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The launch of new identity cards for people with brain injuries comes as welcome relief for survivors in the North East. His Royal Highness Prince Harry has launched the new initiative by Headway, a charity that supports people affected by brain injury. The card is part of the charity’s Justice Project, which aims to raise awareness of brain injury within the criminal justice system, and ensure survivors are identified at the earliest possible opportunity to ensure they receive appropriate support. The ID card has the additional benefit of breaking down social exclusion, with holders having renewed confidence in the knowledge they can easily explain their support needs should they require assistance in everyday situations. Charles Southam, 28, from Bedlington, who receives support from local group Headway Tyneside, is grateful for the idea. He said: “Brain injury is often a hidden disability and people struggle to understand that service users have anything wrong with them because they look so ‘normal’.

The search is on for magical creatures living underneath Ashington. The Wonderfolk are rumoured to exist along the abandoned coal seams under Woodhorn Colliery. But now a team of experts are set to find the elusive beings and bring their stories to life. Anyone can join them on an interactive trail lasting all summer. Visitors will meet Professor Parkyr, a world expert in unexplained underground life forms, and with the help of a magical miner’s lamp will go on a special mission to track down and uncover the stories and secrets of the Wonderfolk. The search for Woodhorn’s alternative and magical past begins on Monday with the launch of an interactive tour.

A record breaking 1,797 UK parks and green spaces have this year won a prestigious Green Flag Award including 45 in the North East. This international award, now into its third decade claims that those parks which win “boast the highest possible environmental standards, are beautifully maintained and have excellent visitor facilities” - in other words they’re a great place for a day out. Here we list a selection of the region’s top parks and public spaces you might want to check out for yourself. Jesmond Dene is a beautiful wooded valley and for families there is the ever popular Pets’ Corner and there are many historical features in the park. Walker Park dates back to 1891 and was designed to provide a pleasant green space for the local people living in a large industrial area. Saltwell Park, known as The People’s Park, opened to the public in 1876 and still attracts around two million. Between 2000 and 2005, a £9.7 million grant resulted in the park being renovated and the results were hugely impressive.

Karl Glendinning and co-accused Neil McFarlane were in the dock after police seized suspected class A drugs from homes in Cowgate and Byker

These are the schools praised for their teaching standards - and those who’ve been ordered to do better. We’ve summarised findings about the 15 North East schools who’ve had new Ofsted judgments published in June. This month, no local schools have received new ratings of ‘outstanding’, the best possible grade a school can attain following an inspection. However, many were able to celebrate achieving a ‘good’ grade — but a number were ordered to improve, whilst one earned the worst possible score of ‘inadequate’. A short inspection confirmed the school continues to be good - though it has been on “quite a journey” since inspectors last visited. A move to a new building and “tireless” work by staff have left a “very kind and friendly school” where pupils make good progress from different starting points.

In light of the Northumbria police decision to close all but one of its stations to the public after 8pm, we asked the questions our readers want answered. From July 17, the front desk at its HQ, Forth Banks, will operate from 8am to 8pm, seven days per week, as will Gateshead . All other stations within Central Area command will move to opening hours of 9am to 5pm. in Northumberland, Bedlington police station will see its front desk operation reduced from 24 hours to 12, between 8am and 8pm. In Ashington and Morpeth, station front desks will be open from 9am to 5pm. While stations in Hebburn, Amble and Killingworth will no longer have a front desk provision. Here are the questions our readers want answered.

Football isn’t just about the big names at the big clubs in the North East. It’s about little lads and lasses pulling on their boots and mams and dads organising their lives around lifts to training sessions, supporting from the sidelines, raising funds, helping to coach, cleaning kits and giving those hugs in celebration or commiseration, depending on the day. The Chronicle recognises that for families across the North East, junior football is a big part of day-to-day life, and this gallery pays tribute to the passion and commitment of all the youngsters involved. We invited clubs and leagues across the region to send their team photos, and we have included them all here along with some great action shots by Alan Hewson Photography. A Your Team supplement, featuring most teams, is published in The Chronicle on Saturday, July 1. For back copies call 0191 201 6300. Even if you are not involved yourself, the looks on these faces will lift your heart. Ashington Town Reds Under 9s, Bedlington Town, Bedlington Town FC Girls, Bedlington Utd U10s, Berwick Juniors, Berwick Rangers, Birtley Town Juniors FC Girls Under 12s, Blaydon YC, Blyth Town Barça Under 13s Girls, Blyth Town Whites Under 10s, Chester le Street Town Whites Under 7s, Cramlington Jnrs, Cramlington Town, Cramlington Utd, Corbridge United Under 10, Cullercoats FC Under 14s Girls, Durham Fed Under 13s, Ellington Jnrs Hawks Under 8s, Felling Magpies Under 11s, Gosforth PSV Under 10s, Gosforth Under 10s PSV, Heaton Hawks Under 7s, Hexham Porto Under 10s, Kingston Park Warriors, KYPC Jags Under 7s, Killingworth Young People’s Club Storm Under 14s, Leam Rangers, Longhoughton Rangers, Lumley Ladies Under 14s, Montagu and North Fenham Lionesss Under 9 Girls, Montagu and North Fenham Whites Under 11s, Montagu and North Fenham FC Blues Under 9s, Montagu and North Fenham Reds Under 7s, Montagu and North Fenham Reds Under 8s, Montagu and North Fenham Reds Under 9s, Montagu and North Fenham Reds Under 10s, Montagu and North Fenham Under 7s Reds, Montagu Blues Under 7s, Montagu Blues Under 8s, Morpeth Town Girls, New Fordley Juniors Under 10, Newcastle Benfield FC, Newcastle Benfield Girls, Newcastle Benfield Under 15s, Newcastle Benfield Juniors San Siro Under 13s, Newcastle Benfiield Olympico Under 7s, Newcastle Benfield Under 14s, Newcastle Benfield Tardini U7s, Newcastle Boys Club Inter U10s, Newcastle City Juniors Under 9s Benfica, Newcastle East End Blues Under 9s, Newcastle East End FC, Newcastle East End FC Blues Under 13s, Newcastle East End Blues Under 14s, Newcastle East End Blues Under 10s, Newcastle East End FC Under 15s, Newcastle East End Under 9s Reds, Newcastle East End Under 11s Reds, Newcastle East End Under 12s Reds, Newcastle East End Whites Under 10s, Newcastle East End Girls Under 10s, Paul Burke Under 10s, Newcastle East End Girls Under 11s Blues, Newcastle East End Girls FC Under 9 Blues, Newcastle East End Red Girls FC Under 11s, Newcastle West End, North Shields Juniors AFC, Northburn Wanderers, NSGathletic Cobras Under 9s, Olympico Under 8s, Paul Burke Under 10s, Ponteland Middle School 12, Ponteland Reds Under 10, Prudhoe Youth Club Hurricanes Under 9s, Red House Elite, Ryton and Crawcrook Albion, Seaton Delaval Dynamos Belgrade Under 14s, South Shields, Stakeford Juniors Under 12s, Sunderland Fulwell Youth Football Under 18s, Swalwell Swifts Under 10s, Team Gosforth PSV Under 11, Throckley Magpies Under 11, Throckley Magpies Under 7s, Throckley Magpies Under 8s, Throckley Magpies Inter Under 12,

