The Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) has put forward the investment in the form of a Private Finance Initiative (PFI).

Northumberland's £7.5m allocation will be used to develop fire stations in Prudhoe, Haltwhistle and Seahouses.

Prudhoe Castle and Cockshot Dene are holding family open days from 11am to 3pm this Saturday and Sunday.

Children of all ages can make their mark by making decorated alphabet letters at the Children's Centre to put up in the tree canopy along the footpath to the castle.

And families can join a tree survey session organised by OPAL (Open Air Laboratories) to help record air quality in the area by monitoring lichen growth on trees.

There will be mulled wine and juice at the castle and soup at the Children's Centre. For details, contact Andrea at the Volunteer Centre, Prudhoe, on (01661) 836 668 or visit www.cockshotdene.org

The festive tour is organised by Network Artists and takes place in twenty different venues around the region, running on weekends until Christmas.

Art lovers will have the chance to look around at artists' work, often in beautiful surroundings, while enjoying a friendly seasonal welcome from the artists themselves.

A new venue this year is the Buzz Factory at the Drill Hall in Prudhoe where five artists will be exhibiting their work, with mince pies and mulled wine also on offer. The exhibition will be open from 11am- 4pm on the 22 November, and 13 and 22 December.

View the Christmas Art Tour leaflet at www.networkartists.org.uk for full details.

A series of events are being held across the county to inform people of career opportunities with the service.

Members of the Wylam Housing Group are organising a 1920s-themed night in aid of Shelter North East and other homeless charities.

The ball will take place at the Wylam Institute on Saturday, October 3, from 7.30pm.

The town's Dragon Tale Theatre Group will perform the show at the high school from October 28 to 31.

Tickets are available now for £7 (£5 concession) by contacting Ian or Caroline Warburton on (01661) 833 614 or warburtonsuk@hotmail.com

The Prudhoe in Bloom awards event is being held on Saturday, September 19, at the Parish Hall, on Front Street, in the Northumberland town.

The hall will be open from 9am selling tea, coffee and light refreshments, with the awards ceremony due to start at 11am.

Representatives from Northumberland County Council, the town councils and the Northumbria in Bloom working group will all be there.

The North East stage starts at Darlington and heads through Durham, Northumberland and Tyneside, finishing at Baltic Square in Gateshead.

Hugh Roberts, chief executive of the Tour of Britain, said: "We are extremely pleased to be bringing the 2009 Tour of Britain back to the North East for a second time.

The event likely to attract the biggest crowd is the Glendale Show (pictured), now in its 117th year, featuring a host of rural attractions and stalls. Spectacular carriage driving and falconry displays and a Ready Steady Cook style cooking competition are some of the highlights of the event on Bank Holiday Monday.

In the bottom corner of the county on the same day, Blanchland & Hunstanworth Show (see link below) will be taking place, and two days before on Saturday Bellingham will also be welcoming visitors to its Show to take part and watch various traditional competitions.

Children will benefit from professional coaching at the sessions, courtesy of the Northumberland Football Partnership (NFP).

The NFP will hold sessions, led by the NFP's qualified coaches, in Prudhoe and Hexham, where children from five to 14 can take part.

Representatives of the Test the Region campaign, designed to help unemployed people and single parents get back into work, will be at Prudhoe Library tomorrow, from 10am to 1pm.

The morning session will give you the chance to get expert advice on the courses and learning programmes

The annual show in Wylam is one of the biggest village events in the Tyne Valley and will boast a wide range of stalls and entertainers.

The fair, from 1pm to 5pm, is on the Jubilee Field in the heart of the village and will feature children's activities like a magician, face painting, fancy dress, races and other games.

Northumberland Small Task and Repairs Service will hold sessions at two libraries to show how it can help residents.

The team does minor repairs and small tasks for eligible people who are disabled or over 60. Workers have tackled nearly 1,200 jobs over the past year, gaining 271 new customers.

Following the success of Splashathon last year, Prudhoe Waterworld is getting together with baby charity Tommy's to try to beat last year's national total of £60,000.

The money goes towards vital research into the causes of miscarriages, premature birth and still birth, helping save thousands of babies' lives.

The Kwahadi Dancers will be performing at Prudhoe Community High School late next month, bringing their uniquely colourful pageant of song, dance and stories of the American Indian nation.

The youth performing group is from Texas and is officially part of the Boy Scouts of America.