New Homes Bonus award for Local Partnership

Audlem & District Community Action (ADCA) is pleased to confirm that the local 'Connected Community Partnership Project' we have led with four other charitable organisations is shortly to be awarded £42,300 by Cheshire East Council as part of the New Homes Bonus funding for the Nantwich and Rural area.
With our partners at

• Audlem Public Hall
• Broad Lane Seniors Club in Stapeley
• Nantwich Methodist Church
• Overwater Wheelyboat Services

our project will help further develop services for isolated older people, vulnerable adults and children with special needs as well as newcomers to the area. The expanded services cover not only in Audlem, Buerton, Hankelow and Hatherton & Walgherton but also Stapeley and Nantwich.

The specific aims of the project, which is funded for one year commencing in April 2019, include:

• engagement with a greater number of isolated older people within day clubs, lunch clubs and through befriending
• mitigating the impact of new homes by fostering community integration for recent and new residents expected over the coming year through providing co-ordinated information and advice on local services, activities and attractions
• developing integrated all-age activities with Audlem Youth Club, 5As Theatre Group, local schools and older people
• maximising the use of local facilities such as Audlem Public Hall Annexe (a Connected Communities asset) and the Methodist Church halls in Hankelow, Broad Lane Stapeley, and Nantwich
• recruiting and training more volunteers, including drivers
• extending the range of community transport available including the use of the new Wheelybus
• making enjoyable outings on the local canal available to more older people and children and young people with special needs across the Nantwich and rural area

The project will greatly increase the number of isolated and vulnerable older people and children who are routinely supported by all the partners to well over 500, raise our volunteer numbers to 135 and also provide individual social trips out to up to 200 more people. The overall aim is to increase the total numbers of attendances at the range of activities provided from approximately 3,200 currently to approximately 6,700 per annum.

For ADCA, our share of the grant means that we continue to maintain and develop our services including our day clubs, coffee clubs and befriending services across Audlem & District. For Audlem Public Hall, it means that plans to open a staffed Village Information Point in the Annexe Foyer can now be quickly progressed. For Wheelybus, the grant enables the running costs of the service to be covered for the first year and to enable many more isolated people to enjoy access to Overwater Wheelyboat canal cruises as well as helping with access to other community activities. For Broad Lane Senior Club in Stapeley and Nantwich Methodist Church in Hospital Street, it means that their existing provision of coffee and luncheon clubs and the friendship circle can be expanded with additional help with transport being made available.

More information on the specific services being developed within the partnership project will be posted on Audlem Online, Hankelow Village Website and via leaflets available in community venues in the coming days.

Volunteers

All the five charities within our Connected Community Partnership need more volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering with any of our partners, please contact the following people for more information:

• For ADCA, please ring Tracey Humphries on 07845 495973
• For Audlem Public Hall Village Information Pont please ring Campbell Ward on 01270 812430
• For Wheelybus please ring Rodney Cotterill on 01270 811454
• For Broad Lane Coffee Group, please ring Eunice Kirk on 01270 619307
• For Nantwich Methodist Church, please ring Rev'd Charlotte Lorimer on 01270 618872

And, finally, grateful thanks to

• the local councillors and staff of Cheshire East Council who have encouraged and supported us over the last few months
• the four local parish councils who have actively supported our bid.
• Community & Voluntary Services Cheshire East for their vital support and advice.

This article is from our news archive. As a result pictures or videos originally associated with it may have been removed and some of the content may no longer be accurate or relevant.