The Burradon and Camperdown Community Association (“BACCA”)
2022 Annual Report
Don Toon’s passing on 4 April 2022 was mourned by his family, friends and the wider community of North Tyneside. Don was a founder and dedicated member of the Burradon and Camperdown Forum and he made an overwhelming contribution to the successful revival of the village and community spirit.
The member will recall that the 2021 annual was rather pessimistic and it was apparent that Covid had devastated community spirit in the village and that we were presented with a significant challenge to address the issues created by the lockdown and its effects on the residents.
Ironically, it was the community’s disaffection with a series of issues affecting the village and its rapid decline in the past 4 years which provoked a reaction from the residents and galvanised public opinion. The residents demanded change and improvements to services and amenities in Burradon and Camperdown and included the following:
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The neglect of the flowerbed at the pit wheel memorial
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The appearance of the wildflower meadow on the roundabout
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The proposed confiscation and conversion of the Festival Cottage
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The evaporation of the water at Burradon pond
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The low level of attendance at the Remembrance Sunday Service at the Nurse’s Cottage
There has been a significant increase in people being active in the village and residents cleared the pit wheel for North Tyneside Council to plant, groups of people have volunteered to join a Friends of Burradon Pond Group, flowerbed at Burradon Church has been weeded and replanted (councillor Hallway contributed £200 from the councillors community fund) and the wagonway signs have been painted. The children at Burradon School conducted a community litter pick at the recreation ground and down the “gutter”, during really hot conditions.
The preservation of the Festival Cottage as a community facility provides the village with a foundation to rebuild a sense of community with the provision of a range of amenities and activities. The Brownies, BACCA and Burradon Juniors are using the resource at the moment and it is envisaged that a regular coffee morning will be organised for retired members of the village which will provide a valuable lifeline for one of the most vulnerable groups in any community. The residents deserve genuine praise for the successful campaign and the support of the ward councillors was crucial for the protection and refurbishment of the Festival Cottage.
BACCA has been a beneficiary of the recent resurgence in volunteering in the village, with a significant number of new members joining the group in the past 12 months to contribute and support the superb work and achievements of the existing members.
A survey has been prepared for distribution to the community and copies will be provided to the children of Burradon School, Burradon Juniors and BACCA to canvass people’s views regarding the proposed projects to increase community amenities & activities and projects to increase public safety and the physical regeneration of the village. The projects include:
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20mph speed limit and a traffic management plan to improve road safety
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Memorial for the men in the village killed in WWII
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The refurbishment of the Festival Cottage
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The clearance of the land next to the village green to improve the appearance of the area
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Virtual heritage trail
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Ban dogs from the football pitches at the welfare
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Activities for children and pensioners of the village
The members have selected the creation of a war memorial to formally commemorate the memory of the men from the village who made the ultimate sacrifice during WWII. The members have appointed Andy McDermott to work with the residents and the children of Burradon school to design and an appropriate design for the memorial. Marion Toye deserves a particular mention for providing details of the servicemen which had previously eluded our previous efforts to create a memorial.
The new members comprise people born in Burradon and Camperdown and also residents that decided to make the village their home and it is evident from their contributions at recent meetings that the future of BACCA and the village is secure for the foreseeable future.
Football matches have recently commenced on the newly laid pitches at the welfare and the entire facility is testimony to the dedication and commitment of Burradon Juniors management committee, coaches, players and parents and the club is the envy of most visiting teams.
Burradon Juniors also organised the first post-covid tournament in memory of Rikki Todd and was a tremendous success. Burradon Juniors wishes to expand the event and organise a village Summer carnival to generate more community spirit.
The longterm strategy for the physical regeneration of the dilapidated buildings and land in the village has progressed recently, with revised plans being submitted for the conversion of the Grey Horse. Although it is anticipated that NTC planning department will reject the present scheme for the overdevelopment of the site and highways issues. It is hoped that revised plans will be submitted for a more sensitive and appropriate development of the building and adjoining land.
The owner of the former Halfway House is refurbishing the building and it will transform the appearance of area and has preserved an important historic building in the village.
North Tyneside Council are to compulsory purchase the former Police House site on Station Road and a scheme will be developed for the site.
The events of the past 12 months clearly demonstrated that most people have genuine pride in the village.
Burradon and Camperdown Community Association
Charity Registration No:1191626
Annual Accounts for the Period 26 June 2021 to 25 June 2022
| Income | £ |
|---|---|
| Nil | |
| Total | Nil |
| Expenditure | |
| Nil | |
| Total | Nil |
Signed:
A James Treasurer
Dated: 6 September 2022