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Read Keep it Local May 2013
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A £294,000 award from Arts Council England will help develop an industrial heritage strategy across Cheshire West which will attract more visitors and involve residents in their own history.
The money will be used to help Cheshire West Museums, in partnership with the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port, to put on new displays and encourage community involvement.
The Ellesmere Port museum, will work closely with other sites – like the Anderton Boat Lift – to create a compelling industrial heritage attractions tourism offer.
Additional family friendly activities, new exhibits exploring other industries like boat building and chemicals are some of the developments planned. The strategy will also encourage community involvement as visitors and volunteer helpers.
Sue Hughes, museum director said: “We are grateful to the Arts Council for giving us the opportunity to develop this project in partnership and hence improve and promote the overall offer for industrial heritage in Cheshire West. We are looking forward to learning from each other and sharing skills and resources.”

A state-of-the-art BMX track in the Parklands area of Little Sutton is now officially open following a special celebratory event.
The £170,000 project’s completion, which has also seen major improvement works to the green space’s footpaths, is the result of a number of years of work led by the Council’s Our Place team in partnership with Groundwork Cheshire.
Working together with partners including local residents, Cheshire Police and main contractor County Landscapes, the project was based firmly around the needs of the local community and was funded by FCC Environment Ltd through the landfill communities funds administered by WREN, the Ellesmere Port Area Partnership Board, Cheshire West and Chester Council and contributions from local developments.
The idea to create a BMX track at the Parklands site off Valley Drive initially came through the Our Place team’s local Neighbourhood Action Group in the area, which was quickly followed up with full resident consultation.
New ways of local working allowed residents to take their ambitions to deal with multiple issues through to being delivered through genuine partnering and shared funding.
Innovative
Executive Member for Community and Environment, Councillor Lynn Riley, said: “Yesterday’s special celebratory event was a real chance for us to thank everyone involved in this project for their support – it has taken a few years to come to fruition and without our partners we wouldn’t have been able to complete such an innovative and challenging project that really meets the needs of local people.
“Throughout the works residents have popped down and shared their support and pleasure at the renovation works and the bike track has already proven to be hugely popular with local young people.
“I know the new track and improved footpaths will become a real asset, not only to the local community but to all of our residents in Ellesmere Port and further afield.”
Landscape
Designed by specialist contractors Clark and Kent, the BMX facility is completely unique, making the best use of the existing landscape and providing an exciting and challenging course for users.
The network of new pathways, which were completed by County Landscapes, provide greatly improved access routes through the area for pedestrians and cyclists and form part of the Ellesmere Port Greenway – a ‘green loop’ of over 50km of multi-user pathways and cycle ways in and around Ellesmere Port.
Led by the Ellesmere Port Development Board, the Greenway will link local attractions and places of interest by making it easier for everyone to get around on foot or by bicycle, as well as improving access to local green spaces.
Andrew Miller MP, who cut the ribbon at the special event, said: “This is great for our young people and I look forward to seeing BMX stars of tomorrow developing their skills on the track!
“It is the kind of high quality investment in sport and leisure that we need in Ellesmere Port and I will continue to press for investment in better facilities across the constituency.”
Long term success
Local member, Councillor Ben Powell, said: “It was great to see so many local residents and partner organisations at this event – which really is testament to the fantastic support and hard work that so many people have contributed to make the track become a reality.
“The development of the new track began initially due to the input of Cheshire Police who, along with young people living locally, have been instrumental in getting the project off the ground.
“I want to do my very best to ensure the long-term success of the new track and will be providing funding from my member budget grant to support the user group.”
WREN Grant Manager, Richard Smith, said: “This is one of the largest projects that WREN has ever supported and funded in Cheshire and I am really pleased to see the final designs come to fruition.
“The support I have seen for the project locally shows that there was a real need for a facility of this type and I am delighted that we could help make that happen.”

WEST CHESHIRE ATHLETIC CLUB is celebrating success.
The Stanney Oaks-based organisation was named Cheshire West and Chester Sports Club of the Year at Winsford Lifestyle Centre.
West Cheshire AC was one of four clubs that had been short-listed for the Club of the Year Award, and chairman Dennis Wall received the winning shield and trophy from Cheshire West and Chester Council leader, Mike Jones, and Paralympic gold medalist Dame Sarah Storey.
Dennis said: “I was honoured to receive the Cheshire West and Chester Sports Club of the Year Award at the ceremony in Winsford.
“West Cheshire Athletic Club has experienced a surge of interest from the community in the last 12 months and attracted nearly 100 new members since the 2012 Olympic Games after organising a very successful Come and Try Session at the Stanney Oaks Athletics Track in August.
“During the last year West Cheshire AC’s juniors progressed to the UK Finals in Birmingham, the seniors squad won the Northern Track and Field League Division Two West title, and the juniors competed in the UK Young Athletes Track and Field League Northern Premier Division, as well as being represented at the UK School Games in London’s Olympic Stadium.
“John Driscoll, Alan Morris, and Sheila Whitta officiated at the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London, and 14 members became fully qualified to help coach at club training sessions.
“West Cheshire AC has forged strong school-club links, supporting extra curricular activities, hosting secondary schools competitions and helping to organise primary school championship events.
“And West Cheshire AC is now keen to build on this latest club success story by supporting events for the local community in the months and years ahead.”

Childer Thornton Primary School is keen to make contact with all of the school’s past pupils and teachers. In June this year, the school will have been open for 100 years and to celebrate this historic moment, the school is putting on a week of events celebrating its long and successful history.
The centenary will give the school a unique opportunity to build upon their links with the local community as well as being a wonderful occasion in which to celebrate the successes throughout the school’s long history. Many people will have happy memories of their time at the school and the school is keen to get in touch with as many of them as possible.
If you or anyone you know, has been a pupil, a teacher, a governor, or been involved with the school in any other way then the school would love to hear from you. The school would be especially interested if you have any old photographs, or newspaper cuttings that might include the school or its pupils.
Please contact Mrs Collette Healey admin@childerthornton.cheshire.sch.uk
Childer Thornton Primary School, New School Lane, Childer Thornton CH66 1QY

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