The Trentham Scouts Group are a deserving not-for-profit group that recently received a grant from the RJS Foundation.
On Friday, Jack Brereton MP, RJS Foundation Board member and Catharine Gill, Business Development Administrator from RJS Solicitors, visited the @Trentham Scouts Group to see the newly created ‘Jubilee Garden’, which has been constructed partly due to the grant award made by the RJS Foundation.
They met with Phil Marks – Group Scout Leader, Esther Harrison-Cloke – Group Chair, Sarah Crane – Parent Representative, Mike Rochelle – Health and Safety co-ordinator and Kev Hodgkinson – Assistant Scout Leader and Quartermaster.
The improved outdoor space has created a lovely peaceful area where people can relax and meet friends. There are plans to buy more plants which the Scouts, Beavers and Cubs will help plant.
George, Sam, Seb and Luke were keen to share with Jack and Catharine what they have planted and also what they have planned for the garden long term.
Trentham Scouts has 90 members and is thriving to the point where they have a waiting list. They are always looking for adult volunteers to help to support the club and to allow more children to join. No experience or Scouting background is required, just the capacity to spend a few hours a week helping young people to acquire life skills. If you would be interested in helping, please email info@trenthamscouts.org.uk
The Club House is used by several local groups and can also be hired for private parties.
The Gingerbread Centre was one of the lucky local not-for-profit organisations that recently received a grant from the RJS Foundation.
Last Friday, board members of the @RJS Foundation, which included @Jack Brereton MP, @Rachel Kelsall Councillor, and RJS solicitor @Elliott Hodge, visited the Gingerbread Centre to meet with Chris Belyavin, one of the Gingerbread fundraisers, to see how their grant had benefited them.
The grant was used to purchase a much-needed television with built in DVD player for their Activity Club, so the children of the families supported by the Gingerbread Centre would have improved facilities and the opportunity to learn and play using this medium.
The staff said that the improved facilities had a very positive impact on those attending Activity Club and that the grant was very much appreciated by those families being supported by the Gingerbread Centre.
The Gingerbread Centre supports vulnerable, homeless families or those families at risk of becoming homeless. To find out more about this deserving organisation, please follow this link: http://bit.ly/3Z5rMNK
For more information about the RJS Foundation, please follow this link: http://bit.ly/3XRzFVF
If you have any questions about the RJS Foundation or our application process, please email us on foundation@rjssolicitors.com
Trentham Boat Club received a grant of £500 towards their Wet Start Program. The Wet Start Program gives children from local school years 8 to 13 (aged 13-18) the opportunity to try out rowing both on water and on land at the Trentham Estate. Mental health and physical health are a concern for everyone, and this project will promote the importance of maintaining a healthy body through regular exercise and routine, as well as building community and life skills such as teamwork, determination and resilience.
The project is designed to open up the Boat Club and break down stigma that rowing is an elite sport, by welcoming everyone to Trentham! The project allows local schools to build links with the Boat Club and engage in physical activity in a fantastic outdoor environment. Representatives from the ‘Junior Section’ of the Club will be visiting local schools to encourage and highlight the major benefits of indoor and outdoor rowing and to allow increased numbers of children to have an opportunity to row. The number of young people joining the Boat Club has dropped dramatically due to Covid-19. The funding will help the Club to reverse this decline by offering state of the art equipment in a safe and enjoyable surrounding.
RP3 Rowing Machines
The grant has contributed to the purchase of four dynamic ‘RP3’ rowing machines. These machines simulate the movement of a boat in the water and will further enhance the facilities offered by the Boat Club to its users.
With equipment like the ‘RP3’, the Boat Club can help the athletes to reach their full potential and assist with their preparation during the winter months when it is much more difficult to get out on the water. Recent success at the Boat Club includes Trentham Boat Club Junior, Meg Knight, who won the World Rowing Indoor Championships Under 19s at just 16 years old in 2021, taking home a gold medal!
Sarah Whelehan, Rachel Kelsall, Meg Knight, Elliott Hodge
Sarah Whelehan, Parent Representative Director of Trentham Boat Club, said: “The RJS grant has helped to fund rowing equipment which means we can widen our scope and encourage more beginners and overall become more inclusive.
