:00:14. > :00:16.Prince Harry brought his message about mental health
:00:17. > :00:19.He met veterans - scarred by their experiences of war -
:00:20. > :00:22.and others whose lives have been affected by mental illness.
:00:23. > :00:25.The prince was in Gateshead and Newcastle as part of a campaign
:00:26. > :00:27.encouraging people to open up and talk about their problems.
:00:28. > :00:35.Our correspondent Peter Harris reports.
:00:36. > :00:39.It is a campaign he jointly supports with the Duke and Duchess of
:00:40. > :00:47.Today, Prince Harry joined sporting legends to promote
:00:48. > :00:50.the work of the Heads Together mental health charity.
:00:51. > :00:58.The important thing about Heads Together is that it is
:00:59. > :01:03.A problem shared is a problem halved.
:01:04. > :01:10.And you will find that most people are just like you.
:01:11. > :01:12.He met people the charity who are training for
:01:13. > :01:13.the London Marathon from across the
:01:14. > :01:17.A bit of banter on the bridge and then off to hear their
:01:18. > :01:21.Supporting mental health charities is something that has been
:01:22. > :01:24.very close to the Prince's heart and coming to events like this and
:01:25. > :01:26.meeting the public and encouraging others to look after their mental
:01:27. > :01:29.The runners told him of their mental health experiences,
:01:30. > :01:32.including Leanne, who was involved with the charity because of her
:01:33. > :01:35.With mental illness, nothing is ever quick.
:01:36. > :01:42.It is putting all the pieces in the puzzle together
:01:43. > :01:50.He was really lovely to talk to, completely
:01:51. > :01:54.down-to-earth, extremely passionate about the charity, and it was just
:01:55. > :01:57.really nice being able to speak to him and we are just really happy
:01:58. > :02:02.that he is elevating this great charity.
:02:03. > :02:08.Earlier, the Prince met veterans in Gateshead working with
:02:09. > :02:14.the walking with the wounded charity and later to the headquarters of
:02:15. > :02:19.Virgin Money, which supports his campaigns,
:02:20. > :02:23.I have seen people go from their lowest point, physically
:02:24. > :02:27.shaking or unwilling to leave the house,
:02:28. > :02:30.or even with suicidal thoughts, to a place of real optimism and
:02:31. > :02:32.resilience in a relatively short space of time.
:02:33. > :02:38.But there was time as well to draw the crowds.
:02:39. > :02:44.This time, though, with a message that matters.
:02:45. > :02:46.A charity which supports victims of domestic violence
:02:47. > :02:49.after it was told today council funding of more
:02:50. > :02:51.than half a million pounds is coming to an end.
:02:52. > :02:54.The charity works with 350 women at four refuges, work that costs
:02:55. > :02:57.around ?1 million a year - they raise the other half
:02:58. > :03:00.The council says its working on new funding arrangements,
:03:01. > :03:15.but the Charity says it now fears for the women who need their help.
:03:16. > :03:19.We have got a lot of desperately worried service users who do not
:03:20. > :03:23.know where they are going to be helped and don't know when the money
:03:24. > :03:25.is going to come back, so there has been
:03:26. > :03:26.a massive mobilisation in the
:03:27. > :03:29.community but certainly service users are relying on us to help them
:03:30. > :03:30.through particularly traumatic court cases,
:03:31. > :03:32.or court proceedings around children, and they are very worried
:03:33. > :03:34.about where is that person going to go.
:03:35. > :03:37.Will I be able to go back there for help?
:03:38. > :03:47.Five people have been arrested after a
:03:48. > :03:49.man was stabbed in Newcastle City Centre.
:03:50. > :03:51.It happened yesterday lunchtime next to the city library.
:03:52. > :03:54.The man, who's 22 and hasn't been named, is still in a critical
:03:55. > :03:58.A public inquiry into controversial plans for an opencast coal mine
:03:59. > :04:03.close to a Northumberland beauty spot will take place in May.
:04:04. > :04:05.Campaigners have been fighting to stop the Banks Group
:04:06. > :04:08.from removing three million tonnes of coal from land near Widdrington,
:04:09. > :04:21.More than ?8,000 has now been donated to an appeal set up
:04:22. > :04:24.by the family of a 16-year-old Durham girl, who's virtually trapped
:04:25. > :04:27.Jade Gadd, who appeared on Friday's Look North,
:04:28. > :04:29.has a genetic condition which means her joints regularly
:04:30. > :04:34.Wheelchair access in her home is poor.
:04:35. > :04:36.Durham County Council's offered ?30,000 for modifications,
:04:37. > :04:43.but that's only half the estimated cost.
:04:44. > :04:46.Parents have reacted with dismay to plans to close
:04:47. > :04:48.a Northumberland middle school, months after they were told
:04:49. > :04:53.between Berwick and Alnwick, say the numbers of pupils is set
:04:54. > :04:58.to fall sharply, and that means it won't be financially sustainable.
:04:59. > :05:00.Parents say it's a good school and that some children
:05:01. > :05:03.could now face long journeys to be taught elsewhere.
:05:04. > :05:11.For decades, it has been a war of attrition.
:05:12. > :05:15.But since this protest in 2004, the number of Northumberland
:05:16. > :05:27.So are parents like this fighting a losing battle?
:05:28. > :05:34.Middle schools like the one at Belford typically take
:05:35. > :05:36.pupils from the age of nine until 13.
:05:37. > :05:38.This one is run by the Church of England.
