If you have any comments on the newsletter or would like to add an item to a future issue, please email sally.davies@cvsce.org or call 01270 763100.

Published by CVSCE at the Registered Address above.

The material contained within this newsletter often comes from third parties and does not necessarily

reflect the views of CVSCE. Please also get in touch if you would like to receive the newsletter by email or in a larger font.

Macclesfield Office 81 Park Lane Macclesfield

Cheshire SK11 6TX

Tel: 01625 428301

Crewe Office Ashton House

1a Gatefield Street Crewe

Cheshire CW1 2JP

Tel: 01270 211545

Sandbach Office (Registered Office)

11 Hope Street Sandbach Cheshire

CW11 1BA

Tel: 01270 763100 Fax: 01270 763160

enquiries@cvsce.org www.cvsce.org

Registered Charity No. 1132927

And finally .....

It was such a great day last year that CVS Cheshire East staff thought – why not do it again!! On Sunday, 4th July the ladies took part in the Arley Hall 5km „Race for Life‟ event on behalf of Cancer Research UK. You will be glad to know that they did it without the need of oxygen or medical assistance! Caitlin Kirkwood aged 10, joined her mum Jenny, Maureen, Lynn, Kris and friend Irene for a great day. They all finished in very respectable times - Irene jogged the course so obviously came in first, followed closely by Kris, Caitlin and Jenny. Then came Maureen and Lynn who used the opportunity to have a good „catch up‟. They raised nearly £520 pounds which with gift aid, totals £620 - an excellent result - well done girls!

The CVS Cheshire East Newsletter Issue No. 2 August 2010

Developments at CVS Cheshire East

As part of the development of CVS Cheshire East, we will shortly be launching our new membership strategy. The overall purpose of this strategy is to encourage and develop community involvement by individual groups in the direction and management of CVS Cheshire East and the services it delivers. We will be launching the new membership application process in the October Newsletter and will highlight the benefits of membership and how we are planning on enhancing and delivering our services to members. Please watch out for this and return the completed membership form to us with the updated details of your organisation. It is important that we have the correct information about your organisation and the services that you deliver so that we can provide you with relevant and timely advice and guidance.

The ‘Voice of the Third Sector’

CVS Cheshire East is committed to improving and increasing the voice of the Third Sector in Cheshire East. In response to this commitment we are going to be allocating dedicated resources to the enhancement of The Congress which currently provides representation for the Sector in Cheshire East. This will enable us to proactively work alongside the current Steering Group to develop effective governance and election

processes. This will ensure that the group fully represents the Sector and enables every group, no matter how large or small, to have an equal voice on the way that services are developed and delivered. It is intended that all community and voluntary organisations will be invited to become members of the Congress. Further details of the Congress and how you can get involved will be available in the next newsletter.

CVSCE Welcomes 2

The Big Society 3

Free Room Hire 4

Jazz and Blues in Congleton 5

Voluntary and Community Event 6

Free Training 9

Update on Vetting & Barring 10

Inside this issue:

Allanne is new in post and will be working with volunteer coordinators in the Southern part of Cheshire East You can email her at allanne.nugent@cvsce.org

Meet your Volunteering Development Workers for Cheshire East…

“Supporting Volunteering in Cheshire and Warrington” a project funded by the Big Lottery Fund, aims to help organisations recruit and support volunteers as well as develop new volunteering roles. There are two Volunteering Development outreach workers who are now available to all organisations within the Cheshire East Area. Jenny Kirkwood and Allanne Nugent are based at CVSCE‟s Crewe Office and will be meeting with organisations throughout Cheshire East on a one to one basis offering support and advice on recruiting and management of volunteers. In addition, they will be helping to identify and develop new volunteer opportunities as well as offering a range of up-to-date training opportunities to support the role of the Volunteer Manager.