At Trentham Boat Club Juniors we aim to deliver rowing for all, through our grassroots program we encourage local young people within our community to develop life skills such as teamwork, building confidence and resilience. Our junior coaches have a strong focus on general well-being and looking after our bodies through good nutrition and exercise which has positive mental and physical benefits.”
If you or your child would like to get involved with the great sport of rowing head over to https://www.trenthamboatclub.co.uk/ to find out more.
To find out more about our latest project stories, and to see if your organisation could be eligible for an RJS Foundation grant award, please visit www.rjs-foundation.com
A local cricket club is celebrating after being awarded a grant by the RJS Foundation to buy a clickplay roll on pitch for the under 8’s team.Wedgwood Cricket Club is celebrating after being awarded £500 to buy a clickplay roll on pitch which will be invaluable for the development of the younger Cricketers in the Under 8’s age bracket.
Wedgwood Cricket Club, was established in 1942 and runs training events and teams for adults and young children in Stoke-on-Trent South. The junior section of Wedgwood cricket club, runs weekly cricket training sessions for up to 150 children from Stoke South and the surrounding areas throughout the summer. They also run 4 junior teams across multiple age groups.
Member from Wedgwood Cricket Club, Gareth Copeland, commented “ Just a quick note to thank you and the team over at the RJS foundation. The money will go towards a clickplay roll on pitch which will be invaluable for the development of our younger Cricketers in the Under 8’s age bracket. We’ve seen massive growth in this age group in particular and the new equipment will help us to cope with the demand.”
“We very much appreciate the support!”
If you or your child would like to get involved with the great sport of Cricket, head over to Wedgwood’s Facebook page to find out more.
Find out more about our latest project stories, and to see if you could be eligible for an RJS Foundation grant award: www-rjs-foundation.com.
A local community group is celebrating after being awarded a grant by the RJS Foundation to enhance the residents’ surrounding gardens.
Newpark Gardens Residents Association is celebrating after being awarded £200 for their community environment project.
Newpark Gardens Residents Association are based in Trentham and will use the grant to purchase plants, bushes, compost seeds and bulbs to enhance their local environment.
Ron Fox, chairman of the association, said: “New Park Gardens Residents Association has been going for five years and was set up to be a focus to improve the life of the residents and the environment. The residents are 60-93 years of age and find great joy in the environment of the gardens, but they have sadly been neglected over the last few years and needs some TLC. We have meetings to discuss issues relevant to the age group and during COVID worked together for shopping and hospital appointments. To keep everyone fit and healthy the last project was to plant 1600 daffodil bulbs which gave us the confidence to be more proactive. During a lot of discussion we have decided to target encouraging butterflies and bats to the gardens by planting attracting plants. Before we start it will be important to gain a balance with the existing flora and fauna. And not forgetting the existing residences of squirrels , ravens and 30 ducks etc. We are concerned for the future with the mighty trees that are coming to their end of life and will be planting similar trees for the future.”
Before Covid, Newpark Gardens Residents Association would hold coffee mornings, meetings to discuss matters arising within the community, outings, raffles, quizzes and Christmas meals.
Shirley Holford, treasurer of the association said: “Newpark Residents Association was started about five years ago to help all the residents take an interest in our surroundings and to make an improvement to the area and help those in need of compananship. I am the treasurer of the association and over the years we have held meetings once a month at our local Methodist Church and held raffles to raise funds to use on outings, meals and Insurance for our activities, later on we enjoyed coffee evenings in one of our residents homes. We hope to plant trees,bushes and flowers to attract wildlife and give our residents a pleasant outlook and keep us busy looking after them. Thank you for your support and interest in our Association. ”
Ash Green Primary School celebrates after receiving grant from the RJS Foundation for early years climbing frame.
A local primary school is celebrating after being awarded a grant by the RJS Foundation to help fund the removal and replacement of an old climbing frame.
Ash Green Primary School
Ash Green Primary School is celebrating after being awarded £250 towards a new early years climbing frame, with their existing one currently out of action.
