St Edmund's Christmas Tree Festival Committee is proud to announce that the Festival generated a surplus of just over £6,700 in 2025 up from the figure of £4,310 in 2023. This means that the nominated charity this year - St Cuthbert's Hospice Durham will receive just over £3,350.

Many thanks to all involved from the start to the end of the Festival:
- Those receiving and assembling the trees, the community and business groups (all 35 of you) who decorated them, the bakers of cakes and scones, tea and coffee makers, the stewards, to Ferryhill Town Band whose sell out concert raised the roof and some substantial funds with their concert and also to everyone who generously donated money throughout the Festival.
- Thanks to Pam Royle, Jack Smith and Julie Robson, our trio that had the unenviable task of determining the Top 3 trees in the Festival.
- Joint Winners of the Community Group Trees Group were U3A and the Darlington & County Durham Diabetic Eye screening team.
- Winner of the Business Trees Group was From Loft to Loved.
- Thanks for the donations from Sedgefield Town Council Community Chest, The Mayor's Charity Fund, Sedgefield District Uniformed Services Group and County Councillors Ian Catchpole and Chris Lines for their Small Grant Award, all these helped to cover some of the costs associated with running the Festival.

If we missed thanking you - apologies, and THANK YOU to you! Planning starts for the next Festival in 2027.
Sedgefield Christmas Tree Festival Committee

On 2 December, the Planning Inspectorate announced its decision on the appeal for the proposed Anaerobic Digester plant at Sprucely Farm. The appeal was dismissed, protecting the character of our local landscape.

The Inspectorate concluded that the development would cause significant harm to the area’s rural character, conflict with the County Durham Plan, and was not in keeping with the agricultural scale of Sprucely Farm. While the proposal offered some renewable energy and waste processing benefits, these were far outweighed by the impact on the countryside’s appearance and identity.

This decision helps preserve the beauty and integrity of our local environment – a positive outcome for all our local communities.

Friendly Fixers
Friendly Fixers have been saving stuff from landfill for over 2 years. The monthly sessions see a steady stream of regulars and newbies testing the skills of our talented fixers. But could we make more use of the time and space to support sustainable initiatives? An upcycled fashion event? Seasonal clothing swap with Christmas jumpers/ Halloween/World Book Day costumes? Donate your old tech? Seedling swap? Basic household item repair masterclass?

We would love to hear your ideas – and, of course, get you involved! We will be discussing ideas on Saturday 7 February from 11:30am at Fishburn Youth and Community Centre - all welcome.

We meet on the first Saturday of the month at Fishburn Youth and Community Centre (TS21 4ED) from 10:30am to 12:30pm (our next meetup is in February) or you can get in touch at repaircafe@sedgefielddevelopmenttrust.co.uk.

Anyone can pop in, even just for a cuppa and a slice of cake. Repairs are free but donations are encouraged if possible to help with the running costs of Friendly Fixers.

Trees for Habitats Sunday 4 January 2026 10am–12 noon
If you decided to use a real Christmas Tree this year, bring it along to be recycled at Skerne Wood. We will be using the trees to extend the dead hedges we have created in previous years. Dead hedges provide habitats for birds, insects and small mammals and act as a barrier to allow areas of the site to regenerate. Christmas trees can be dropped off with our volunteers on site Skerne Wood@NETPark TS21 3FD, what3words ///meatball.printouts.spearing or find us on Google Maps. Families and individuals are welcome to stay to help process the trees and have a look round.

If you would like to know more about the project please contact Melissa woodland@sedgefielddevelopmenttrust.co.uk or our Facebook page - ‘Woodland & Wildlife – Sedgefield’.

Sedgefield Farmers Market Sunday 4 January, 8.30am to 12 noon

Thermal Imaging Camera Loan Scheme
There is good availability for the loan of thermal cameras this year. If you want to seek out your draughts, apply to borrow a camera at sedgefieldweb.co.uk/thermalimaging.html.

