NEWS

UPDATE: Thank you for turning up in numbers to our open events: we have had 67 guests attending the open evening and 89 attending our open day! A turn out we are very happy with!

Open Day at Deneholme ... and you are invited!- 26th Feb. 2009
Linda and Tony Beck would like to invite you to come along and meet us, have a look around and help us celebrate our 15 year lease agreement and a fabulous start to the year!

Open Evening: Thursday, 2nd of April 2009 from 5pm
Open Day: Friday, 3rd of April 2009 from 11am til 5pm

There will be plenty of activities on offer, a champagne reception, home cooked food - you name it! - please check for a full agenda to be posted here towards the middle of March.

Deneholme and BECKs Training go VAT - Wednesday, 11 Feb. 2009
In its first month of training and in partnership with BECKs Development Training, Deneholme has reached its turnover threshhold and has registered for VAT.
Starting March 1st, 2009, all prices charged for corporate activities and team events as well as residential stays and catering will be applicable to 15% VAT.
Our VAT registration number is 945 1201 49

VAT

New lease of life for Deneholme - Thursday, 15 January 2009
"ALLENDALE’S stricken conference centre, Deneholme, has been taken on by new tenants this week. Moving in: The conference centre’s new tenants Linda and Tony Beck are at the front with, back left, John Craggs and, right, Sharon Beck.Tony and Linda Beck, who own Becks Development Training, have signed a 15-year lease on the building. It was put on the rental market after the owners, community charity Fawside, ran out of funds. Fawside has moved out to make way for the new company which will use Deneholme as its base. The Becks will be running the building in much the same manner as it has been in recent years. The residential conference facilities will still be on offer, while Tony and Linda will also be providing outdoor activities. Clients can enjoy canoeing, climbing, canyoning and rafting as part of the team-building exercises that Becks Development Training offers.

Tony’s sister Sharon is looking after in-house matters such as cooking, cleaning and running the office. Newly-weds Tony and Linda will be living on-site for the first few weeks until they find a more permanent home nearby. It is hoped one of the building’s offices will soon be transformed into a caretaker’s flat so that groups using the accommodation will have a 24-hour management presence at the facility. The building will remain licensed for weddings and serving alcohol, and there are already three weddings booked for this year. Tony and Linda have been running their company for three years, and 37-year-old Tony’s background has been in working for outdoor activity organisations.

Linda, who is German, came to England in 2005 to work at the Calvert Trust at Kielder, where she developed her business management skills. Now the couple hope to expand their client base by being able to offer a complete package of outdoor activities and business development events. They also hope to construct a high rope walkway in the grounds of Deneholme. The couple already have a large range of clients, who they have been taking to venues such as Matfen Hall and Longhirst Hall in Morpeth. Although they will still use these venues for larger groups, they hope to attract others to Deneholme. Allendale parish councillor and director of Fawside, Margaret Stonehouse, said: “We have high hopes for the Becks because we have worked with them before and know what they offer. “It will be a great asset to the village if they can draw in clients, who in turn will boost the local economy by using our pubs and shops while they are here.” Meanwhile, Fawside is hoping to get back up and running as soon as possible, with potential venues including a base at Allendale village hall."

Star Quality Status awarded to Deneholme - Thursday, 17 April 2008

"STAR quality status was awarded to one of Allendale’s most successful business projects this week.

Starry eyed: Staff at Deneholme, in Allendale, celebrate achieving three star status in the VisitBritain Quality in Tourism scheme. Back, from left, are general assistant Matthew Burns, housekeeper Sue Armstrong, office assistant Christina John and chef Christine Hutchinson. Front are manager Sue Mills and marketing executive Andy Crossan.Deneholme, which offers residential conference and activity facilities to groups, has been awarded three star status by the VisitBritain Quality in Tourism scheme.

The scheme is recognised both nationally and internationally as the leading quality assessment service for the tourism industry in England.

The award comes after a refurbishment project, completed last September, fitted the centre with brand new bedroom furniture.

The three star status recognises the work that has been put in to improve the facilities at the centre and also commends the warm welcome that staff offer their guests.

“It is a venue with massive potential and everyone involved is buzzing after receiving the accreditation.”

