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Prospectus December 2024 SSS
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3 Pung Local Communies First The new Northumberland Line will create many opportunies for the area. It will provide a sustainable and eecve travel choice for local residents and bring socio-economic benets for the communies it serves and the wider region. How can you help to develop these benets and add value to the places in which you live or work? This document will give you some ideas of the opportunies available and how you can get involved. Background The Northumberland Line, from Newcastle to Ashington was closed to rail passengers in 1964. It has, however, connued to be used for freight services. In January 2021, the Government awarded £34 million for the restoraon of passenger services. The nal cost is likely to be in the region of £298.5m, a considerable sum on which there must be societal benets to jusfy the outlay. Rail passenger services resumed on 15 December 2024. To deliver maximum benet to all those in the area it serves and to visitors, there needs to be an ongoing means to ensure the railway industry and public bodies understand and respond to community needs. Throughout the country, community rail partnerships full such a role. The creaon of a community rail partnership for the Northumberland Line is seen as a key element for communies along the new route. In 2024, Tyne Valley Community Rail Partnership was commissioned by Northumberland County Council, Northern Trains and CrossCountry to support them in: a. Creang a Northumberland Line Community Rail Partnership (NLCRP) b. Forming a legal vehicle for managing the partnership and creang an appropriate business process c. Recruing directors for the board/management team from the local community d. Ensuring the partnership can raise inial and ongoing funding from the rail industry and other supporters e. Nurturing the new enty through its infancy and mentoring the new board of directors to achieve DfT accreditaon at the earliest opportunity
4 What is a Community Rail Partnership? A locally based organisaon commied to engage with communies and the rail industry to meet the goals of the Department for Transport’s Community Rail Strategy, which employs a community rail ocer to develop iniaves and resources to full the strategy. The strategy supports community rail organisaons to ourish as inclusive, independent and sustainable groups so they are well placed to deliver the strategy’s four key pillars. (see note 1) A partnership can include local authories, town and parish councils, train operang companies, business groups or individual companies, community groups, and rail user groups, any of which can be part of the management team. There are 75 community rail partnerships throughout the country. In a recent report, their umbrella organisaon, Community Rail Network, idened that every £1 invested in community rail there is a social value return of £17.89 for the communies served. (see note 2) Whilst some partnerships are local authority based, many are standalone organisaons either limited companies or community interest companies. The decision has been made to establish the Northumberland Line CRP as a community interest company. An accreditaon process is incorporated in the strategy, assessing organisaonal governance, acons and projects to meet these goals. Successful accreditaon provides a trusted mark of quality and opens door to funding streams. DfT support and rail industry funding is condional on new community rail partnerships working towards accreditaon. Who are Tyne Valley Community Rail Partnership? Established 20 years ago, it is the DfT accredited partnership for the Newcastle to Carlisle route. It has extensive experience, contacts and partners inside and outside the rail industry and a strong track record of delivering award winning projects. Well respected within the rail industry and the world of community rail, its volunteer directors bring a wealth of experience to the organisaon, supporng a part-me ocer to develop and full acon plans. Their 2023-24 Annual Report gives an insight into recent projects and ongoing work (see note 3). During recent years, they have developed links and projects with the staon adopon group at Manors Staon, which can be ulised by the new partnership. Crawork created by volunteers unveiled at a special Community Day at Manors 1. www.gov.uk/government/publicaons/community-rail-development-strategy 2. hps://communityrail.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/VoCR-report-24-FINAL-FOR-WEB.pdf 3. hps://cdn.tvcrp.org.uk/BoardPapers/Annual_Report_2023-24.pdf
