One of 200 Successful Millennium Projects

The fun gets under way at the Hartlepool Millennium Festival procession.

Turning The Tide is one of almost 200 Millennium Commission projects UK-wide. The project - to restore part of the Durham coastline - is a very important project for both the local communities and for the environment. It is exceptional, being one of only a few magnesian limestone coastlines around the whole of England.

Set up in 1993under the National Lottery Act, the Millennium Commission is using Lottery money mark and celebrate the close of the second millennium and the beginning of the third. It is supporting a wide range of projects from Turning The Tide to the Dome in Greenwich.

The programme of Millennium Commission Initiatives across the UK is so vast that each county boasts its own diverse range of projects, individual Awards to people and community festivals. Counties in the North East are no exception. With major projects in Durham, Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Gateshead, as well as a smothering of community projects in the area - from cycle paths to community halls, Millennium Greens to new woodlands - the Millennium Legacy is set to last. There are 600 people in the North East who have received Millennium Awards, through enriching communities and fulfilling their own personal goals over an entire spectrum of interests. These Awards are given to people of all ages, background and ability and there are still some available (for more details, call 0800 06801 2000).

The North East also has its share of Millennium Festivals, which have been taking place throughout the year, ranging from the Hartlepool Maritime Festival 2000, which took place in June, to Circus 2000 at Stockton-on-Tees, which ran until August, Millennium Festivals will continue throughout this year. On New Year's Eve 2000, both Middlesbrough and Newcastle will be among 32 towns and cities with a festival grant, to bring communities together and unite them in celebration.

Although the Millennium Commission is a short life organisation, the legacy it is leaving behind will be long lasting.

Projects are opening all over the UK throughout the year 2000 and will continue to open in the years that follow.

An Endowment Fund will ensure that Awards continue until well into the 21st century. The result is something happening everywhere.

If you would like more information on the work of the Millennium Commission, or would like to receive a Millennium Guide giving information on what is happening in your area, visit our web site www.millennium.gov.uk or call 020 7880 2030.