For support around any volunteering issues, please contact either Jenny or Allanne today on 01270 211545

Jenny looks forward to working with many groups in communities throughout the northern part of Cheshire East You can email her at jenny.kirkwood@cvsce.org

2

New Volunteering Secondment at CVSCE, Crewe

Magda Konieczka is joining the Crewe office, on a part-time basis, to support CVSCE over the next six months. Magda is a Bi-lingual Worker for the Changing Communities Team with Cheshire East Council. The Team delivers the Cheshire East Migrant Project across Cheshire East, offering training and supporting migrants to increase their skills and increasing access to employment. Whilst working with CVSCE, Magda will be sharing her skills and learning and encouraging a diverse range of local people to find out more about local volunteer opportunities.

Introducing our new Youth Volunteer Advisor Hello! I‟m Rachel Gilbert and I have just joined CVS Cheshire East as the Youth Volunteer Advisor, based at Hope Street, Sandbach. As my role with the CVS is part time, it allows me time to run a drama school for youngsters around Staffordshire and Cheshire. I also teach dance and piano in my spare time with great enthusiasm, so if anyone would like any lessons, you know where to come! I am extremely excited to be working in this role and am looking forward to both developing youth volunteering opportunities and finding new volunteers aged between 16 and 25. If you would like to contact me, please call 01270 763100 or email rachel.gilbert@cvsce.org.

11

‘Walks for All’ - Downloadable maps and walks

Steps and stiles can be a problem for many of us, so why not take a walk where you won‟t

encounter any? Ten routes of varying lengths are suggested in the new „Walks for All in Cheshire

East‟ leaflet to give you a flavour of the Cheshire East countryside.

Explore, take healthy exercise and enjoy a sense of wellbeing from being

outdoors! These walks are aimed at people of all abilities, including those

with pushchairs, wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

The leaflet can be printed from the Cheshire East website by pasting this

link into your browser:

http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/about_cheshire_east/

summer_in_cheshire_east.aspx

Holmes Chapel Christian Communicare by Aoife Middlemass of CVSCE

„I was invited to the AGM of Holmes Chapel Christian Communicare on Friday 16

th July and I went,

despite the fact that I felt very like the „spectre at the feast‟. I had met Dennis Eborall and Joan Hartley a few months ago at a vetting and barring workshop, and caused them a lot of heart-and-ear-ache with their committee, before they convinced everyone that the Vetting and Barring scheme was necessary for the organisation. Then came the announcement by Theresa May to put the vetting and barring process on hold pending a review which threw everything into disarray and gave me a few nervous moments before entering the hall for the AGM. I‟ve always been secretly fond of AGMs. I like the ritual and the sometimes pompous questions and comments that are made but HCCC AGM wasn‟t like that. It was deliberately simple and to the point. It was part formal meeting, part celebration of the wonderful work that the committee and volunteers have been carrying out day after day for the past three decades. And it is wonderful work. It is the epitome of what a community organisation should be – people recognising a need in their community and coming together to help fulfil that need, helping those less fortunate then themselves. They take people to hospitals, doctors and dentists all over the area and beyond, but are not just a taxi service; they provide people with a sympathetic ear, a chance to chat and to relieve the isolation that many older and less mobile people feel, especially during the winter months. They ask for a donation, but only what people can afford. I need not have worried, by the way, that I would get some stick from the top table. The CVS was praised for the hard work Lynn Purcell had done before me as well as for the help we gave with the organisation‟s governance and with regards to Vetting and Barring – „it is protecting ourselves as much as our beneficiaries‟, explained Denis and everyone nodded in agreement. „Hurrah‟, I thought. I left them to their wine and buffet which the committee has after each AGM as a gesture of thanks to its volunteers, and went home happy of a job well done, not by myself, but by Communicare.‟

Did you know that the Nags Head Pub, Wheelock, Sandbach has a lunchtime delivery service for hot food?

