About Cong@Ches5919P

Congleton Community Co-Op opens the doors!

Congleton Community Co-op

 

CAFE : LOUNGE : SHOP

COMMUNITY SPACE

SECRET GARDEN

The OLD SAW MILL
BACK RIVER STREET
CONGLETON

CW12 1HJ

Tel: 07834 525 165 (Stewart)
07971 805 372 (Peter)
eMail: info@congletoncommunityco-op.org
@ the HEART of the Community

WE ARE OPEN !!!!!

A very warm welcome to our latest edition of our eMill magazine which, hopefully, you will find
informative.

What an amazing week with our opening on Monday and we thank all those who supported us over
the week – over 120 footfall.

Our thanks go to Wendy, Chris (Kirsty), and Lindsay who have braved the teething troubles and
helped us by volunteering to assist in the cafe. We have listened to everyone and, hopefully, got
more slick in our providing service to all our customers. Our home-made soup has proved to be
very popular as well as the smoked salmon sandwiches, our very own Congleroons, as well as the
boiled eggs and soldiers. Why not join our growing team of volunteers, no matter how little
number of hours you can spare us. Rest assured, you will have fun and enjoy the camaraderie as
well as great banter.

In addition, we have processed over 1000 litres of cider (2 ton of windfall apples) in our Secret
Garden whilst we await our Apple Room floor to “go off”. Dewi, Pete, and Charla have been hard
at it and promised us they have not drunk any – hmmmm !!!!!!

We continue to receive apples from the harvest thanks to the generosity of the community at large
for which we thank you most sincerely. Our target is 20 tons of apples this year so if you know of
any apples PLEASE do not hesitate to contact us in order for you to deliver them to Astbury Mere
Visitors’ Centre, The Old Saw Mill, or London Road Ale House in Stoke-on-Trent.

Download and read the rest of the emag HERE.

Congleton Partnership AGM

The Congleton Partnership’s annual meeting took place recently, please download the full meeting minutes HERE.

Overview 2015/16.

 

Steve gave a brief overview of projects that had taken place / were still active across all of the subgroups. This was not an exhaustive list but a sample/range of the activities The Partnership is involved in.

 

Neighbourhood Plan

Get Involved Directory

Back to Back Gardens

Art Workshops

Apple Juice / Cider

Established Senior Forum/ Senior Health Fayrer

Eco Schools (13 green flags)

Hydro Scheme (Havannah)

SLIC courses

Cenotaph Restoration

St Johns’ Community Ctr

Cycleway Signage/Play Area Signage

Congleton Learning Centre

Commenting Team / Planning / Developers

MMW Memorial Projects

Heritage Trail Scoping Exercise

Moody St Green Area

Town Centre Destination Signage

 

He highlighted 4 major projects:-

Antrobus St Gardens. (Soon to be Margaret’s Place) A joint partnership project between The Partnership, Cheshire East, Readesmoor Practice and Congleton Town Council. This has undergone a major transformation with improved public access, pieces of artwork and fitness equipment and both hard and soft landscaping. The Gardens were officially open Oct 2016 and drew high praise form the In Bloom judges this summer. They are in the process of being renamed as Margaret’s Place as a tribute to our past Chair and founder Margaret Williamson.

 

Mountbatten Way – Greening (phase 1). As part of our In Bloom effort and improving the approach to the town along Mountbatten Way , 5 Trees(Rowan Gold) /Tubs were sited as a pilot project, with a view to something similar being carried out on the stretch from the traffic lights through to Park Lane (phase 2)

 

River Dane Walkway. This is the final piece of the jigsaw that then completes the whole length of the River Dane from Dane St through to Eaton Bank Industrial Estate. The section from the Town Bridge has had tree work, refurbished / repainted railings and a handrail sited down the steps. Completed late 2105.

 

 

Community Orchard – Astbury Mere/ Mereside Ave. Working with CEBC Rangers Service / In Bloom Team the Orchard has be refurbished with a new Apple Core Carving, new steps, extra planting and new directional signage. Again drew great praise from the In Bloom judges.

 

 

Closed the AGM by reminding everyone that bringing in new volunteers remains a key challenge.

He talked about the new Partnership dedicated website and the need for all subgroups to play their part in updating information on a regular basis to help improve public awareness of The Partnership.

 

Succession planning was highlighted, in particularly in Steve’s case as he felt that whilst he would still be involved with The Partnership in some form another, he had served his time as Chair (5 years) and would be working on recruiting a new Chair for 2017/18.

 

Steve remarked on the importance of continuing to deliver projects and support of community activities that benefit Congleton

Contact the Partnership is you are interested in becoming involved!

Youth Forum meeting minutes

The Youth forum met recently, download the full meeting minutes HERE.

Highlights include:

Sara Rathbone – Dementia Action Alliance.

Initially set up by Alzheimer’s Society, Sara covers the whole of Cheshire East, working with many organisations to make CE more dementia friendly. She sees Youth engagement quite key to this work. They are aiming to achieve 4 million “Dementia Friends” nationally. Sara would like to deliver sessions to both of our secondary schools. Anyone 18 years and over can become a dementia champion, if you have anyone within your organisations who would be interested please let Sara know.

GW indicated that Bromley farm are interested in doing a memories project.

 

Mental Health / Substance Misuse.

 

GW to follow up the outcome fo Kooth’s visit to use in June.

 

After that session we set ourselves 3 project proposals:-

To raise awareness and reduce stigma of mental health

Highlight the negative effects of substance misuse and legal highs

Provide young people with details of a range of support available in relation to these issues.

 

It was felt that the Youth Forum should put in a bid to deliver some of these solutions.

