Church, Ushaw Moor

USHAW MOOR NRG (Broom Lane, Ushaw Moor, Durham, Co.Durham DH7 7LQ) {NBC}

USHAW MOOR NRG (Broom Lane, Ushaw Moor, Durham, Co.Durham DH7 7LQ) {NBC}, a photo by Co-operative Stores on Flickr.

USHAW MOOR NRG (Broom Lane, Ushaw Moor, Durham, Co.Durham DH7 7LQ) {NBC}

Acquired 2004 ex Quality Fare by United Society

River Deerness Restoration Project | Wear Rivers Trust

The ongoing River Deerness Restoration Project aims to restore habitat connectivity for fish species by creating and monitoring fish passage solutions at a series of manmade barriers on a tributary of the River Wear.

As a result of the Deerness feasibility studies, a successful application was made to Defra’s Catchment Restoration Fund in order to carry out a three-year River Deerness Restoration Project. In partnership with Durham County Council and Durham University, this project will address the fish passage barriers identified during the feasibility studies and, equally importantly, will assess the impact that the easement solutions have.

This assessment will be achieved by ‘before and after’ surveys and monitoring at each easement site, carried out by a PhD student from Durham University’s Biology Department. Electro-fishing and fish-tagging, habitat surveys and invertebrate samples will all be carried out upstream and downstream of each site both before and after easement work. It is expected that the abundance of migratory fish passing the barriers will increase and the PhD work will be used to confirm whether this is the case. The study of fish populations and movements through a series of long culverts in the Old Durham Beck catchment is also part of the three year programme.

The barrier at Cornsay Colliery, the furthest upstream, has now had a fish easement installed and more details are available on the Cornsay project page. By the end of the project we hope to see the whole course of the River Deerness opened up to all local fish species.

via River Deerness Restoration Project | Wear Rivers Trust.