They deliver freshly cooked, nutritious, traditional food and currently offer free delivery around the Sandbach area. There is a wide range of choice, including Fish and Chips, Chicken Curry, Beef Casserole, Bread and Butter Pudding and there will be a vegetarian option available every day. Meals cost £3.50 for 1 course, £5 for two courses. Orders need to be received by 10am. Call Gordon on 01270 762457 or email Sally at CVSCE (sally.davies@cvsce.org) for menu details.

10

Update on the Vetting & Barring Scheme

In its recent document „The Coalition: Our programme for government’, the Government set out its aim to „review the criminal records and vetting and barring regime and scale it back to common sense levels‟.

In order to deliver this promise and carry out the remodelling, the Vetting and Barring Scheme will be halted. The first phase of registration was due to commence on 26 July 2010.

Although the Scheme is halted whilst the Government undertakes its review, new safeguarding regulations introduced in October 2009 continue to apply. These include:

A person who is barred from working with children or vulnerable adults will be breaking the law if they work or volunteer, or try to work or volunteer with those groups.

An organisation which knowingly employs someone who is barred to work with those groups will also be breaking the law.

If your organisation works with children/vulnerable adults and you dismiss a member of staff or a volunteer because they have harmed a child or vulnerable adult, or you would have done so if they had not left, you must tell the Independent Safeguarding Authority.

In October 2009, the right to ask for an enhanced CRB disclosure was extended to all those who employ or use volunteers in types of activity called „Regulated Activity‟. This right remains, and you should continue to carry out appropriate pre-recruitment checks, including CRB checks where appropriate or required by law.

The Independent Safeguarding Authority will continue to carry out its work as an independent decision making body as well as continuing to maintain the barred lists. They will also continue to accept referrals, full guidance can be found

on their website, www.isa-gov.org.uk.

For further information, please contact the VBS contact centre on 0300 123 1111.

Trustee Recruitment – Help Is At Hand

“We need a new trustee but no-one will take it on.” “Our charity could do with a trustee who has some new ideas.” “No-one on our board has that sort of specialised knowledge.”

If this sounds familiar, maybe you could think about different ways of recruiting trustees? There‟s guidance on NCVO‟s website (http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/trusteerecruitmentforsmallorganisations-attractingnewtrustees) Listed below are some of the ideas mentioned.

Advertise – In newspapers, newsletters, magazines Posters – We think of posters as being for events but they can be for people who are “wanted” too. Articles – Prospective trustees will want a good understanding of your organisation so take any opportunity to have an article placed in a newsletter or newspaper. Use other media – Local radio can be very valuable in getting the message across a wider area. There are also online networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. Volunteer centres – An entry on the „Do-It‟ website (www.do-it.org.uk) is free and local volunteer centre managers will be happy to list it for you. Website – Don‟t forget to feature the vacancy on your own website. Events – If your organisation is taking part in an event, use the opportunity to promote your trustee vacancy. Agencies – Larger organisations might consider using specialised trustee recruitment agencies or brokering services (see NCVO‟s website for a list). There may be a fee to pay but this approach can work well if a particular skill is required. For further advice on this subject, please get in touch with us here at CVS Cheshire East.

3

"WE MUST BE THE CHANGE WE WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD”

MAHATMA GANDHI

The Big Society is a society in which we as individuals don‟t feel small. Does our society pass this test at the moment? Well, only 4 out of 10 of us believe

that we can influence local decisions. Only 1 in 33 of us attend public meetings. We feel anger and frustration at the recent behaviour of both the

City and Westminster and relatively powerless to change them.

We are often anonymous tax-payers without a real sense of how our money gets spent. Most of us try to be reasonably good citizens but our influence seems very small.