5 Progress on the creaon of NLCRP October 2024: • A community interest company Northumberland Line Community Rail Partnership was registered at Companies House, with the Register of CIC and with HMRC as a not-for-prot company. (Company No 15952198). • A bank account has been opened. Underway with a target date of March 2025: • Recruitment of local volunteer directors with a range of skill sets and experience • Engagement with local community groups to create a posive awareness of what can be achieved Directors will have legal responsibility for all aspects of the company, with the protecon of appropriate indemnity insurance with liability liming provisos in the Arcles of Associaon. (See note 4 below about community interest companies) The commitment of individual directors will vary but for a partnership to deliver a successful and varied workstream, there needs to be acve parcipaon from directors and other volunteers who are prepared to support the delivery of projects and day to day acvies. Directors will be appointed at the annual general meeng although there will be the opon to co-opt directors at other mes of the year. Community engagement has been taking place with representaves of Northumberland County Council, train operator Northern and main contractor Morgan Sindall vising with local communies, including schools in the area. Artwork created by schoolchildren is being used on Welcome Boards at the staons, some of which is featured throughout this booklet. The role of Members (commonly known as Shareholders) To ensure local representaon is fully reected, the company will seek to gain members who are able to be act as a conduit with their local communies. Ideally, but not exclusively, these will be town and parish councils. Inially an annual membership fee of £10 will apply but membership does not incur any legal liability for debts etc. The membership is primarily to ensure a proper register of members is maintained so that invitaons to annual general meengs and special events etc can be appropriately allocated. Paid up members have full vong rights. How Can you Help? Financial Support Funding from the DfT and the rail industry only comes when a partnership has been established and is funconing. However, there must be inial investment to enable the company to operate, create an acon plan and demonstrate viability through community-based acvity. To achieve this, employment of a community rail ocer is crical, part me or full me, who will drive the work iden-ed in the acon plans, generate addional funding and be a focal contact for rail industry and community partners. Based on part me employment, it is ancipated there will be an annual budget of £27k-£30k. Inial investment is key to the development of the partnership and “seed funding” of £50k over a 3-year term is sought covering costs unl DfT/rail industry funding is achieved. In year one to provide set up costs, contribuons of £30k are sought, in year two, £10k and in year three, £5k. This is not being sought from any one provider but from contribuons from several organisaons. Any organisaon willing to give a 3-year covenant for a reducing sum would be parcularly welcome to give certainty to the funding stream. Directors Are you prepared to become a volunteer director? Can you bring experience, and a skill set to the new organisaon? Members Can you encourage your town or parish councils to become a member? Perhaps there are other organisaons who would like to be involved too. 4. www.gov.uk/government/publicaons/community-interest-companies-how-to-form-a-cic/community-interest-companies-guidance-chapters
6 What’s in it for you? This is an opportunity to help grow investment for the communies between Newcastle and Ashington. Investment in the Northumberland Line Community Rail Partnership is a clear demonstraon of social value and will contribute to a social return of £17.89 for every £1 invested. The Northumberland Line will increase employment opportunies, access to training as well as many other social and economic benets. Contribuons may be a tax allowable expense for corporaon tax payers. For directors, there will be many opportunies to develop business skills and to be involved in new networking opportunies. Would you like to help? Would you like to learn more? If so, please make contact the TVCRP Ocer, Fiona Forsythe: Phone: 07810 885223 Email: ona@tvcrp.org.uk We hope you can support this community-based partnership and look forward to hearing from you.
7 More about partner organisaons: Community Rail Network All community rail partnerships are members of the umbrella organisaon, Community Rail Network. It provides training, access to funding and to specialist sta. Administering the accreditaon process on behalf of the Department for Transport, it also organises a range of events and conferences for the benet of its members. The naonal community rail awards is being held in Newcastle in March 2025. This presgious rail event celebrates the work of community rail partnerships throughout the country. Over 400 people will be aending providing a wonderful opportunity to showcase the North East. Find out more about Community Rail Network at hps://communityrail.org.uk/ Community Rail Partnerships in the North East Train Operang Companies Community rail partnerships have strong working relaonships with the various train operang companies running services through their areas. In addion to Northern, who will be running services along the Northumberland Line, it is envisaged that the new partnership will work with train companies, CrossCountry, LNER and TransPennine Express. Other Useful Informaon Read about the aspiraons for, development of and creaon of the new rail passenger route serving communies from Newcastle to Ashington at hps://www.northumberlandline.uk/ Route: Newcastle—Carlisle Ocer: Fiona Forsythe Website: hps://tvcrp.org.uk/ Route: Bishop Auckland—Darlington Ocer: Felicity Machniki Website: hps://www.bishopline.org/ Route: Middlesbrough—Whitby Ocer: Lisa Williams Website: hps://www.eskvalleyrailway.co.uk/
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