Deneholme also holds a silver award from the Green Tourism Business Scheme in recognition of the environmentally friendly initiatives the centre has implemented.

These include geothermal heating, where natural heat from the ground is used to heat the centre, solar heated water and sheep’s wool loft insulation.
Deneholme is available to groups of between 12 and 29 people and also caters for private parties such as weddings.

For more information about the centre visit www.deneholme.com or contact Linda Beck on (01434) 618579."

Allendale - best village in the whole of England, 17 October 2007

A NORTHUMBERLAND village has been named the best in the whole of England.
People living in Allendale were celebrating last night as their village won the 2007 Calor Village of the Year competition.
Last week The Journal revealed how Allendale had made it through to the final five, and at a plush award ceremony in London yesterday the village was crowned overall champion.
For winning the competition, Allendale receives £7,000 in prize money, on top of the £2,000 it had already scooped for getting to the final of the competition.
It also won a further £1,250 for winning regional category prizes during the early judging rounds.
Larry Winger, chairman of Allendale Village Hall Trust, who was behind the bid, said last night: “We’re really thrilled. Everyone’s really proud to be in Allendale and to have beaten all the other villages in the country.” Mr Winger said villagers intended to use the money to make the current redevelopment of Allendale’s recreation ground even better, and hopes to be able to include the cast-iron plaque he received yesterday as a feature there. The award was presented by guest of honour, food writer and presenter Sophie Grigson.

It is the first time a village from the North-East has won the award, beating off competition from villages in Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Wiltshire and Oxfordshire.
Calor managing director Alex Davis said: “Winning the title of Village of the Year for England is a fantastic achievement and the community of Allendale should be extremely proud.
“Only the most vibrant, enterprising and caring communities get through to the final stages of this competition and this year in particular our independent judging team were faced with some excellent villages.”
When the judges came to Allendale, businesses and community groups held stalls in the village hall to demonstrate the activity in the village.

And we’re on the world map as well...
A LEADING travel guide will today proclaim what we all knew already — that the North-East is one of the world’s “must-see” destinations.
The region is one of only 30 places around the world to make it into the “Go-List” section of the new edition of Lonely Planet’s Bluelist 2008.
The book, which is now in its third year, is a collection of the best trends, destinations, journey and experiences from around the world.
And this year’s edition heaps praise on the North-East, describing it as “the most exciting, beautiful and friendly region in the whole of England”.
It highlights the region’s rejuvenated cities, fascinating history and Northumberland’s dramatic wilderness as the main attractions.
The guide goes on to say: “If your image of North-East England is of coal mines and bad weather, then it’s time you forgot your preconceived ideas and discovered the most exciting and friendly area in the whole of England. Stretching from the River Tees to the Scottish Border, the North-East sees nine million visitors annually, with overseas numbers rising by 30% in the last seven years.” The guide singled out a number of hotspots in the region, lauding Berwick for its exciting history, the beauty and tranquility of Kielder, the grandeur of Durham Castle and the excitement of the annual Great North Run. But it’s not just the major attractions and events which are featured – quirky events including the Tynedale Beer Festival in Corbridge were also included.
Lonely Planet’s accolade for the North-East is featured in a chapter dedicated to highlighting the up-and-coming destinations in the influential guide.
Last year’s edition tipped Belfast as a must-see destination and the very same year the city saw a record number of visitors.
One NorthEast’s head of marketing Tania Robinson said: “Being named as one of the 30 must-see destinations for 2008 confirms that North-East England is a truly world-class destination. This ringing endorsement from this most influential of guides confirms a lot of what we are doing in promoting North-East England – and changing perceptions is working.”
Lonely Planet spokesman Tom Hall said: “The authors and staff at Lonely Planet got together to discuss which places they have really enjoyed going to and North-East England is a place which really, really stood out.
“It’s got such diverse attractions, from interesting cities such as Newcastle and Sunderland, one of the most fantastic coastlines in the world and, if you’re after wilderness, the Northumberland hills can’t be beaten.”
Andrew Dixon, chief executive of the NewcastleGateshead Initiative, said: “This is fantastic news and underlines how we are now firmly established as a must-see destination not only in the UK and Europe, but across the globe.”