Essity gives back to Prudhoe

Prudhoe’s largest employer, Essity, has funded the resurfacing of a road through the Tyne Riverside Country Park – improving access to a unique natural site that is popular with walkers and cyclists. The Spetchells is Northumberland’s biggest area of chalk grassland and runs alongside the Essity tissue mill that backs onto the river. It is formed of chalky waste products from the former ICI chemical plant that made fertiliser and explosives during World War 2. The factory operated on the site until the mid 1960s, when a tissue mill was built – originally for Kimberly-Clark and now operated by the Swedish-owned hygiene and health products company Essity. Mill manager George Placogiannakis offered to fund the £11,000 resurfacing work after employees working on the site’s water intake pipes reported the gravel path was looking the worse for wear. The new stretch of road links the riverside park access at the front of the Northumberland County Council depot, behind the transport interchange, to the footpath along the river. It is expected to be even more popular with cyclists and walkers after the newly refurbished café and Land of Oak & Iron Heritage Centre opens in the next few weeks. 

It is always great to hear of local businesses doing their bit to improve our communities, and I am very grateful to Essity for their contribution to Prudhoe.