Month: March 2016

Congleton Youth Forum Meeting Minutes 23.03.2016

Youth Forum latest meeting took place recently, download the full minutes from the meeting HERE.

 

Highlights included:

Mental Health / Substance Misuse.

 

The meeting split up into 2 groups to discuss the subject above by looking at:-

What were the issues.

What offers do we believe are out there /current solutions.

What are the gaps in offers that need to be filled.

What collectively can we the Youth Forum do to address some of those gaps.

 

Grp 1. Difficult subject (Mental Health) to assess. Wide ranging for suicidal tendencies to just having a bad day.

No survey being carried out at CHS, just action what is raised at school

Outside speakers have been used in sessions/ assemblies.

Student leaders could do a session on MH (Mental Health)

Matt knows of someone who’s brother suffers from MH issues has made a video that may be worth viewing.

1st step if someone has a problem is to talk to his or her tutor, it can be referred on from there.

Some students try to hide issues from parents, need someone else they can talk to. Some Macclesfield schools have appointed councillors that come in a couple of days a week to address this. Not happening in Congleton.

Need to look at this issue with year 5 & 6 primary schools, stop it developing.

Visyon did run a MH workshop at CHS a few years ago, it was well received.

Workshop need to be interactive to improve participation and interest.

Need to ask other “Youth Organisations” ATC/Scouts/Guides St John’s for their views.

 

Action G.Williams to pull together the ideas from both groups and then discuss with G.Hayes what CEBC is going to do around the issue.

 

 

Congleton Carnival – Sat 16th July.

Funding support available for Youth Based Groups form will be sent out with instructions

MH and GW looking at developing a “Youth Zone”

Next meeting:

Tues 26th April – Congleton High School

 

 

 

Senior Forum meeting minutes 15.03.16

The Senior Forum meeting took place recently, download the full meeting minutes HERE.

Highlights include:

Tesco Community Work.

Wendy Cotterill took us through some of the support and ideas she had to develop closer links between Tesco and the community.

Community involvement is one of Tesco’s Big 6 corner stones of their operation along with Customer Service, Food Wastage etc. The store has 180 colleagues all whom have various skills and expertise that they can take outside of work.

Tesco Congleton currently work with New Life Church on their Foodbank and Job Club projects and are looking to spread out across a wider area involving more community organisations and events.

Wendy works primarily in and around Congleton and will let Mike have a list of the community champions in the stores around ( Macclesfield, Kidsgrove etc)

She has the ability to book bag pack activity given a few weeks notice.

There is a notice board within the store that we can make use of.

Wendy is looking to make contact with P.Pinto re developing the now empty garden at the front of the store. MS let Patti know. Men in sheds could be asked to produce planters (Victoria)

Tesco could well have some involvement with our planned Senior Health Fayre and will discuss this with Victoria.

Senior Health Fayre 2016 – Friday 30th September.

 

Following last year’s successful Fayre (Oct 1st 2015) to support National Older People’s Day the forum felt that we should look to build an annual event around this.

A sub group will be set up to dive this event. Subgroup members:- V.Lockett, U.Ashiq,                 A.Baines and L.Alcock.

The event will take place in Congleton Town Hall, Friday 30th September from 10.00am to 1.00pm.

Partnership to book the hall and refreshments (Tea,Coffe & Biscuits) MS action this.

The next sub group meeting is 17th March, copy of the minutes will be sent to MS for circulation.

Items / Themes to include:-

Winter Well Being

Slow Cooker Demo

Digital IT Training

Plus Dane Telecare

The group are looking to approach all the organisations that attended last year.

The event will be promoted through:-

Bear Necessities (deadline for BN is 1st Week in June)

The Chronicle

Noticeboards

Bob’s Blog

 

 
Bob’s Blog – L.Daniels.

Please keep sending articles through to Louise it is difficult to keep the Blog running without information

When sending ideas / articles /events to Louise please copy Mike Smith in.

Alyssa has an issues she will send around transport to church

Victoria will send info around Health Fayre / AgeUK Allotment (cry for help)

Suzie Akers-Smith to send information on The Tour Of Britain Cycle Race.

 

Next Meeting:-

Wednesday 18th May 2016, Congleton Town Hall, 3.00pm

 

 

Projects & Finance Committee meeting minutes 14.03.2016

Congleton Partnership Projects & Finance Committee meeting took place recently, download the full meeting minutes HERE.

 

New Project Ideas.

Community Orchard Accessibility. (£1500 allocated)

Steps have now been built, the tree stump is in place ready for the Apple Core to be carved (April)

2 beds ready to plant with soft fruit bushes.

New signage to be planned for both ends of the bridle way and off West Rd ( Mereside Ave)

 

Heritage / Bear / Town Walk Trails.(£2500 allocated at present)

Small group working on the project MS / PA / ID.

ID has drawn up a list of potential sites, he and Peter to put some text around these. MS send out the document for P&F members to review and add other sites they feel should be considered.

Looking at ways of developing both an App and a Heritage trail Map.

PHall has sent a couple of contact points that may be able to help us deliver this project.

Overall cost is more likely to come in around £5k/£6k but this was still felt an important project for the development of our visitor economy and footfall in the town centre.

Car Park Destination Maps / Signage. (Silvermaze)

6 locations selected, feedback re additional items received. 2 more requested today (Vale Walk and Park Public Toilets.

CTC and Partnership have agreed funding, Jackie still to hear from CEBC.

Project will be completed for this summer.

Moody Street Green Area.(S106 funding )

Site visit 30.11.15 carried out. JMac/PP/Ms & JB.  JB working on a design to improve paving / screening, also making the area as DDA compliant as possible.

