News from the South West Peak

SOUTH WEST PEAK NEWS Community grants give South West Peak a boost

The South West Peak (SWP) Community Grants Scheme has funded over 60 community projects covering history, a sensory garden, nature trails, and the others shown below, to benefit people who live in and visit the SWP.

The £300,000 fund is administered by Support Staffordshire and is part of the South West Peak Landscape Partnership

(SWPLP), supported by a grant of £2.4m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, distributing money raised by National Lottery players.

Find out more on the Engaging Communities Project page, visit www.southwestpeak.co.uk, or contact Ruth Wilson, on 01538 381356, ruth.wilson@supportstaffordshire.co.uk

East Cheshire’s Eye Society enjoying multi-sensory art at Blaze Farm.

Art fun for the visually impaired

A SWPLP Community Grant enabled East Cheshire Eye Society to organise art activities based on walks and involved local artists as tutors. Natural materials were used to create multi-sensory art. Sessions took place throughout the year giving people the opportunity to experience the seasons. Visually impaired people used touch, smell and hearing to create art-work reflecting the landscape, wildlife and heritage they experienced. It gave people increased confidence, a sense of achievement and joy in experiencing the countryside. For some it was a completely new experience, others rediscovered skills, some had not done these things since losing their sight and thought they never would again. One person described it as “A holiday all in one day”. The grant has enabled improvements to parking facilities offering better access for all.

Transformation of Wildboarclough’s village hub

Wildboarclough’s Old School Rooms is deep in the ‘Valley of the Wild Stream’. This hidden gem is where youngsters received their education until 1972; subsquently pupils were consolidated into the neighbouring school at Wincle, and the building was left in charitable trust to the village.

Today it hosts Parish, Parochial Church Council, and Rose Queen Fete meetings, the WI, art classes, quiz nights, first aid training, “Clough Capers” (annual pantomime), and more.

Thanks to a SWPLP Community Grant, the Macclesfield Forest and Wildboarclough Trust has been able to modernise and improve the Old School Rooms’ toilet and parking facilities, improving access for all. A volunteer labour-force achieved the work, a shining example of community spirit. The grant included production of a booklet of local walks (available from local businesses) which points visitors in the right direction to explore the area’s heritage.

Asylum seeking and refugee families enjoying the Peak District experience.

Welcome to nature for Asha

A SWPLP Community Grant supported Asha North Staffordshire to deliver five activity filled days for asylum seeking and refugee families at Gradbach Scout camp, exploring the countryside and being close to nature.

These families from Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, Albania, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Iraq and more, are settling in Stoke on Trent.

Debbie Rushworth, activity leader, says: “The confidence boost and therapeutic benefits of nature were beyond measure for these families, and they took away with them many happy memories of their Peak District experience.”