Big ChatterThe

SPRING 2016The newsletter for Fegg Hayes, Chell and Chell Heath.

Keeping you up-to-date with what’s going on and how you can decide how to use Big Local Lottery money

Introducing our new Partnership logo!

In February, one hundred Year 5 pupils from Burnwood Community Primary School and Whitfield Valley Primary Academy took part

in a competition to design a new logo for the Stoke North Big Local Partnership.

The project was guided and inspired by the Unity Arts Foundation, and logos were judged by local members of the Partnership.

The winning design (pictured right) was submitted by Carly Broomfield from Burnwood Community Primary School. Congratulations Carly! Nine runners up from both schools also received prizes.

The Partnership Group and Unity all agree that the standard of logo entries was superb. Well done to everyone involved.

Pictured bottom right: Carly and her mum receive the winner’s prize from Jim Gibson, Chair of Stoke North Big Local.

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In this edition ...3 Skateboard ramp at Monks Neil Park

4 Youth Projects 2016: Investing in our Local Young People

5 Sporting Stars

5 Fun & Funds

6 National Nest Box Week

6 Tree Planting in Monks Neil Park

7 What’s Going On

8 Stop Loan Sharks

Making a difference in your community

The Stoke North Big Local Partnership is made up of local residents, resident groups and agencies - working hard to improve the communities of Fegg Hayes, Great Chell and Chell Heath communities.

What is Stoke North Big Local?The Big Local has awarded Fegg Hayes, Great Chell and Chell Heath £1 million from the Big Lottery Fund. The funding will support and encourage local residents to make a lasting and positive difference to their communities.

If you are interested in the plans for the area, or would like to get involved and support Big Local, please get in touch. The Partnership Group welcomes anyone living, working or volunteering in the Stoke North Big Local area. Contact details are on the back of this newsletter.

Stoke North Big Local Team at the summer launch event 2015

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Temporary skateboard ramp is rolling successA temporary skateboard ramp was installed in Monks Neil Park for the

youngsters in the area during the 2015 summer school holidays. The Partnership organised a Community launch event on Wednesday 5th August

2015, which took place in the park. The event attracted over 250 local people who came together to have a great family fun day in the heart of the community.

The temporary skateboard ramp was a huge success and was constantly used throughout the four weeks it was up. Jim Gibson, Stoke North Big Local Chair, said: “local people have stopped me in the street to tell me how happy they are about the skateboard ramp…the children have been off the streets and in the park – it’s so quiet!”

The success of the temporary ramp has shown a real need for a permanent skateboard facility at Monks Neil Park. The Partnership is working with Stoke-on-Trent City Council on plans to make this happen. The aim is to have a skateboard facility in place by the end of 2017, helping to support the young people and families of the area.

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2016 Youth Projects:Investing in our Local Young People

Current Sports ProgrammeAll sessions FREE of charge

Football (Age 8+)Monday 3.00pm - 4.30pm New Horizons Lesiure Centre Girls Sport Sessions (Age 14+)Tuesday 6.30pm - 8.00pm New Horizons Leisure Centre Multi-Sports Session (Age 8+)Wednesday 4.15pm - 5.45pm New Horizons Leisure Centre Football (Ages 14-18) Thursday 4.00pm - 6.00pm Dimensions Sports CentreTransport provided from Chell Heath RA and top of Springbank Road

Multi-Sports Sessions (Age 14+) Friday 4.15pm - 5.45pm New Horizons Leisure Centre School holidays catered for with FREE sports activities at New Horizons Sports Centre

The area is now well catered for with young people’s sports activities, thanks to the Stoke North Big Local Partnership and the great efforts of the Residents’ Associations

Mark RobertsStoke North Big Local

Community Development Co-ordinator

If you would like to find out more about the sports activities, please call 01782 234957

We have won funding for young people’s sports activities to be run by the three Residents’ Associations. The partnership has now brought in around £50,000 worth of sports activities for young people for 2016. Activities are being delivered in partnership with Street Games, European City of Sport 2016 and the Sporting Stars Academy.

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Out & About with Big Local Tree Planting - March 2016

The Woodland Trust has given us a Community Trees pack. We received a Wild Harvest pack with 420 trees which included a mix of hazel,

blackthorn, crab apple, dog rose and elder. The trees have been planted in Monks Neil Park and Whitfield Valley Primary Academy School grounds. In a few years, we hope local people will be able to collect and make their own crab apple jelly, elderflower cordial or wine, and collect hazelnuts! By planting the trees we are greening up the area, encouraging local wildlife, protecting our landscape against tree disease and creating beautiful wooded areas that people can enjoy for years to come.

