Campaign group faces an uncertain future

A campaigning group which has helped safeguard Northumberland's countryside for almost a century needs more activists to continue its good work.
Northumberland Gazette latestNorthumberland Gazette latest
Northumberland Gazette latest

Despite a membership of almost 300 across the county, the Campaign to Protect Rural England’s Northumberland branch needs to recruit committee members to take the organisation forward.

Acting chairman Colin Adsley said: “We have good support from our members, which we really appreciate, but we desperately need people with energy and know-how to join our small committee.

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“We need two things. Firstly, there is always a need for expertise in planning, and we are particularly interested in attracting professionals, retired or otherwise, who may have some experience in this field.

“Secondly, it would be great to have people willing to get involved from remote areas in the county and be our eyes and ears – it’s a big county, from Berwick down to Tyneside and across to the Pennines.

“There can be few things more satisfying than to know when you have helped protect a landscape, a historic view or a special spot and over the years, our expertise, knowledge of the county and our campaigning efforts have made a huge difference in protecting a countryside now under more threat than ever.

“CPRE Northumberland has a proud history of battling to defend the county’s green spaces against needless or harmful development, but our group will struggle to continue its work unless fresh blood can be found through new volunteers with leadership potential.”

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At the moment, the workload of the committee is falling on the shoulders of a small, committed group, and it is feared the branch faces an uncertain future with retirements on the horizon.

“But we are not looking merely to survive. We have plans to expand the range of work in ways that could attract members with a diverse range of interests, those with admin or treasurer skills, for example,” said Colin.

For details, email [email protected] or ring Graeme Anderson, CPRE North East press officer, on 07739 300692.