Ad Gefrin’s Tácnbora Tour launches for second year
Ad Gefrin: Anglo Saxon Museum and Whisky Distillery has announced the launch of the Tácnbora Tour 2027 with this year’s call for Tácnbora (Standard Bearer) nominations.
Last year, over 60 community or activity groups and individuals responded from across the region.
Each nomination celebrating those that make a difference in bringing their communities together; unsung heroes from across Northumberland, Newcastle, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, County Durham and Sunderland.
Last year’s winners were The Phoenix Choir from Newcastle (Community) and Rona Hardy (Individual) from Shotton Community announced at a joyous gathering of shortlisted nominees at the final ceremony earlier this year.
Rooted in the Old English meaning of Tácnbora - ‘Standard Bearer’; the one that carries the standard - the Tour offers the North East an opportunity to celebrate those that inspire and lead the way with their sense of community spirit.
Nominations are open to those individuals and groups who actively make a difference and support their community, be it regular sporting, cultural, recreational, leisure activities or specialist interest events or wellbeing initiatives; ongoing and committed acts of service; or advocates for change. From gardening, cycling, running, walking to football, break-dancing, sewing, bowling, coffee mornings and pigeon-fancying, the common thread lies in bringing people together and addressing community needs.
Those successful will add their names to a growing community of ‘Tácnboras’ including honorary holders and local heroes Dan Burn (Newcastle United Club Captain) and Dan Smith (local adventurer, who has raised £1000s for charitable causes).
Across the region, communities are encouraged to nominate their ‘Standard Bearers’ for the region before applications close on Monday 2nd November 2026. Nominations will then be judged by an independent panel, with successful applicants invited to take part in the Tácnbora Tour around the North East from January to the end of March 2027.
Throughout the tour, the Tácnbora Standard – a staff topped with a goat's head emblem – will pass from one finalist to the next. This staff is a modern-day interpretation of that carried by the figure preceding King Edwin of Northumbria in Anglo-Saxon times. The goat’s head emblem is also a central tenet of the Ad Gefrin identity, including that of Tácnbora, Ad Gefrin’s Northumbrian Blended Whisky.
The Tácnbora Tour will spotlight each community group or individual, weaving together a network of like-minded people all working towards a common goal of bringing people together.
All finalists will be invited to the Tácnbora Tour Awards Celebration at Ad Gefrin in Wooler, Northumberland on Thursday 15th April 2027. The evening will champion the extraordinary community work of these finalists, and one from each category will be awarded the official title of Tácnbora (Standard Bearer) Award Title for 2027 and receive a cheque for £500.
The Tácnbora Tour is now an annual event celebrating community spirit, creating opportunities for connection and swelling pride across the region: an opportunity to showcase the diverse, energised, creative and vibrant culture that exists in the North East.
The Tácnbora Tour embodies the true spirit of belonging that sits at the heart of the Ad Gefrin brand. Celebrating the individuals and groups that make our communities stronger and more resilient goes to the heart of what makes the North East of England such a special place. We want to champion them – and show just how they lead the way for the region.
For more information and to nominate a group or individual visit please see here.