Community planting event in Monks Neil Park

Fun & Funds - October 2015

In October, the Partnership hosted a ‘Fun & Funds’ event which gave individuals and groups the opportunity to get

funding for small-scale projects to improve their local area.

Participants had to fill in a very simple and short application form, and they were then invited along to the Fun and Funds event (pictured right) a few weeks later to present their idea to everyone else who had applied.

Ideas were then voted on, with the highest score gaining all the funding they had applied for. The event was really successful and all applicants were awarded some or all of the funding required.

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National Nest Box Week - February 2016

To support National Nest Box Week and local wildlife, we ran two family events during February half term at Chell Heath Residents’

Centre and St. Michael’s Church Hall.

Children and adults made bird feeders, including pine cone fat balls, clay bird models and bird masks, and were given a bag of wild bird seed to take away and put out for the birds at home.

The day was a brilliant success, with 82 people coming along to have a go. The photos below show some local children enjoying the crafts.

Out & About with Big Local

Sporting Stars

Street Games recently took 22 local young people from the Stoke North Big Local area on a day trip to Manchester City FC’s

Etihad stadium.

Mark Roberts, Community Development Co-ordinator said: “The trip was a big hit with the young people, as many have never had this kind of opportunity before.”

As you can see below, they were delighted to post for a ‘team photo’ at the stadium.

Are you registered with your local Children’s Centre?Find out more about the exciting activities on offer. Simply pop into your local Children’s Centre or call 01782 232977.

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WHAT’S GOING ON?Fegg Hayes Futures• Tuesday Club 1.30pm - Bingo • Wednesday 5pm - Boys and Girls Brigade• Thursday 10.30am - Coffee Morning • Thursday 6.45pm - Craft Club• Friday - Choir Singing • Sunday 10.30am - Service & Junior Church

New Fegg Hayes Community HubThe Fegg Hayes Futures Community Hub opens in May and hopes to run the following:

• Skills development programme: Basic Computing, Literacy & Numeracy

• Older People programme: Lunch Club, Healthy Exercising, Bowls, Dance & Fun

• Youth Programme: Leadership Training, Community Service Group, Junior Youth Group, Adventure Challenge, 10-13s Discovery, Dance & Fun

• Support Group: CV writing & interviewing, Dementia Carers Café, Young Carers Cafe

• Healthy Cooking • Women’s Assertiveness Training

Whitfield Valley Centre• Lunch Club• Youth Club• Crèche• Yoga & Personal Training • Community Library • Job Club

Our on-site gym now has air-conditioning and a new gym entry system!

Great Chell & Pitshill The Residents’ Association and Stoke North Big Local have installed three benches in the greenway between Chell and Packmoor. We are now fundraising for swimming and recreational opportunities for families.

Burnwood Community School Get fit at Burnwood every Tuesday night:

• Insanity max level interval training 5.30pm - 6.00pm £2.50

• Pilates 6.00pm - 6.30pm £2.50

Fegg Hayes RA Car Boot SaleEvery ThursdayJester Car Park

8.30 am - 12.30 pm

BingoTuesdays and

ThursdaysRA Centre, Chell

Heath8.00 pm

Volunteers Wanted

Fegg Hayes Futures &

Chell Heath RA

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Get in touchIf you have any questions or want to get involved in Big Local community events, please get in touch. We would love to hear from you!

Mark Roberts (Staffordshire Housing) 01782 743945 stokebiglocal@staffshousing.org.uk

Fegg Hayes Residents’ Association 01782 821027

Chell Heath Residents’ Association 01782 255977

Pittshill and Great Chell Residents’ Association 01782 813765

Whitfield Valley Centre 01782 878843

facebook.com/stokenorthbiglocal

Proud to be working in Fegg Hayes, Chell and

Chell Heath

Stop Loan SharksStop Loan Sharks Awareness Action Week is happening in June. We have teamed up with the England Illegal Money Lending Team and Staffordshire Housing Association to help prevent illegal money lending. There will be a presentation and leaflets promoting the ‘Stop Loan Sharks’ message will be delivered to over 4,000 properties, along with a fun day.

Mark Roberts, Community Development Coordinator for Stoke North Big Local said: “The ‘Bite Back’ action week will highlight issues surrounding illegal money lending. We see this as a great opportunity to work with local organisations and residents, supporting them to collectively work together to challenge loan shark activity within the Stoke North Big Local area.”

To report a loan shark:Call the 24/7 confidential hotline: 0300 555 2222 Email reportaloanshark@stoploansharks.gov.ukPrivate message us on facebook.com/stoploansharksproject