The sixth and final Plan for Wargrave as part of the Big Local initiative has been revealed!
This 10-year long project began in 2015, with the aim of investing £1m into projects which make the Wargrave area of Newton-le-Willows a better place to live and work.
The Wargrave Big Local Partnership is supported by Groundwork, and decisions about how to spend the funds are made by local residents.
Over the years, the partnership has completed numerous community projects, such as employment support initiatives, family events and trips, Community Chest grants for local groups and food and holiday hunger support to tackle the cost of living crisis.
Now, in the final year of the decade long project, the partnership are focusing on creating a lasting legacy that will be felt in the local area for years to come.
Their big plans for 2025 include:
- Exploring the possibility of extending the popular Employment Support / Job Club until September this year (it was due to end in March).
- Offering a range of training courses for adults – in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
- Working with Newton-le-Willows Library to deliver sessions including board game groups, literacy and digital inclusion projects.
- Running weekly support and advice sessions with the Citizens Advice Bureau, DWP and Youth Federation.
There are also several health and wellbeing plans in the pipeline, including support for carers and young carers; families of children with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND); drug and alcohol support; support for low income families and people experiencing social isolation.
And the Wargrave Big Local Partnership will once again be organising trips and events in 2025 that bring local people together.
Looking forward, the Partnership wants to create lasting legacies and has been building relationships with local partners who can help with this.
Last year, the group realised that it was no longer viable to run their own Wargrave Hub building, and since then they’ve built a positive partnership with Newton Community Centre, where most of their projects are now delivered.
In 2025, the Wargrave Partnership will help redevelop the centre’s Community Garden, turning it into a multi-use space for local people in the long term.
They will also be working with Newton-le-Willows Library to help revitalise their outside courtyard to be a place for quiet and reflection, as well as a herb garden and a welcoming outside space.
And they plan to be heavily involved in the Red Brow Wood/Sankey Valley project, helping create improved access to the woods, installing updated information boards, litter picking and fly-tipping. The Wargrave Big Local Partnership will be working alongside both Groundwork CLM and the Sankey Canal Restoration Society, who share a long-term aspiration to improve the entire Sankey Canal corridor.
Community Chest Grant applications are now open
In addition to all the above, the group are now opening up applications to local groups for Community Chest grants of up to £1,000.
If you’d like to find out more about the grants, or the Big Local programme more generally, you can visit their website, email them: wgbiglocal@outlook.com or call 07788 340957.
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