Forth Banks. Newcastle City Centre Police Station, Forth Banks: From 24/7 to 8am – 8pm (7 days a week). Gateshead. High West Street: From 24/7 to 8am – 8pm (seven days a week) Etal Lane. Etal Lane, Westerhope : From 24/7 to 9am – 5pm (five days a week) Byker. Clifford Street: From 8am to Midnight to 9am – 5pm (five days a week) Whickham. Front Street: From 8am to Midnight to 9am – 5pm (five days a week) Newcastle West End : Westgate Road: From 8am – Midnight to 9am – 5pm (five days a week)

Thousands turned out for the fourth Northumberland Live festival at Blyth at the weekend and quite a few left their litter behind them - much to the dismay of one little boy. Five-year-old Oliver Jackson, of Blyth , immediately set to work collecting the abandoned cans, chip trays and sweet and crisp packets you can see in his grandma’s photographs. Proud gran Alyson Young said: “On Saturday evening after the Blyth festival was finished and people were leaving, my grandson, Oliver Jackson, aged five, was watched and admired by many people as he started to clear up the filth and debris that other people had left. “He was so upset by the amount of litter and mess that adults had left lying in ‘his park’ that he took himself off and found a carrier bag and started to clean up. He said ‘It’s not acceptable to have all this rubbish - why have they done this to my park?’ “People looked on in awe of this little boy and started to give him money for his efforts. As if that wasn’t good enough - he then went on to say, ‘I think I’ll give this money to the poor children’ because they don’t have what he has. “He went and asked for a bag from an organiser and was picking up everything, including a four-pack of lager which had been left behind, and was dragging it along behind him.

Glastonbury acts are set to appear at the Lindisfarne Festival in Northumberland this summer. Building on the success of the last two years, Lindisfarne Festival 2017 is gearing up to be an even bigger and better showcase of music, comedy, culture and creative arts. With Glastonbury 2017 now underway and festival fever in full swing, Lindisfarne Festival organisers are delighted to be showcasing a number of same name acts at their Northumberland event including DJ Norman Jay MBE, Huey Morgan, The Showhawk Duo, Beans on Toast, The Pale White, Backyard Rhythm Orchestra and Little Mammoths. With tickets sales already ahead by 55% compared to the same time last year, the team are equally delighted to welcome comedian and Punch Drunk founder Kai Humphries to the festival, who along with hosting the main comedy tent at Glastonbury will also be curating this year’s Lindisfarne Festival comedy line-up. With a stellar list of stand-up talent soon to be announced, full details of the line-up will be revealed at their sold-out Punch Drunk event in Blyth on July 3 featuring Britain’s Got Talent finalist Daliso Chaponda. Comedian Kai Humphries said: “Punch-Drunk Comedy has had an outrageous start to 2017, welcoming the likes of Zoe Lyons (LIVE AT The Apollo), Dave Johns (I, Daniel Blake), and Paul Sinha (The Chase) to our stages in Blyth, Bedlington , Ashington , and Cramlington .

The route for the eagerly-anticipated return of the Tour of Britain to Northumberland has been revealed. Covering 117 miles and passing through 26 communities, one of the most gruelling and prestigious dates on the cycling calendar will make its comeback in the North East on September 4. Cyclists will begin in Kielder Water & Forest Park at 10.15am and then pass through Bellingham and Otterburn, before heading towards the coast via Elsdon, Rothbury, Alnwick, Eglingham, Chatton, Belford and Bamburgh. The course then travels down the stunning coastline, passing through the communities of Seahouses , Beadnell, Embleton, Longhoughton, Lesbury, Hipsburn Warkworth and Amble along the way. Riders will then pedal through Widdrington, Widdrington Station , Longhirst, Ulgham, Morpeth, Guide Post Choppington and Bedlington. Spectators in Blyth have the chance to see the cyclists twice as they pass through on their way to Seaton Sluice and Seaton Delaval, before looping back to the finish line for the race’s conclusion which is expected at about 3.30pm.