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IR8 BESPOKE CRAFT CARPENTRY - FOR THE LOVE OF WOOD

People frequently offer me unwanted bits of furniture and wooden offcuts.  It’s not easy for a craft carpenter to say no when there’s wood going begging, so my workshop can get quite full! Finding inventive ways of repurposing something that’s no longer needed is a challenge that I love.  I’ve been upcycling furniture for years now and it’s amazing what a lick of paint can do. However, my latest project has been slightly different . . . a set of 13 oak stair treads that were ...

WILLOW BURN GRIEF, LOSS AND BEREAVEMENT WORKSHOPS: ARE YOU SUPPORTING A BEREAVED FRIEND, RELATIVE OR COLLEAGUE?

Talking about death and bereavement is hard.  It can feel awkward or uncomfortable and sometimes you just don’t know what to say, particularly if you haven’t experienced it yourself.  To help you to support your friends, relatives and colleagues now or to be better prepared for the future, we have designed a Grief, Loss and Bereavement Workshop for businesses, community groups and organisations to help your staff teams and colleagues to understand grief and loss, and to learn ...

MY BEST SELLER AND THE STORY BEHIND IT!

I have photographs on my website taken in places as far away as Iceland and Venice!  Never did I expect that my most popular picture would be one I shot no more than a few miles from my own front door!‘Lean on Me’ has been my best seller for several years now.  I’ve sold prints of it across the world!  It’s extremely cute, even if I do say so myself, and means different things to different people.  It continues to be popular around Mother and Father’s Day, represent...

EEEK! I CAN'T KEEP THIS A SECRET ANY MORE . . .

Over the past 3 months I've been doing something behind the scenes that I haven't made public YET . . . A year on from fulfilling my dream of becoming a TEDx Speaker, I’m now ready to take this to the next level.  I’ve been developing a new programme alongside world-class Changemakers and the Founder of Archangel, Giovanni Marsico, in Toronto. The feedback from my TEDx talk ‘The CLARITY Quest’ has been phenomenal.  It has resonated and helped so many people on their journey to ...

DESIGN X-PRESS UP FOR AWARD

DBN member, large format printers Design X-Press are proud to be able to announce that they have been short listed in the North East Business Awards for our region, for an Innovation and Technology Award.  Selected as one of 3 finalists in this category, this award identifies and rewards companies who have embraced new technology to drive their company forward.Design X-Press have demonstrated this with their investment into two presses in 2020 followed by a new cutting table in 2022.The Jet...

HELPING OUT!

Two years ago during the lockdown, I was getting concerned with my children spending too much time watching TV and playing games.  So I introduced ‘time tickets’ that help limit children’s screen time.As our lives returned to normal, the time tickets were also forgotten.  But the other day, I decided to reintroduce this scheme.  When we had this scheme during the lockdown, my children were given 30 tickets (each ticket is worth 30 mins) each week.  This time, I changed ...

CARRIE: MY NEW COLOURING BOOK ON THE WAY!

By the time you read this  I should hopefully have taken delivery of the print run of my third colouring book! Colouring books are a wonderful way to relax, they can help switch off your brain from constant thinking, they spark creativity, and they give you a good break away from social media and our digital devices.You don't need to show your colouring book to anyone else, so you can add doodles of your own to the pages, you can colour outside the lines if you want to, you can choose any c...

SCHOOL PACKAGE FROM NORIKOART

Noriko enjoys visiting schools as an author / illustrator, Japanese art workshop facilitator, and speaker.  To make her services more accessible to schools, she now has a school package to offer.  As more children come from different backgrounds and with various needs, she believes her programme can benefit schools by helping both teachers and children learn about different cultures and perspectives in a fun and engaging way.To find out more about her school package, visit Noriko's web...

TRIBUTES PAID TO LONG STANDING DBN MEMBER PETER JACKSON WHO HAS DIED

It is with a heavy heart that we inform our members that Peter Jackson - Freelance Journalist and Writer has died recently after a short illness. Peter has been a long standing member of the DBN community and well respected within the North East business community.  He enjoyed a varied career as a hugely respected writer, including eight years with The Journal and more recently published his first novel "Legions of the Moon" in January 2021. We will miss Peter very much and our thought...

APRIL NETWORKING MEETING AT DURHAM CRICKET

This months networking meeting was held at Durham Cricket.  Thank you to Paul Sparks and the team at DiT for updating us all on the advantages of exporting - did you know that the North East contributes towards 50% of the UK's exporting activity!!!  The DiT run regular free Export Academy events in the North East for SME's who are thinking about taking their first steps exporting. Also, thank you to Jason Knights from Blue Kangaroo Design for sharing ...

HAPPY RETIREMENT TO JOHN ATKINSON FROM EVERYONE AT DBN

We said goodbye to one of our longest running members at our meeting on Tuesday 😩  John Atkinson from NBSL is retiring at the end of April and it's fair to say he'll be a huge miss at DBN and the North East business community in general.  It's been a pleasure networking with you John and we wish you all the best in your retirement. Here he is receiving his DBN networking Oscar for his services to the business community in the North East....

UMi - 11 ARTICLES TO HELP YOUR BUSINESS BE MORE SUSTAINABLE

There's never been a more crucial time to think about the environmental impact of your business.  But it can be hard to figure out what this really means for you. To help, we've packaged together 11 inspirational and informative articles to help your business go green.  Take a look here....

