Projects supported by Mid Durham Area Action Partnership

All the projects supported by the AAP and the local councillors over the last year are listed in the Mid Durham AAP annual report 2023-24 (PDF, 1 MB). Some examples of projects are detailed below.

Crime Prevention and Community Safety Roadshows

Two Roadshows were undertaken in Langley Moor and Castleside within the AAP area in autumn 2019.  This project was developed as a response to perceptions of feeling unsafe in communities and public confidence was an issue.

Over a dozen crime and community safety partner agencies and services attended these events to meet the public, give messages and useful information about community safety and how people may protect themselves, particularly with the onset of winter and darker evenings.

These events were centred around primary schools within given communities as a hub of that village or estate. Over 275 children and families attended these events and obtained a lot of valuable community safety information.

Intergenerational Project

The project seeks to harness a range of untapped skills and resources within the community and lead to older people sharing skills and learning with young people, being creative and being more involved in their communities.

Older people will feel increased self-esteem, involved in more social activities than before and learn new skills. Volunteers (older and younger people) in communities are supported through different levels of training to achieve resilience and sustainability.

Training will include 'Intergenerational Champions' sessions open to all, and more formal accredited 'Intergenerational Volunteer' training (Level 1) with a (Level 2) certificate also available as a progression route.

Led by Age UK County Durham they are working with 10 local voluntary organisations supporting 15 volunteers and benefiting 250 local people to help improve mental health and wellbeing as well as creating one job.

Summer Play Programme

It is recognised that the summer holiday period can be a challenge for families both financially and in terms of accessing local provision which helps engage children in fun, healthy activity.

A partnership between OASES (Environmental education project) and Durham County Councils Leisure and Culture team helped develop a 5-week programme in 6 villages across the Mid Durham AAP area, providing a combination of outdoor environmental and multi-sport sessions. 

These sessions were all free and included a healthy snack contributing to a growing campaign around 'holiday hunger' when some children may require more sustenance in the holiday periods, when not receiving regular school meals. 587 children of primary school age attended the sessions with 221 adults accompanying them.

Projects supported by your local county councillors

You can find out more about the local projects supported by your local county councillors through their Neighbourhood Budget on the Your councillors page.