The Big Society Network is an organisation being set up by frustrated citizens for frustrated citizens, to help everyone achieve change in their local area. Our aim is to create a new relationship between Citizens and Government in which both are genuine partners in getting things done: real democracy using all the human and technological tools we now have available. This partnership will also add a third and fourth leg to its sturdy chair by involving business and the voluntary sector. As well as helping you get things done as an individual, we also want to help you meet up with other people in your area with the aim of discussing what you want to share and change together in order to make your neighbourhood stronger, safer and more enjoyable. Our aim is to not only create the largest co-operative or mutual in Britain, but to create a mutual that is Britain. Every citizen can be a shareholder, contribute, receive help and rewards. The Network is, above all, practical. It‟s an enormous tool-box of advice, case histories, links to people and resources, using the power of the Internet, Mobiles and face-to-face action. If you are interested in getting in touch with the Network, please register on the website www.thebigsociety.co.uk, or contact Steve Moore at 078705 15025.

SAVE THE DATE

The ‘Congleton Now’ Voluntary and Community event will be held on Saturday, 2nd April 2011. More details will be sent out over the coming months ... Watch this space! For more information about the event,

please contact Sally Davies at CVSCE - sally.davies@cvsce.org

NEW WEBSITE IS MARKETING MARKET TOWNS A bold new website is aiming to showcase 15 Cheshire East market towns and boost visitor numbers. The website www.cheshiremarkettowns.co.uk brings together 21 different towns and villages across the county, with each one having their own web page or iVisitorGuide. The site is driven by Visit Chester and Cheshire‟s online Destination Management data system. It is hoped that by promoting all Cheshire‟s market towns and villages on one website, visitors will be attracted to the region as a whole and encouraged to explore the area for several days. People logging on will be able to explore an interactive map of the county to find a town that interests them. They will then be able to view all the information they need to be able to plan their trip including: Places to stay, where to eat and drink, attractions, events calendar, pictures and links to local business.

Jonathan Williams, Middlewich Town Clerk, said: “I strongIy feel that Cheshire‟s market towns are its greatest asset; vibrant, attractive and a focus for community activity. Other comments include; “To have a dedicated site gives all the towns a collective strength that can be used to attract residents and visitors into our towns‟ and “The slideshow of images demonstrates just how beautiful our towns are and it makes you feel proud to live in this part of the world.”

Do you have an opinion about social care?

Cheshire East Council are organising some events in September to find out about people‟s experiences of social care. Key questions that they would like answered include; How easy is it for them to find information on services? Are staff friendly and helpful and how easy have you found it to get the help that you need? Anyone is welcome to attend including individuals and people from organisations.

Three different events are being run, each focusing on a different equality area. These events will provide the opportunity for people to chat to others who may be interested in the same topic and who influence how services are run. The day will begin at 10am, with the afternoon session scheduled to begin at 1.30pm.

* Race (AM) and Religion (PM) - 2nd Sept - Legends Health and Leisure Centre, Crewe

* Sexuality (AM) and Gender (PM) - 10th Sept - Legends Health and Leisure Centre, Crewe

* Age (AM) and Disability (PM) - 16th Sept - Beechmere Extra Care Housing, Crewe

To let us know you'd like to attend any of these events, please email the Consultation and Participation Team for Adult Services on cpu@cheshireeast.gov.uk or telephone 01270 371376 and tell us your name, whether you represent an organisation, your contact details and whether you will be attending in the morning, afternoon or both.

Free Party/Function Room Hire Throughout August and September

Four venues are taking part in this special offer, where you can hold any party for free on a Friday or Saturday night. The venues are Alsager Civic Centre, Sandbach Town Hall, Middlewich Civic Hall and The Peggy Killick Suite.at Nantwich Civic Hall.

All four venues offer fantastic facilities, with fully licensed bars, great dance floors, professional sound & lighting equipment and kitchen areas. Nantwich Civic Hall, Sandbach Town Hall and Middlewich Civic Hall are also all licensed to hold Weddings and Civil Partnerships.

