Caring bikers are riding to the rescue of a popular North East charity event which nearly reached the end of the road after almost two decades.

Every year since 1991, scores of leather-clad motorcyclists have taken part in the annual Easter Egg run organised by the Northumberland Bikers' club.

They collected thousands of chocolate eggs donated by customers at various pubs and clubs and then set off in a huge motorbike convoy to deliver them to children and elderly people in hospitals and homes across Northumberland and Tyneside.

A guidebook has been produced to help visitors get the most out of one of the region's most beautiful villages.

Detailing the natural and local history of Warkworth, Northumberland, the book includes a map of the village and photographs showing picturesque scenes and other places to see.

It was produced by Warkworth History Society, Amble Photographic Group, Warkworth Walkers and other individual contributors from the area.

Environment Editor Tony Henderson on a centenary celebration for the North East's bird ringers.

It's the 100th anniversary of bird ringing in Britain and Tyneside ringer Brian Little has been at it for more than half of that time.

Brian, who lives in Blaydon in Gateshead, starting ringing in 1955.

He is chairman of the Northumbria Ringing Group, which includes around 30 ringers, who have a base at Hauxley, near Amble.

Voluntary and community groups in Northumberland have been warned they are facing a reduction in funding for their work - because of the recession and tough budget savings required by the county council.

However, County Hall bosses have reassured the sector that a funding package of £1.3m will still be available next year. Budget proposals recommend more money for charities directly supporting those people worst affected by the recession.

These will include services such as credit unions and the Citizens' Advice Bureau.

Amble Photographic Group are this week welcoming a special guest for a talk at the Dovecote Centre in Amble.

Professional photographer Mario Soave's talk is entitled Across the Andes to the Fin Del Mundo.

The talk is at 7.30 on Thursday and tickets for the event are £3.50. Phone 01665 710 177 for more details.

A team of volunteers and staff from Northumberland Wildlife Trust has returned to Coquet Island, off the Northumberland Coast, to assist the RSPB with a number of management tasks which are vital to the successful breeding of the terns and other birds on the site.

Coquet Island volunteers: from left, Peter Waugh, Bob Shaw, Alex Zeller (NWT), Morris Selby, Heather O'Neill (NWT), Peter Holt, Dennis Neal, Brian Copland, Geoff Dobbins (NWT) and Matthew Poole

The group spent the whole day strimming and raking up areas of long matted grass to open up some of the breeding plots. It was a race against time to complete the work before the tide dropped and the boat returned to Amble.

Visitors to Northumberland Wildlife Trust's reception hide at Hauxley will now be able to learn more about the building from four newly-installed information panels.

The panels were made possible thanks to generous funding from The Community Foundation and include information on the hide's construction from Scandinavian timber, its geothermal heating system and wildlife friendly turf roof.

Visitors to an exhibition by Amble Photographic Group later this month may be able to solve any remaining Christmas present dilemmas.

Photos will be on display and prints for sale during the coffee morning at Trinity Methodist Church Hall in Amble on Friday 27th November, from 10-11.30am.

Bric-a-brac, books, tombola, raffle and home baking will all be on offer at the event.

The £1 entry fee covers refreshments and a raffle ticket.

Youngsters in Northumberland are set to benefit from a police investment in sports and leisure facilities.

The Amble Boys' Club was set up after the community rallied round to raise funds for children in the town to play sport and games.

Donations included £400 from the Northumbria Police Charities Fund, which has helped the club buy a new fridge, microwave, air-hockey table, swingball, dance mat and computer games.

Officers from the Alnwick Neighbourhood Policing team visited the club to deliver their donated gifts.

A lack of professional youth workers in East Northumberland means young people in the area are missing out on opportunities.

Youth workers based in Amble say they are currently unable to take advantage of the pots of money available to them as they simply do not have the manpower required.

Coquet Youth Team staff Angela Manktelow, Lisa Waugh and Helen Wright

The Coquet Youth Team, based at Coquet High School, has three workers, along with two 17-year-old volunteers. They do a lot of extremely good work with young people in the area, including the Area Training and Activity Centre (ATAC) in Widdrington Station.