Mountbatten Way – Green Boulevard.

Pilot area 2 Bears roundabout to Traffic Lights Market St.

Site visit with CEBC (S.Davies & S.Barker) to look at potential and safety issues.

Ruth Burgess to draw up design and equipment paper, this to be sent to CEBC (G.Mallin, SD & SB)

CEBC to look at site clearance, de clutter and signage renewal.

 

Play Area Signage

MS currently working with CEBC (G.Butler/J.Byrne) re signage to highlight our major play areas. No funding requirement as yet. Would plan to turn this project into both signage and paper map project long term.

May look to develop a branding project around this through local schools (S.Isherwood?)

 

Havannah Weir (CSG Project) Community Power Project.

Feasibilty study will be completed in March, then judgement on viability to be taken.

EBA and Siemens have indicated some interest in the scheme.

Congleton Sports Trust.

Following D.McGiffords presentation to the Executive and its agreement to support the scheme in whatever way it can this has now been added to the new project list. May initially involve some time from MS on administration.

 

Date and Time of the next meeting.

 

Monday 16th May 2016, Town Hall, Spencer Suite, 9.30am

 

Congleton Sustainability Group Meeting Minutes 07.03.2016

Congleton Sustainability Group latest meeting took place recently, download full meeting minutes HERE.

Highlights includes:

In Bloom.

A lot of new items underway, small group set up to look at the Heritage element.

New In Bloom member – Bath House Group/ Physic Gardens

Community Orchard (behind Emmerdale Drive) is progressing. New Steps are built, 2 beds are ready for fruit bush / hedge planting, the Sycamore tree is in situ and ready ofr carving into an Apple Core ( Apr/May), new destination signage to be developed.

Clean for the Queen .Friday 4th – 8 people in town, full school at Buglawton, 1 x class St Marys’ and Canal & Rivers Trust all kicked off this year’s C4Q campaign in style.

PM commented on the litter that was laying around in The new Cemetery.

Dane Valley Community Energy-Havannah Hydro.

Feasibility study continues, should know results this month.

PA / GW met with EBA who were keen to be involved in any way they could.

Siemens also indicated interest around supporting the capital equipment requirement as they as a company manufacture these items.

Cycling Campaign / SECCAG.

 

SECCAG have drafted a map showing a network of ‘aspirational’ cycle routes as part of a CE wide Cycling Strategy initiative.

We are advised that by having a ‘wish list’ of routes and facilities CE can demonstrate to funding bodies the grassroots support for cycling and thereby attract money to CE. To be frank, there are so many things on the wish list that if only 10% get done it will be a coup!

Tour of Britain comes to Congleton! The third stage of the 2016 Tour of Britain will start in Congleton on Tuesday September 6th. No more detail yet but some of the Campaign will be at a Cycling Club meeting on 3 March and we may be able to give more to the meeting on Monday.

Look at www.tourofbritain.co.uk

And follow the links to ‘stages’ for an overview of where the stage will go. More detail to follow.

 

Next Meeting:- Monday 4th April – Astbury Mere Visitor Centre

 

Congleton Partnership Executive meeting minutes 01.03.2016

Congleton Partnership Executive Meeting took place recently, download minutes HERE.

Highlights include:

Congleton Sports Trust – D.McGifford..

David took us through a presentation on developing a sports trust for Congleton. The need to Create a Vision, Draw up a Constitution and develop a Working Partnership with sports clubs. The initial work will involve Football and Rugby clubs, who currently they have around 1200 playing members, and look at improving facilities / surfaces taking in the main areas of Back Lane, Schools, Hankinson’s Field and St Johns Rd Playing Field.

The benefits would include the ability to attract funding, support from the community with potential management of the areas by the community and a long term aim of potential ownership of the facilities.

Start with pitches and facilities for Football and Rugby as a starting point to get the trust embedded and then open up to other sports as time and opportunities arise.

Everybody Sports and Leisure, Ansa, Cheshire East have agreed in principal to support this idea.

The Partnership voted to fully support this project.

 

Congleton Museum – Vision for the Future – D.Topping..

David took us through a detailed presentation of both the current situation and the Museum’s vision for the future. The museum currently operates under a number of constraints mainly lack of space, lack of facilities and no real main street presence. Since it opened in 2002 it has built up a wide and varied collection but has been limited to what items it can display at any one time.

Hard facts, the Museum made 169,681 public contacts, had 2253 visitors,Educational activity involved 1813 delegates and the website had 165,615 hits.

Their vision for the future is to help make Congleton a visitor destination and grow our visitor economy.

The plan is to relocate to Bradshaw House which would improve its main street profile, give space to develop more displays, themes and attractions. There are many exciting exhibitions planned in the current building but so much more could be done by relocation. David then shared some of the floor plans and extra services that could be offered. He issued a full brief of his presentation to everyone present.

MS commented that The Partnership were also playing their part in building the visitor economy buy working on a project to develop both Maps and Apps for a town wide Heritage Trail. The Partnership is fully supportive of the Museums Vision and plans for the future.

 

  1. Tour of Britain – START TOWN FOR DAY 3! – Congleton has been confirmed as the start town for day three of the Tour of Britain. This is immense – and is a grand prix of cycle races! The whole day of racing – 182km in total will be in the Cheshire East area – apart from about 400m. We can expect TV crews and thousands of spectators. Our role will be to capitalize on this opportunity and to make the most of it for Congleton residents, businesses and the Town. The first project board meeting is this Thursday so I’ll find out more and keep everyone posted via Mike. See http://cheshiretourofbritain.co.uk/

 

Next Meeting is :- Tuesday 7th June, Bridestone Suite, 5.30pm.