This fantastic offer is available on any booking made after the 21st June 2010 and is only applicable for one-off hires on Friday and Saturday evenings throughout August and September. All bookings must have more than 50 guests in attendance and all room hires must include the opening of the bar. For more information or to check availability call:

Alsager Civic Centre, call 01270 529511

Nantwich Civic Hall, call 01270 628633

Middlewich Civic Hall and Sandbach Town Hall, call 01270 529512

4

Staff from Waitrose (John Lewis Partnership) looking for Charity Secondments As part of John Lewis‟ Golden Jubilee Trust, partners (staff) are encouraged to spend up

to 26 weeks at a local charity secondment. Michelle Dale, who works at the Waitrose store in Sandbach, has recently completed 6 weeks at a local charity shop. She has

found the whole experience to be thoroughly rewarding. She gained new skills and the shop received some much needed help. Michelle would like to encourage other partners at her store to do the same thing and is looking for more charities that could benefit from

this scheme.

If you work for a charity that might be interested in working with the John Lewis Golden Jubilee Trust and would allow one of their partners to work with you on a temporary basis,

then please email michelledale@btinternet.com. For more information on the scheme, go to www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk

9

CVS Cheshire East FREE Training

Signposting & Referral Tuesday, 14th September

10am-1pm at CVSCE, 81 Park Lane, Macclesfield, SK11 6TX

Encourage more signposting and referral activity to reduce referral fatigue and benefit those who need multi-agency support - Address the barriers, share good practice and explore case studies and the client journey.

Supporting & Supervising Volunteers Wednesday, 15

th September

10am–12pm at CVS Cheshire East, Ashton House, 1a Gatefield Street,

Crewe CW1 2JP

Discuss the benefits of support and supervision and consider the consequences of inadequate supervision. Understand what makes a good supervision session.

Signposting & Referral Tuesday, 21st September

10am-1pm at CVSCE, 11 Hope Street, Sandbach, CW1 1BA

Encourage more signposting and referral activity to reduce referral fatigue and benefit those who need multi-agency support - Address the barriers, share good practice and explore case studies and the client journey.

Motivating & Retaining Volunteers Wednesday, 22

nd September

10am-12pm at Macclesfield, venue to be confirmed

Understand what motivates and de-motivates us, identify the signs of de-motivation and consider ways to overcome it. Discuss ways to recognise and retain volunteers.

Grant Applications that Succeed Thursday, 23

rd September

10am-12pm at CVSCE, Ashton House, 1a Gatefield Street, Crewe, CW1

2JP

What makes a good application? Understanding the process and tips for completing successful applications.

Signposting & Referral Tuesday, 28th September

10am-1pm at CVSCE, Ashton House, 1a Gatefield Street,

Crewe, CW1 2JP

Encourage more signposting and referral activity to reduce referral fatigue and benefit those who need multi-agency support - Address the barriers, share good practice and explore case studies and the client journey.

Volunteer Recruitment Wednesday, 29

th September

10am-12pm at CVSCE, 11 Hope Street, Sandbach, CW1 1BA

Evaluate your methods and approaches to volunteer recruitment and identify difficulties. Discuss marketing strategies.

To find out more and to book a place, please email kath.elsby@cvsce.org

8

„Where Were You In ‟72?‟ is the question being posed by a major summer exhibition at Congleton Museum. Inspired by an anonymous donation of memorabilia relating to the

700th anniversary celebration of the town‟s charter, the exhibition will focus on all aspects of life in

Congleton in 1972.

1972 was an exciting year for Congleton, with each month filled with exhibitions, competitions and festivities. The

charter year baby started life rich with £100 worth of food and clothes donated by local and national firms; the town‟s industries were thriving and many showcased their trades

at the Industrial Exhibition; local athletes took part in the It’s a Knock Out contest held in Congleton Park; men

didn‟t shave for months in the hope of winning a beard growing competition and the Queen paraded down Lawton

Street to the Town Hall.

Many who were involved in the ‟72 events are contributing mementoes and memories. Other Congletonians have

loaned and/or donated wonderful artefacts from the Charter Year including photographs of family members

meeting the Queen, fashionable dresses and collectable china pieces as well as many carefully kept scrapbooks and programmes.

Thanks to an article in the Congleton Chronicle, the Charter Year Queen (Mary Yates) and Charter Year Baby (Heath David Henry Olive) have been located and will be joining in the celebrations!

