A shift in focus has seen annual turnover increase by almost a quarter to £32.3m at a Prudhoe telecoms company, leaving its chief executive confident it will enter the black in the coming year.

The rapid growth at BNS Telecom Group followed its shift from purely selling traditional telecommunications to calls made over the internet (IP) to its business customers.

Tynedale host Westcombe Park looking to erase the memory of the defeat at Blackheath last weekend.

From one London club to another, Tynedale rugby chairman John Shotton hopes his men will never make the same mistakes again.

With three potential opensides out injured, coach Tom Borthwick will delay his selection as long as possible. Shotton said: "Last week was the worst we have played in Tom's four years as coach."

Northumberland's new super council is to retain the existing county council's official logo when it takes over following local government reorganisation in April.

A working group has concluded there is merit in reviewing the 35-year-old logo to ensure it reflects the new unitary council's vision and values.

However, the need to prioritise effective service delivery from April 1 means it will be retained for the time being.

Tomorrow will see the launch of a new free newspaper for Journal readers in Northumberland.

Journal Extra will come free with The Journal every Thursday with 36 pages of news and sport from around the county in addition to The Journal's normal service.

Regular features in Journal Extra will include a nostalgia page, readers' pictures of Northumberland and a weekly focus on one of the county's schools. There will also be weekly promotions and competitions exclusively for our Northumberland readers.

A helping hand from a North East telecoms firm was music to the ears of Prudhoe Community Band.

Prudhoe-based BNS Telecom donated a glockenspiel worth £850 to the band, with cash from its charity fund.

With about 60 members ranging in age from seven to 70, the band welcomes musicians of all abilities. Half of the members are under 25 - many are pupils at Prudhoe High School.

Youngsters from across Tynedale came together at the weekend to show off their soccer skills.

The first indoor tournament of the Tynedale Mini Soccer League kicked off at Hexham's Wentworth Leisure Centre, with scores of young footballers turning up to practise their moves.

Thirteen teams of under-eights battled each other throughout the day under the watchful eye of veteran soccer league organiser Ivor Grey. He said: "This is the first of three indoor tournaments which are held every year.

Shasun Pharma Solutions has won £2,000 for an environmental project at Cramlington High School after winning the environmental prize at the North East Process Industry Cluster Awards.

The firm won for its employee-funded development of wetlands and wild life area and fpr the opening of their biological treatment facilities to other local industry.

There were also two School Environmental Awards which went to Corbridge Middle School for a stainable community orchard and St Matthew's Primary School in Prudhoe for the work on its eco-garden. Both schools won £2,000.

Prudhoe Town remain bottom of the Skilltrainingltd Northern League Division Two but continue to show signs of improvement.

Prudhoe were full value for a goalless draw with Team Northumbria and are now four points behind second bottom Thornaby with 10 points from 24 games.

John Shotton hopes Tynedale's Blackheath humbling will serve as a wake-up call.

The Corbridge men were outgunned 28-3 in East London, punished for sloppy fringe defence.

Rugby chairman Shotton said his side's set-piece work went well, but other than that, he rued slim pickings.

Talks are continuing in a bid to resolve a long-running dispute over the fees paid to the owners of independent care homes for the elderly in Northumberland.

Officials from the county council and Care Trust have been in negotiations with dozens of private sector operators for 18 months over how much they should be paid for providing residential care for elderly and disabled people.