Do You Live on a Local Farm?
Delivering the Sedgefield News to farms can be tricky, with routes involving busy roads like the A689 and A177, plus farm tracks. We’d love your ideas to make this easier! Could there be convenient pick-up points for your copy of the News?Share your thoughts with us at news@sedgefielddevelopmenttrust.co.uk – we’d really appreciate your input.

Craft and Create North East CIC are thrilled to say that they’ve received a National Lottery Community Grant! They have received enough money to subsidise a full 2 years’ worth of community workshops for adults and children; including needle felting, candle and wax melt making, lampshades, Powertex and art therapy sessions to name but a few, as well as funding a monthly adult’s wellbeing group and a brand new monthly kid’s craft club which starts at the end of January! For full details of workshops offered see Craft and Create North East CIC on Facebook.

Needle felt group, first Saturday of the month at Cafe@NETPark starting 3 January.
Adults Wellbeing group, second Saturday of the month at Cafe@NETPark starting 10 January.
Kids Craft Club at Sedgefield Parish Hall, 4th Saturday of the month starting 24 January.

The easiest way to contact the practice for a GP appointment, administration request or prescription is via an online request. These are monitored by our team of doctors from 08:00-18:30. Please use your NHS App, or the website www.skernemedical.nhs.uk and select "contact the surgery online using econsult". If you are not able to submit an online request, please contact the surgery in the usual way to speak to our reception team. They will ask you some essential questions for the doctor.

We hope this change will improve access for, and reduce phone queues. For nursing appointments, these can be made online, or by calling the surgery.

Sedgefield in Bloom Group are again organising a collection of trees on Tuesday 6 January 2026. It couldn’t be easier - simply get in touch with Phil Hogg treasurersib25@gmail.com or on 07940504486 and for a donation of £5 we will collect it from you and recycle (courtesy of AW Treecare ) All monies raised will go directly in funds for planting and projects in Sedgefield helping us to help keep Sedgefield blooming.

At a recent ceremony at the Grand Hotel in Sunderland, Sedgefield resident Kevin Clark was delighted to receive an award for his voluntary services with the RSPCA. A lover of animals from early childhood with a farming background, Kevin began volunteering with the RSPCA in March 2018. He holds various roles with the charity, including transporting animals up and down the country, wildlife rescue and running the Durham pet food bank.

He also helps out at a local centre for homeless dogs and cats, as well as attending the annual Great North Run, cheering on the participants while collecting much needed donations to swell the funding pot.

In view of all these selfless activities, it should come as no surprise that Kevin was presented with the RSPCA Animal Kindness Award, acknowledging his devotion to the charity and the animals it protects. Although a fairly recent newcomer to Sedgefield, Kevin has fitted in well to community life in the village, becoming a very active member of Sedgefield Local History Society and a great supporter of Sedgefield News. Hearty congratulations on your achievement, Kevin.

On Saturday 29 November, we were delighted to welcome members of the local community to Sedgefield Community College for our Christmas Fayre. Lots of our current students and their families joined us and a particular highlight was seeing some of our former students, some who left many years ago, returning to their old school.

For everyone who visited the Fayre, there were a huge number of activities to take part in. As well as raffles and our tombola, there were countless craft stalls selling festive gifts and lots of stands where it was possible to purchase festive treats. A particular highlight of the day was a visit from Santa Claus who was very generous with his time and met lots of children in his grotto. As well as this, our café selling festive treats and snacks did a roaring trade on the day!

In order to make the event such a success, lots of staff generously gave their time – both on the day itself and also in the weeks and months in advance making preparations for it. We also had a number of student helpers who did a wonderful job in speaking to members of the public as they ran stalls, helped Santa in his grotto and waited tables in our café.

Thank you to everyone who helped to make the Fayre such a success. As well as providing a brilliant day for all, we also raised a significant amount of money and this will be used to promote our whole school reading approach, helping to create a lifelong love of reading for our students.