„Where Were You In „72‟ opens on Saturday 3rd July and will run until 12th September.

The museum is open from 12.00pm – 4.30pm Tuesday – Friday and Sunday

and from 10.00am – 4.30pm on Saturday.

Admission to the museum and the exhibition together costs £2 or £1 concessions.

For more information, please contact the museum on 01260 276360.

A policy designed specifically for the Education and Charity sectors allows Schools and Charities to

borrow or hire a minibus and then buy insurance for it online for just the days it‟s needed.

The cost for this would be from £20 per day and

cover can range from 1 - 12 days.

For more information, see www.dayinsure.com.

Are you a member of a family with someone who has Metabolic Disease?

„Children Living with Inherited Metabolic Diseases (Climb)‟ Crewe, have organised a family conference to be held at the Copthorne Hotel, Dudley on 9th October. There will be various

speakers and specialists covering a variety of topics. The conference is free, although there will be a charge for refreshments. For more information, please call Climb on 0800 652 3181.

5

New Initiatives in South Park, Macclesfield There‟s a lot happening right now in South Park, Macclesfield and community and voluntary organisations could become a part of it. The first is the welcome revival of the Pavilion Café, now being run by Connexions, which is open from Wednesday to Sunday 11 am to 5 pm. The café offers computer access and WIFI as well as a full range of refreshments. This is a youth and community project which provides both a service for visitors to the park and a rewarding occupation for young people. Connexions would also like to widen the use of the pavilion building and are encouraging community and voluntary groups to run activities or hold meetings there. If your group is interested please call 01625 412444. Cheshire East Council is actively promoting the park in many different ways and is encouraging local organisations to hold events or run activities there – please call 01625 504523 for more information. There‟s lots of space – this is one of the county‟s largest parks, it has good access and excellent facilities including; a 659 sqm Concrete Skate/BMX Bowl Plaza multi-use sports pitches bowling greens pitch and putt a well stocked fishing lake Geocaching, the high-tech game of hiding and seeking treasure (see www.geocaching.com) a bandstand (where a series of Sunday afternoon concerts has taken place this year). There‟s a great emphasis on engaging young people in the park and plans are in hand to create a youth committee for 13 to 19 year olds to represent the interests of one of the park‟s biggest groups of users. For more information about South Park contact Liz Hudson at CVSCE’s Macclesfield office on 01625 428301 or by emailing liz.hudson@cvsce.org

The Congleton Jazz & Blues Festival

28th and 29th August

The first ever Congleton Jazz and Blues Festival will hit the right notes and have residents dancing into the

midnight hour over the August bank holiday weekend. The music festival aims to raise money for local youth

charities, whilst ensuring that people have a weekend to remember.

Organisers hope to attract people from all over the UK and trust that the festival will provide a wide spectrum of jazz and blues, covering everything from soul to

funk and from bebop to big band. The event will be held over the weekend of 28th and 29

th August

and more details can be found on www.congletonjazzandblues.co.uk.

As part of the weekend, there will be a ticket only gig at the Town Hall on Sunday 29th August

featuring Funk School. Tickets cost £10 and are available from the White Lion Inn and the Bulls Head in Congleton. The rest of the entertainment throughout the weekend will be free.

Congleton Youth Project - Items Available for Collection

The Trustees of the Congleton Youth Project have had to make the difficult decision to cease operations and to close their building in the High Street, Congleton. There are a number of items available for anyone who is interested.

Desks, office chairs, easy chairs, 4-drawer filing cabinet, tall metal cupboards, various items of

crockery, 2 x vacuum cleaners, 2 x microwave ovens (PAT tested).

If you are interested in having any of these (and any financial contribution would be very welcome!), please would you email cyproject@tiscali.co.uk. Sue Conway will be pleased to get in

touch and arrange for you to come over to view and/or collect. We would like expressions of interest by 11th August please in order to clear the building by the end of the month.