DERWENT VALLEY PARTNERSHIP'S 'FUN & FOOD' SUMMER / CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS 2022 PROGRAMMES - NOW OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS!

Our ‘Fun & Food’ Fund aims to ensure that as many children and young people as possible have access to food during school holidays, alongside enriching activities, in particular considering those children and young people who would normally receive a free school meal during Term Time. This week we are launching the next phase of our ‘Fun & Food’ programme which aims to support activities for children and young people during the Summer (and Christmas!) 2022 school holidays, and ...

APRIL NETWORKING EVENT AT DURHAM CRICKET

April Networking Event with the Department for International Trade (DIT) North East. Tuesday 19th April from 8.30 to 10.30 As well as our regular networking event we’re delighted to have the Department for International Trade (DIT) North East join us at The Riverside, Durham Cricket Ground, to showcase the training, support and funding opportunities available to expand your customer base internationally.  The session will provide the unique opportunity to discover how your ...

MARCH NETWORKING EVENT

A huge thank you to everyone who came along to DoBusinessNetwork (DBN) networking meeting on the 15th March. Particularly Mike Allum, Claire Holt and Andrea McGuigan for updating us about Durham County Council's Big Econ-versation exercise that will shape the County’s economic growth over the next 10 years. Businesses, large and small, in all sectors and across the County are being invited to take part in a conversation which will inform the strategy and give you a say...

BEAMISH MUSEUM - 1950s FARM

Text and picture courtesy of the Beamish Museum website.A farm from Weardale has been carefully dismantled stone by stone, and is being rebuilt and preserved at the museum as our 1950s Farm.Spain’s Field Farm, from Eastgate, near Stanhope, will tell the story of upland farming in the North East during the 1950s.  Official opening celebrations for the farm will take place in March 2022.Visitors will be able to see the tough conditions faced by families living in rural areas during this tim...

COUNTY DURHAM SPORT - CHAIR RECRUITMENT

County Durham Sport are looking for a Chair who will lead their Board and hold the team to account for performance against strategic objectives.  They require a collaborative leader who understands both the benefits of physical activity and its contribution to improving health, social and economic outcomes.  The Chair will also understand the key role the Active Partnership can play in improving the local system in line with their strategy and will build upon and advance the excellent ...

MEET THE KENYA CREW!

An amazing group of 16 year old students from Thorp Academy are currently fundraising for a sustainable trip to Kenya next summer, where they will be doing a range of environmental and observational work with the local people.  In order to raise the funds, the students have turned to arts and crafts, which they have been selling at fairs and local businesses who have helped to support them.  The Kenya Crew will be joining us again at the Heritage Centre on Sunday, 20th March to sell so...

NORTH EAST REGION SPECIAL OPERATIONS UNIT

North East Region Special Operations Unit Cyber Crime - Unit Advising organisations to improve their cyber resilience. Following Russia’s further violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has called on organisations in the UK to bolster their online defences.  The NCSC - which is a part of GCHQ - has urged organisations to follow its guidance on steps to take when the cyber threat is heightened. While the NCSC is not aware of any current spe...

DO WE WANT JUSTICE OR JUDGEMENT?

Most people want justice - at least for themselves. Human beings are continually judging situations, themselves and others.  Often we confuse the two.  Children have a strong sense of justice.  When someone does something wrong, they insist on punishment or recompense.  Deep inside, we all tend to agree, even if we don’t acknowledge it.  We all want judgement pronounced, so that we can “see justice done”.  In mediation we strive to help participants put aside ...

BEAMISH STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS DRESSED TO IMPRESS!

We have a number of vacancies available if time traveling sounds like a job you might enjoy.  Find out more and apply here. Huge congratulations to our very own Matthew Henderson, Product Development Manager, who won Rising Star and Overall Winner awards at the Cultural Enterprises Awards.We are so proud of you.  Very well deserved! The Beamish Team, Beamish, the Living Museum of the North...

CONSETT STREET FESTIVAL - SUNDAY, 20th MARCH 2022

FREE ‘Welcome Back’ Street Festival in Consett!  Durham County Council will be hosting a FREE street festival between 11am and 3pm on Sunday 20th March 2022 on Middle Street in Consett. The street festival is being funded through the ‘Welcome Back Fund’ and will be one of many taking place across the County in March - please find attached further details including a full list of events. We would love you to join us in Consett for a range of FREE activit...

DON'T PUT OFF THAT AWKWARD CHAT ABOUT INHERITANCE!

It can be a shock for people to discover, only on the death of their parents, that they have effectively been disinherited and it can seem like the ultimate cruel shock.  Often there is no obvious reason why the decision was taken which makes it even more difficult for potential beneficiaries to understand.The UK is different from many other countries in that you are allowed to die with millions in the bank and not give a penny to your child.  In France, by law, you have to give your c...

SHARING WITH NORIKO AND HER FAMILY!

My kids had their first sleepover at their friends’ house the other night.  While there, Naomi seemed to have learnt the phrase “Sharing is caring.”It is a great phrase, at least Naomi thinks so . . . Here is this week’s cartoon . . ....

ROBSON PRINT - WHY PRINT IS SPECIAL

Print is an established, trusted media.  When you receive a letter, a card, a brochure it is the start of a relationship built on trust.  If you open printed material, you don’t get a virus . . . Make your customers, members or workforce feel special.  We make tailored communication easy: personalised letters, business cards, membership cards and soft touch, foiled brochures printed and fulfilled.  Everything we do is bespoke to suit your needs. Sharron, Robson Print...