Ideas discussed:- Play with a workshop afterwards, costs for this are quite high (£1 to £1.5K)

 

Approach both High Schools to see what they have currently planned, and what we can get onto their syllabus.

 

Look to see if any of the youth groups/ NLC/Bromley Farm/Visyon to see if there is anything they can do.

 

Youth Committee meeting 10th October, both High Schools invited, will add this subject to the agenda.

 

Charlie to talk to other charities (based on Bradford Schools idea) as to how they tackled the subject.

 

Lisa to look at more support for parents.

 

Glen to look at how we get closer working between EBA/CHS

 

Small subgroup to be put together to look at a funding bid of around £10k to put on a play and various other activities. GW will chair please let MS know if you want to be involved. Glen happy to write the bid.

 

Next Meeting TBC.

Congleton Sustainability Group Meeting Minutes 05.09.16

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

Highlights include:

Congleton Co-Operative

Weekly newsletter continues to be sent out to a wide readership.

Stewart issued a callout for a plumber a.s.a.p

A lot of progress made since the last meeting, the commercial kitchen (ex Airbags) should go in during the next couple of weeks.

Bank account still an issue but should be sorted this week.

Rent (£400 per month) kicks in November.

Are planning to sell breakfast baps on T O B Day
Congleton In Bloom

Patti reported that the Bloom judges were very complimentary about Congleton and its community offering in general. Good interaction between them and the volunteers that they met. Results of both competitions will be announced mid to late October.

Winter Tub planting (with the children) October

Congleton park achieved its 9th Green Flag

Secret garden progressing well at the Old Saw Mill

Global Gardens – 2 weekends left for you to visit (Sat/Sun 2 to 4.00pm)

 

Apple Juice. Apples starting to come in, adverts posters / social media started. PP to put together a press release which will also advise residents what any profits are being spent on.

First batch of apples will be processed at Dunham Massey, but labelled at the OSM. We should be processing ourselves by end of September.

Excess apples?

Don’t worry, Congleton Sustainability Group are going to turn them into Congleton’s very own apple juice with the help of Dunham Massey.

All you have to do is collect your excess apples – desert or cooking – and we’ll turn them into 750ml bottles of Congleton Apple Juice.
Collecting apples

 

Just bag up your apples
– with your name &
contact details (phone
no. or email) & leave
them at:

 

 

 

Astbury Mere Visitor Centre

(open daily from 9am to 5pm)
OR
Old Saw Mill, Back River St
(open Monday-Friday, 9am – 5pm)

 

Bottles of Congleton Apple Juice will be available from October and we’ll give a free bottle to everyone who
contributes apples. apples congleton

Senior Forum meeting minutes 26.7.16

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

Highlights include:

Dementia Action Alliance – Sara Rathbone.

 

Sara explained to us her role, the structure that she works within and the breadth of residents covered.

 

Sara has been in post since 28th April and is currently working on making more people / organisations dementia aware. These include the police, transport. National companies including Tesco, Virgin and Taxi firms to help them improve their offering and support to people who suffer from Dementia / Alzheimers etc.

 

Sara is working on developing Dementia Friends and Champions, hourly sessions, will visit workplaces.

 

It was felt that there could be real value in Sara addressing our Youth Forum (next meeting Sept 14th venue TBC) MS to send agenda to her nearer the time.

Senior Health Fayre – 30th September, Congleton Town Hall 10am to 1pm

Usman putting a flyer together, as he is away, Lynn will discuss this with the team at Plus Dane.

Wendy to check out with new manager what support Tesco can offer ( Slow Cooker ingredients)

PR support :-

Bob’s Blog

The Chronicle

Flyers for service providers to promote through their groups, U3A signing on day, Doctors Surgeries,Churches, Chemists, Plus Dane residents etc.

Posters. Noticeboards,Buses,Shops,Town Centre on the day

Lisa to see if she can get a small budget to support this.

MS send out a list of Exhibitors, arrange for an area for unloading to be coned off at back door.

Alyssa / Lisa to send an article about the Fayre to Louise for Bobs Blog

There are 4 themes :-

Winter Wellbeing, Social Isolation,Health & Technology. (31 Exhibitors already confirmed)

Target is to get an attendance of around 150 residents.

Meeting Finished at:4.30pm

 

Next Meeting:-

Tuesday in October date TBC

Congleton Sustainability Group meeting minutes 1.08.16

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

 

Highlights include:

Congleton Community Coop

SH working on opening a bank account, currently discussing with Handlesbanken at Wilmslow.

The meeting was asked to give their permission for CSG to act as CCC’s accountable body until the account is opened.                                                                                                           This was unanimously agreed.

Weekly letter continues to be sent out to all.

Titanic Breweries (12 outlets) approached us to be their Cider suppliers (approx. 20 Tonnes) they would supply the apples via their collection system. PA / SH have met with Dunham Massey to keep them informed of our long term plans. Phil Worthington (CHS) is designing a new Logo/ Label for the bottles for 2016 vintage, we must make sure the brand name remains constent.

Bookings for use of some of the rooms are starting to come in at an encouraging level.

Membership of the Coop will commence around the end of September

Neighbourhood Plan Draft.

First draft was issued to members last week (80+ pages) have until the end of August to make comments. Next steering group meeting early September to review comments and further rerfine the document.

Apple Juice / Cider.

 

Congleton Apple Juice won 1st Prize for Cheshire Life – Food & Drink Award. Congratulations to all involved.

Stock left. Apple Juice 3 c/s & Cider 600 Litres 9unbottled) at Dunham Massey.

 

Next Meeting:-

Mon 5th September, The Old Saw Mill ,10.00am