You will need to arrange your own transport.

NCVO recently launched Funding Central, a website giving you free access to thousands of funding

and finance opportunities, plus a wealth of tools and resources to support your organisation in developing sustainable income strategies.

Over the last year 17,000 people have registered and completed over 65,000 funding searches.

Not registered yet? Just visit www.fundingcentral.org.uk to receive weekly personalised emails and get access to a wide range of tools and support.

6

Book Your Place at the ‘Middlewich in Action’ Voluntary & Community Event

Be a part of the Middlewich WWII weekend on the 18th and/or 19th

September and at the same time promote your voluntary group or organisation at „Middlewich in Action‟ - an event to showcase what is

happening in the voluntary sector in and around Middlewich.

Groups will be holding stalls at the Civic Hall, Middlewich over the weekend and making the most of the opportunity to fundraise, look for volunteers, promote a forthcoming event and to generally raise

awareness.

Please see the attached leaflet for further details on the Middlewich WWII weekend - a war time weekend focusing on the trials and triumphs of a market town. There will be plenty of

entertainment, talks, exhibitions and displays across the town.

If you would like a stall at the Civic Hall, please contact Sally at the CVS on 01270 763100 or email sally.davies@cvsce.org. If you would like more information about the Middlewich WWII event, please contact Kerry Fletcher at Middlewich Town Council on 01606 833434/841379.

www.breeze.org.uk

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Epic Awards ... ... are here to shine a spotlight on the excellent work taking place within the voluntary and amateur arts which is happening all over the country. From brass bands to batik, line dancing to lace making, wood turning to writing and everything in between, they want to show just how epic you are. They are not necessarily looking for „all singing, all dancing‟ projects that have set the world alight, but a project that has something to say, moved practice forward and approached ways of working differently. Your group or organisation will be able to nominate yourselves in the four categories which make up the epic awards: Engagement, Partnerships, Innovation and Creativity. After the deadline, September 10th 2010, they will „longlist‟ the entries and showcase them on their website, highlighting each project. What's more, they will regularly be providing tips on 'how to be epic', these will be updated regularly and signpost you to vital information relating to how to improve ways of engaging, forming

partnerships, being innovative and getting your creative talent out there. So how do you get involved? Well, it‟s simple really ... Go to www.epicawards.co.uk and follow the step by step guide to nominations and you can't go wrong

Breeze – a social enterprise with a social purpose Breeze was set-up a year ago by Tracey Mee, who has a background in health and is passionate about social enterprise. Alison Soulsby is a director of the com-pany and is a trained counsellor.

The company has a healthy team of volunteers that assists with gardening activities. Currently funding is from grants and fundraising but the long term aim is to generate revenue from courses to enable the company to be self-sufficient. Breeze is based at Arclid in Sandbach where there is a vegetable allotment with raised beds and a training barn. There is also a site in Alsager where there is a large glasshouse for growing plants and shrubs and for running horticulture courses.

Benefits of Gardening & Creative Activities Their social and therapeutic horticulture sessions and creative arts & crafts sessions use gardening, plants and creative activities to help their clients recover from or cope with mental health difficulties

and other significant illness. Courses are taught by Reaseheath College and professional artists.

They see first-hand how gardening and creative activities transform lives and can help everyone, regardless of age, background or disability.

Some of the benefits include:

Better physical health through exercise, strengthening of muscles and improving mobility

Improved mental health through sense of purpose and achievement

Opportunity to meet with others – reducing feelings of isolation and exclusion

Acquiring new skills to improve access to employment opportunities

General feeling of well-being from being outdoors and in-touch with nature

Improved self-confidence and self-esteem

Access to safe, green, urban space

Can you help?

Breeze are currently looking for any unwanted garden furniture, garden tools and also a second-hand desk computer. You‟ll be rewarded with sprouts for Christmas!

For further information please contact Tracey on: 07889 888858 or tracey.mee@breeze.org.uk