WHO ARE WE?

The Glendale Gateway Trust is a charitable community development trust based in Wooler, North Northumberland. The Trust was set up in 1996 to benefit the rural community of Glendale which covers 250 square miles of North Northumberland with a population of approximately 6000 people. It is one of the most sparsely populated areas of the country.

We have a very broad remit and manage a community resource centre, affordable housing, and small business start-up units. Our mission is to benefit the community, economy, environment, and heritage of Glendale and support the community to thrive.

We provide a multi-purpose community hub that houses the library and Visitor Information Centre, alongside The Newcastle Building Society and the local Police station. We run the Food Bank from the community hub and provide office space for local people to use and various rooms and halls for people to hire to carry out a variety of activities. We are also set up as a Warm Space for the community to use during the colder months due to the cost-of-living crisis. We provide business development and work opportunities through our business set up pods. We provide affordable housing for the local community following the refurbishment of many old buildings in the town - 20 residential properties. We also provide business opportunities through our range of commercial properties, a café, bakery, hospice care shop, Youth Hostel and soon a restaurant /bistro in the old Barclays Bank.

We work in partnership with public, private, and voluntary sector organizations We support community initiatives and engage with the Glendale community. We do this in a variety of different ways and through a number of different projects and community initiatives. The Cheviot Centre community hub was utilised as an emergency centre during Storm Arwen and is now listed with NCC as the place where emergency services will congregate should another emergency occur. We provide weekly activities for the people of Glendale who may be vulnerable due to age or disability, giving them the opportunity to socially interact, have a warm meal and take part in fun activities.

We have a good understanding of the needs of our rural community and regularly consult through our community resource centre, website and social media presence. Our strategy is to work with the community to find partners to develop key projects and programmes to meet the needs of the community. We are members of numerous networks and working groups which enables us to share best practice and we also adapt an asset based community approach.

We consult regularly with various parts of the community depending on the project we are involved with and arrange working groups, workshops, and steering groups to enable projects to be successful. We adhere to the Charities Commission guidelines and have a strong board of Trustees that are experienced in governance and have a wide range of skills, knowledge and expertise. We work in close partnership with other organisations and work in a collaborative manner to ensure the communities we serve receive the best possible outcomes. We are members of an umbrella organisation that supports similar charities and can access data and research reports that enhances our work. We have an excellent working relationship with local Parish Councils and Northumberland County Council and work with Newcastle and Durham Universities on various projects.