Their existing equipment is old and no longer meets health and safety requirements. This has meant part of the playground is now cordoned off and the children can no longer enjoy the climbing frame. Due to the school’s location, they are unable to request Local Authority funding or bids and so alternative methods to deliver on the project are being employed.
Climbing Frame
This project will make a significant difference to the early education of their Nursery and Reception children, as well as to the overall appearance and reputation of the school. When prospective parents visits the school the playground is one of the first parts they see and the school therefore really wants to improve the first impression the playground gives.
They are hopeful that with the RJS Foundation’s support and the efforts of their PTFA, they will be able to raise enough funds to provide a new climbing frame and further improve the aesthetics of the playground.
A local community group is celebrating after being awarded a grant by the RJS Foundation to support its work to aide poverty and reduce loneliness and isolation.
Meir Matters is celebrating after being awarded £500 for their Sow and Grow project.
Meir Matters is based in Meir and will use the grant to purchase a shelter for the allotment. The shelter will allow the community group to utilise the site all year round.
Michelle Swift, founder of Meir Matters said “Sow and grows long term goal has always been to educate children, aide mental well-being and give more residents access to outdoor activities whilst reducing isolation. Covid really put us back and it’s taken a lot of hard work to get it to the stage we are now. The RJS funding has given us the platform to move forward. We have upgraded and repaired our polytunnels and been able to create more room so we can now also focus on growing plants as well as fruit and vegetables. Thankyou!”
The allotment is focused on bringing people together as a community. The crop will help aide food poverty and reduce loneliness and isolation. Going forward, Meir Matters will educate children and offer toddler sessions, forming partnerships with local nurseries and schools. They will also introduce a gardening club during school holidays and offer lessons for all. They aim to make the allotment eco-friendly, utilising best environmental practices to eliminate the use of electricity and mains water. Their site will also be designed for use by those with physical disabilities.
Meir Matters has been running since 2019 and is currently run by seventy volunteers.
It was founded by Michelle Swift, who also owns Swiftys microbar, which is where the initial relationships were made. Many had the love for gardening but were struggling to manage their own allotments, whilst others were on long waiting lists. Mental health is a key issue in the area and at the time there were many articles on how community gardens and allotments could be used to improve peoples’ mental wellbeing . Works were well underway before Covid-19 hit, but the delay has only buoyed their enthusiasm for the project. The shelter will help members utilise the site all year round and take them one step closer to completing what they started.
A local primary school in Trentham is celebrating after being awarded from the RJS Foundation for new outdoor equipment.
Priory C E Primary School is celebrating after being awarded £250 for new outdoor equipment.
Alison Bache, teacher at Ash Green Primary School, said: “At Priory, the children are at the heart of all we do. As a school we recognise the importance of children learning through play and developing their own ideas. The outdoor area is a vital part of our provision that children can access all day. This is why it is important for us to provide children with open ended learning opportunities, so they can develop their own vision. We will be using the money to further support this with ideas from the children themselves. The money will allow us to provide better accessible storage for the children to continue to take responsibility of their ideas, and materials to further enhance their play, such as stop watches, remote control cars, crates, wood, measuring tapes and real crockery for the mud kitchen. Pupil voice is really important to Priory, which is why we want to provide these materials, as it’s their ideas that matter!”
The RJS Foundation grant will support the purchase of new outdoor equipment and to improve the look and maintenance of the outdoor play areas in time for the sunnier spring weather so the children can play outside as much as possible. Priory would like to enhance their mud kitchen, replace some fencing, a broken hut, purchase some new toys and a hose for the outside tap. It will make a huge difference having new play equipment and improved facilities and toys, children love to explore and play outside, and this will greatly support and encourage this.
Ash Green Primary School is celebrating after being awarded £250 for their early years climbing frame that they currently have in their Nursery and Reception playground.
Ash Green Primary School
Meir Matters is celebrating after being awarded £500 for their Sow and Grow project.
Meir Matters
Newpark Gardens Residents Association is celebrating after being awarded £200 for their community environment project.
Newpark Gardens Residents Association
North Staff Operatic Society Limited is celebrating after being awarded £500 for their ‘The Way We Were’ project.
