Cost of living crisis – help available on Staffs Moorlands Council hub

With winter approaching, and as the cost of living and energy price hikes continue, households across the Moorlands will be thinking about how to manage their budgets over the coming months.

Advice and support is available to help people with rising costs, managing debt,  energy efficiency and schemes to help keep homes warm.

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has published a cost of living hub to bring together information about these schemes to make it easy for residents to find what they’re looking for – www.staffsmoorlands.gov.uk/CostOfLivingHub

Councillor Ross Ward, Cabinet member for Communities, said: “Increasing food and other living costs means balancing budgets will be concerning for many of us as we enter the colder months of the year.

“Support is on offer to help households, and we want to ensure people are aware of what they can access, so we’ve created this hub on our website to assist by bringing together information about several schemes in a single place.

“The hub includes links to local support, including help with rent and council tax, alongside national initiatives, such as the cost of living payment and other help for households, and tips on how to look after your mental health.

“If you’re worried about managing your finances, please take a look at all this information and make sure you’re getting all the help that you’re entitled to.”

Santa Tour Biddulph 2022

Cheshire East Council launches ‘Warm PlaCE’s’ scheme

Cheshire East Council has officially launched a ‘Warm PlaCEs’ scheme to help with the cost-of-living crisis.

‘Warm PlaCEs’ are spaces where people can go, free of charge, to spend time to keep warm if they are struggling to heat or keep their homes warm. As a result of increasing energy prices there is concern that many households may be unable to heat their homes sufficiently this winter.

The council has invited voluntary, community and social enterprise groups to join the ‘Warm PlaCEs’ programme. Organisations can apply for a grant of £250 or £1000 to help set up or improve an existing warm space for their community this winter. Businesses can also register their interest in supporting the ‘Warm PlaCEs’ scheme.

Councillor Sam Corcoran, leader of Cheshire East Council, said: “The ongoing cost-of-living crisis is having significant impacts nationally and the council anticipates seeing increasing financial pressure on residents, businesses, and community organisations across Cheshire East.

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Santa Tour Alsager 2022

Civic Cinema

Who doesn’t love getting cosy with a hot chocolate, wearing their fave Christmas jumper, and watching a festive film?! 

On Sunday 18th December we’re ticking all these boxes at our special Civic Cinema showing of ‘Arthur Christmas’, with extra surprises too!

Doors open at 2pm, film starts at 3pm. Family tickets £35, individual tickets £10. Tickets are available from the civic Box office Monday – Thursday 9.30am-3pm. 

Kids will receive a fully loaded hot chocolate and a surprise!

For more information, call Alsager Civic on 01270 879711 or email enquiries@alsagercivic.org.uk

Gold Award for Alsager in Bloom

Alsager in Bloom has received a gold award in the Royal Horticultural Society’s Britain in Bloom North West contest in the large town category. 

Chair of Alsager in Bloom, Cllr June Buckley, said she was delighted the group had won the coveted award. She said, “It reflects just the amazing work done by this community group and others in the town.” 

She continued, “The judges were impressed with all the work being done in Alsager and the fact we’re moving away from just gardening.” 

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Kidsgrove Sports Centre reopening on the 25th July!

Kidsgrove Sports Centre will reopen on the 25th July!

It is a momentous occasion and the accumulation of 5 years of hard work, dedication and passion from our community – without which, none of this would have been possible. It has been nearly 5 years since the centre was closed. It is fair to say those following years have been a rollercoaster, however despite all of the challenges and obstacles in our way we have reached our stated aim and one our community has been longing for.

Kidsgrove Sports Centre has undergone a £7.5million refurbishment, along with considerable additional investment from many a wide range of funding partners and will now be owned and operated under a charity ownership model. This means that there are no shareholders to please or profit making. Instead every single £1 spent in Kidsgrove Sports Centre, will go back into the centre and our community! We are passionate about our community and providing the opportunities for everyone to improve their physical and mental well-being, which is why we have tried to ensure that despite being a new facility, with rising costs, it is affordable to as many people as possible. 

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All systems go for Space 2022

Space 2022 is getting ready to blast off – with all finishing touches being finalised ahead of the launch of the summer programme.

The Space summer programme brings together public, voluntary and private sector organisations to provide enjoyable positive activities for young people that increase their skills, improve their health and wellbeing and create opportunities, while also aiming to reduce levels of anti-social behaviour during the school summer holidays.

In 2021, over 6,000 young people, aged between 8 and 17, enjoyed over 1,400 activities funded by the Staffordshire Commissioner as part of the Space programme. There were over 17,600 attendances at events, equating to over 35,333 hours.

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Queen’s Baton to travel to travel through Kidsgrove

The route that the Queen’s Baton will take in the lead-up to the Commonwealth Games this summer has been announced and Kidsgrove is included on the route.

As part of a national announcement of the route through England, the four locations that the Baton will visit in the borough on 18 July are the Belong Heritage Gallery, Keele University campus, the Harecastle Tunnel and Trent and Mersey Canal in Kidsgrove as well as the Pump Track at Newchapel.  

Birmingham 2022 is hosting the 16th official Queen’s Baton Relay – a journey which brings together and celebrates communities across the Commonwealth during the build up to the Games. In England, the Queen’s Baton Relay will provide the opportunity for communities to experience the excitement for Birmingham 2022, as the 11 days of show stopping sport nears ever closer.

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1 hour free parking at Wharf Road

The 1 hour free parking on Wharf Road promised as part of the District Council’s plans to modernise parking facilities across the Moorlands have now come into force.

Charges for parking at

Wharf Road have changes

From the 1st July motorist are able to park on the Wharf Road car park for up to one hour free of charge but other charges for parking have been increased.

Charges will now apply from 8.00am to 6.00pm and the new tariffs see parking for 1-2 hours going up to £1.20; 2-3 hours £1.80 and up to 10 hours between 8am and 6pm £2.50.

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