Community Action Northumberland

CAN was formed in the Autumn of 1951, at the initiative of a range of interested and committed bodies including the County Council, Kings' College (University of Newcastle's predecessor), the parish and district councils' associations, voluntary organisations, rural trades'-bodies, and significant support from the-then Northumberland and Tyneside Council of Social Service.

Our AGM included an exhibition of 'then and now' comparisons and contrasts, news headlines from the last 60 years, a Northumberland quiz, photos of staff (past and present) and a look at what we will be doing over the next year and beyond.

The formal business included George Scott's trademark witty and stimulating presentation of the annual report. The opportunity was also taken to alter CAN's governance arrangements, so that CAN is now governed by the new charitable company – also called CAN – rather than an Executive Committee of individual trustees.

Our President, the Duke of Northumberland, and all of the vice Presidents, were 'transferred' to the company. The County Council's Director of Corporate Resources, Steven Mason, stood-down as our Honorary treasurer, and Linda Frater was appointed Honorary Treasurer of the company.

There followed a stirring and impassioned presentation by one of our vice-presidents, Canon Bob Burston, Rector of Wooler. Bob, a former chairman of CAN's trustees, is an inveterate rural advocate, and a strong voice on behalf of disadvantaged communities. He drew upon a number of prominent Northumbrians, including Earl Grey, Emily Davidson, Josephine Butler and William Beveridge, as well as his own experiences of CAN, dating back to his early days as vicar of Alwinton, 30 years ago. There was a strong challenge to CAN to continue to support local communities, not least at a time when the state appears to have 'cast them adrift'.

The AGM finished with the cutting of a birthday cake, jointly by our President and by Sue Shaw, Chairman of the national rural communities' charity ACRE, and a close friend of CAN.