:05:39. > :05:42.But it is projected to lose a third of its 100 pupils by
:05:43. > :05:47.Despite that, parents got a governor's letter last October
:05:48. > :05:49.reassuring them that the future of the school was secure.
:05:50. > :05:54.When they got a second letter, this time from the
:05:55. > :06:01.chair of governors, saying that with the greatest
:06:02. > :06:04.reluctance and regret, they have now concluded that it is
:06:05. > :06:07.in the best interests of the children to close the school this
:06:08. > :06:13.They were also told that despite Ofsted's verdict, Belford
:06:14. > :06:16.had been identified as a coasting school because its standards hadn't
:06:17. > :06:33.Panicking, some people taking their children out now.
:06:34. > :06:35.A few have thought they had better get
:06:36. > :06:37.them into another school as fast as possible.
:06:38. > :06:43.This, the village's nearby first school to become a primary.
:06:44. > :06:46.So this would take the children from the middle school
:06:47. > :06:49.up to the age of 11 but it would still mean the 11 to 13-year-olds
:06:50. > :06:52.having long bus journeys at the beginning and end of the day.
:06:53. > :06:54.The high schools would either be Berwick
:06:55. > :06:57.or Alnwick, so that is an extra hour and a half,
:06:58. > :06:58.couple of hours, on the
:06:59. > :07:05.The diocese of Newcastle and the County
:07:06. > :07:07.Council stressed this is still a consultation exercise.
:07:08. > :07:09.Campaigners want to call a halt before another
:07:10. > :07:28.of his dwindling band of schools disappears.
:07:29. > :07:39.Good news for those looking up at the stars tonight.
:07:40. > :07:41.Kielder Observatory is to get a ?200,000 extension.
:07:42. > :07:43.The observatory now attracts more than 23 thousand
:07:44. > :07:45.visitors every year, and thanks to grants
:07:46. > :07:47.from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Rural Development Programme
:07:48. > :08:22.Steve is already starting to get ready for the new season at the
:08:23. > :08:32.Kielder village campsite, and so are the many
:08:33. > :08:40.He is grateful for the observatory and the visitors
:08:41. > :08:42.We have had some very fortunate times where we
:08:43. > :08:45.have had a good of nights despite bad weather,
:08:46. > :08:47.but the colder it is, the clearer it can be.
:08:48. > :08:49.I don't think any of us really expected this to
:08:50. > :08:53.take off in the way that it has now as well as this
:08:54. > :08:54.observatory we have now
:08:55. > :08:55.got hotels and bed-and-breakfast facilities.
:08:56. > :08:57.They have got their own kits to promote dark skies.
:08:58. > :08:59.The locals will tell you that Kielder,
:09:00. > :09:02.outside the main holiday season, can become almost deserted, that is why
:09:03. > :09:04.the unexpected thousands of astral tourists have given this whole
:09:05. > :09:06.promote area at such a welcome boost.
:09:07. > :09:08.Particularly as the stargazers tend to prefer coming in
:09:09. > :09:10.the quieter months in spring and autumn.
:09:11. > :09:12.This opportunity and this project allows us to actually
:09:13. > :09:13.develop a classroom for children coming
:09:14. > :09:14.here, so not everybody is
:09:15. > :09:18.crowded in the same building, and it provides the opportunity for lots of
:09:19. > :09:20.different education to take place as well from this particular venue.
:09:21. > :09:23.If it is going to last than it is going
:09:24. > :09:26.to inspire people in the region and we have got to get on board.
:09:27. > :09:30.We want to really enthuse people about how
:09:31. > :09:31.important dark skies are and what better
:09:32. > :09:40.looking at the big old black dark starry sky and using kit like this
:09:41. > :09:46.Yes, indeed. Storms Doris is on the way. Wednesday night into Thursday.
:09:47. > :09:50.But we do have some wet and windy weather tonight, in fact. Heavy rain
:09:51. > :09:55.for a time during the night, especially across parts of Cumbria.
:09:56. > :10:01.Strong westerly winds as well. Quite blustery. That will clear away by
:10:02. > :10:05.Wednesday morning. Temperatures dropping to 5-6 C. Wednesday starts
:10:06. > :10:10.off on a bright note. Plenty of dry and bright weather through the day.
:10:11. > :10:17.Sunshine as well with some showers. A brisk westerly
:10:18. > :10:18.things feel quite cold and things feel quite cold and
:10:19. > :10:19.temperatures getting up to nine temperatures getting up to nine
:10:20. > :10:21.Celsius. This area of low pressure Celsius. This area of low pressure
:10:22. > :10:26.is stormed Doris. It is pushing in as we go through Wednesday night and
:10:27. > :10:29.on until Thursday and it will bring some destructive wet and windy
:10:30. > :10:32.weather with some hail snow as well. This is what it looks like through
:10:33. > :10:36.the day. We have moved the graphics on a little bit but we are expecting
:10:37. > :10:42.some wet weather and heavy downpours of rain. And some snow on the hills
:10:43. > :10:46.as well. We could see 5-10 centimetres of snow on the North
:10:47. > :10:52.Pennines and gusty winds as well. BT have been 60 mph across parts of
:10:53. > :10:56.Cumbria. We could even see somebody had an 80 mph in North Yorkshire.
:10:57. > :11:00.That will clear away and then temperatures of up to nine Celsius
:11:01. > :11:02.in the afternoon. Expect wet, windy and destructive weather.
:11:03. > :11:06.the day, particularly up towards the evening rush hour. It calms down on
:11:07. > :11:09.the Outlook toward the end of the week and then milder again from the
:11:10. > :11:12.wheel them. More on storm Doris now with Matt Taylor.