Community action/North East England

The aim of this page is to recognise, celebrate and encourage the self-empowerment of community agency networks (CANs) and community groups' activism for climate, environment and many other sustainability topics across the North East England.

• Northern Heartlands, charity based in County Durham bringing the creativity of artists together with individuals, community groups, schools and partner organisations. added 17:28, 27 April 2023 (UTC)
• Middlesbrough Environment City
• Transition Tynedale, Northumberland

Cosmolocal discovery club

Each week 3 different short videos from across the UK or world.

Future Rural Voices: perspectives on the countryside’s future

Authors: Campaign to Protect Rural England, 2.35 mins.

Date: 2026-05-07

Local Power, Lower Bills: Up the Energy!

Authors: Community Energy England, 1.38 mins.

Date: 2026-03-10

Tiree - This is Community Wealth Building

Authors: Scottish Community Alliance, 3.44 mins.

Date: 2025-11-18

Rural sustainability UK, Community energy UK, Community action/Argyll and Bute / ...This week's featured Global videos / ... read more about Cosmolocalism

UK events

UK community action events

Global or international events

2021-2030, UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, International community action events

What's working well when it comes to food in the North East?

Authors: Food, Farming and Countryside Commission, 2.00 mins.

Date: 2026-03-09

Ten Years of Restoring the River Till in Northumberland

Authors: Tweed Forum, 9.48 mins.

Date: 2024-11-04

Food bus fights poverty in the UK's cost of living crisis, Times Reports

Authors: The Times and The Sunday Times

Date: 2023-11-27

“People will take the chance every single time”: Connecting, organising and taking action in Hartlepool

Authors: We're Right Here, August 30, 2023

"One Winter's Night" - Dene Valley and Eldon Festive Light Parade 2021

Authors: Northern Heartlands, Feb 4, 2022

Newcastle's Thunder Thursday was a sign of climate change

Authors: North of Tyne Combined Authority, Mar 17, 2021

Supporting community business in the North East, powertochange.org.uk, added 10:23, 12 November 2021 (UTC)

Gateshead Community Network

• The Annexe is a recently-refurbished (2010) local Community & Resource Centre run by the Wharton Trust in the Dyke House area of Hartlepool, Wharton Trust, added 12:50, 16 November 2023 (UTC)

• Key Community Bus, keycommunity.org.uk, serving the people of South Tyneside, "reducing food waste, promoting healthy, affordable food and offering advice on related issues, we drive into the heart of our communities to help local people thrive." added 20:29, 14 October 2024 (UTC)

• Citizens' Assembly on Climate Change northoftyne-ca.gov.uk
• Climate North East

Do The Local Motion, Darlington

# BikeIsBest Tees Valley, There has never been a better time to ride a bike

Authors: Bike Is Best, 1.13 mins.

Date: 2020-06-17

John Dobson Street city centre cycleway, Newcastle

Authors: carltonreid, 2.00 mins.

Date: 2016-12-03

• The Bike Farm, information from ourgateshead.org
• ScratchBikes, Newcastle

The region has a diverse landscape that includes maritime cliffs and extensive moorland that contains a number of rare species of flora and fauna. Of particular importance are the saltmarshes of Lindisfarne, the Tees Estuary, the heaths, bogs and traditional upland hay meadows of the North Pennines, and the Arctic-alpine flora of Upper Teesdale.

The beauty of the Northumbrian coastline has led to its designation as an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) stretching 100 miles from Berwick-Upon-Tweed to the River Coquet estuary. Among the 290 bird species identified on the Farne Islands, is the rare seabird the roseate tern. One of the foremost bird sanctuaries and observatory for migratory and wading birds in the UK is now operated at "Saltholme" which is part of a wider site of special scientific interest called Seal Sands. The Saltholme reserve is managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). This project was pronounced as one of the best places to view birds by Bill Oddie, the former host of the BBC's Spring Watch Programme. In December 2012 he also presented the project with a prize as the UK's favorite National Lottery funded project.

The seal colony at Seal Sands on the mouth of the River Tees is thriving and in 2013 had more than 60 harbour seals. This is the only breeding colony of this species on the northeast coast. "Rainton Meadows" is also a recently[when?] created bird-watching site. The region is also the English stronghold of black grouse and contains 80–90% of the UK population of yellow marsh saxifrage.

The Magnesian Limestone grasslands of East Durham are a unique habitat not found anywhere else in the world which is particularly important to many species of butterfly and moths.

The Northeast of England also features woodland such as Kielder Forest, the largest man-made forest in Europe. This is located within Northumberland National Park and contains an important habitat for the endangered red squirrel. ^W

Environmental Records Information Centre for the North East of England

Northern Forest

From Wikipedia:Northern Forest (England)

The Northern Forest is a proposed forest in England to encompass five community forests. The aim is to plant 50 million trees by 2032 which would provide a timber industry, leisure opportunities and environmental benefits. Initial funding for the project was granted by the UK government in January 2018.

The proposed forest has been welcomed by the Woodland Trust.

From Wikipedia:Northern Forest (England) § Aims

The proposed forest would run the whole width of England from Liverpool and Chester in the west to the coastline of the East Riding of Yorkshire including the cities of Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Hull. The forest scheme is led by the Woodland Trust and would incorporate five community forests: the Mersey Forest, Manchester's City of Trees, the [White Rose Forest], the South Yorkshire Forest and Humber Forest. The aim is to plant 50 million trees in the 25 years between 2017 and 2042, a trebling of current planting rates in the area; this would increase the rate of reforestation in England, which is at record low rates and may currently be outweighed by the rate of deforestation for the first time in decades. The area currently has less than 8% tree coverage, one of the lowest proportions in the country.

Great Northumberland Forest

From Wikipedia:Great Northumberland Forest

The Great Northumberland Forest is a proposed new forest in the north of England. Announced in September 2019, it is intended that up to a million trees will be planted between 2020 and 2024.

Other woodland

The Northeast of England also features woodland such as Kielder Forest, the largest man-made forest in Europe. This is located within Northumberland National Park and contains an important habitat for the endangered red squirrel. ^W

• For Solidarity North East, solidarityeconomy.coop

• Report of the Newcastle Fairness commission, July 2012 (PDF)

see also: Social deprivation ^W

Past events

• June 7 - 8, 2014, Newcastle Community Green Festival

From Wikipedia:North East England

North East England, often referred to as simply the North East within England, is one of nine official regions of England. It consists of County Durham, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and part of North Yorkshire. With 2.6 million residents in 2022, it is the least populous region of England. Its largest settlements include Newcastle upon Tyne, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Gateshead, Darlington and Hartlepool. The North East is covered by two mayoral combined authorities: North East Combined Authority and Tees Valley Combined Authority. It is one of three regions, the other two being North West England and Yorkshire and the Humber, that make up Northern England.