GOOD NEWS - 11th December
Conversations from the Healthier Fleetwood Open Meeting - Wednesday 6th December
Chair of residents Pauline opened the meeting by thanking everyone for coming along and also thanking our hosts at Emmanuel Mount Church.
It was also announced that meetings will continue to be held at Emmanuel next year, starting from February as we traditionally don’t hold an event in January.
The first conversations were about Fleetwood’s Compassionate Community. This new initiative is being launched by several local partners, creating safe spaces for people to openly talk about their experiences of grief and loss. It's also understanding there is no 'right way' to grieve and helping an individual to find their path during the most challenging of times.
Viz and Kim work with the End-of-Life team at Blackpool Victoria Teaching Hospitals Trust and they will be hosting training in the New Year for residents and community groups. The 3 hours session uses videos to look at a number of topics, both practical and emotional, encouraging the participants to contribute and pass on what they learn. Details of the dates and venues for the training will be announced soon. Partners involved include Macmillan Cancer Support, Fleetwood Primary Care Network and Healthier Fleetwood.
To be updated about the training, please email listening@healthierfleetwood.co.uk
Pat has been helped by the Fleetwood Social Prescribers to start a new group for local residents aged 65 and over. Young@Heart will meet at Fleetwood Library on Tuesdays from 10am to 12 noon for activities, games, conversations and a cuppa. They will also be arranging day trips and cinema visits, supported by Fleetwood Town Community Trust who have kindly offered use of their minibus. There’s no need to pre-book for the weekly get-together, just pop down to the Library on Tuesday mornings.
Kate from Wyre Council shared the benefits of playing the Wyre Community Lottery. You could win a cash prize of up to £60,000 and from your £1 stake 60p is set aside to support local good causes including your suggestions. Find out more about the Wyre Community Lottery here
Personal trainer and wellbeing coach Jules delivers a varied range of activities, often bringing fresh ideas to familiar themes. Next up is the Retro Ravers seated dance class … a fun workout to 70s, 80, and 90s music! See the Fitness 50 on Facebook page to get involved
It was lovely to meet Becky, in her first week as the new charity administrator at Fleetwood Trust, and she’ll be joining us at a future meeting to update on progress at The Hub, the former hospital building - work on the expanded youth hub facility will begin in January.
Reece mentioned that although it's not as busy at Fleetwood Beach Wheelchairs during the Winter months the service is still very much open – call 03000 111 003 for bookings and information. A volunteer is needed to help with social media and it was suggested that the high schools could be approached for a student.
He’s also been busy with Fleetwood Rotary and the Santa’s Sleigh tour which raises funds for local families – see Facebook here for more details of the route.
Susan looks after the Wyre Flounders adults swimming group which meets at YMCA Fleetwood pool on Saturday afternoons. They will be taking a break for the Christmas holiday but will be back again in 2024 and new members are always welcome for the sessions, ideal for anyone recovering from an illness/injury or who is anxious and needs a calm environment while they exercise.
Also a member of the local MS peer support group, Susan said they will be holding a dinner early next year to mark their 60th anniversary – details will be shared soon.
Please email listening@healthierfleetwood.co.uk if you are interested in either group and we can pass your details on to Susan.
Brian reminded the meeting of the Linda Eaton Arts & Crafts Awards 2024 – entries are already open on a theme of The Time of Your Life using any media to tell your story.
Again, please get in touch with us and we can connect you with Brian.
Julie from Fylde Coast Macmillan Cancer Support updated on some of the local offers including Tai Chi on Monday mornings, a cancer prehab/rehab class with Fitness 50 and the regular drop-in events for The Hub.
Call 01253 955710 or see Fylde Coast Macmillan Cancer Support on Facebook
Heather, her family and friends are hosting the free community Christmas Day dinner. The initial funding target of £1,000 has been reached (more donations are always welcome) and now the emphasis is on the preparations and inviting local residents. The dinner is for anyone who might be alone or would appreciate celebrating Christmas with others. You can call Heather on 07958 558135 or see the Christmas Day Dinner page on Facebook
Another target has been achieved .. Karen announced that she has raised £11,000 to put on a family fun day of positivity and joy supporting the five ways to wellbeing. The event will be at Marine Hall on Sunday 14th January and she will now be inviting community groups to be involved and recruiting volunteers to help on the day. See Jars of Joy on Facebook or follow them on Twitter for further details.
Andrea works for Lancashire County Council, supporting partnerships within education that benefit children, young people and their families. Her colleague at LCC, Amanda is working on a number of community-focused projects and is also on the panel looking at funding support for Warm Space across the County.
Fleetwood Mens Shed is looking forward to 2024 and has been thinking about the layout of their hub building on Manor Road. Rob told us they’ve moved some things around on the ground floor to encourage visitors to mingle and chat more, with the activities now based upstairs. The Mens Shed is also hosting a Christmas Dinner for some of their members who might otherwise be on their own.
Mark was in good voice as always and after in an impromptu chorus of ‘I Had The Time of My Life’ before he updated on the opening of the Strive Community Café at Flakefleet School. Funded by Fylde Coast Medical Services, the venue has recruited staff and will open in January, welcoming local residents to enjoy the facilities, activities and reasonably priced hot drinks and snacks.
The focus for Behind Closed Doors next year is raising funds towards a local centre for women and children affected by domestic violence. As we approach Christmas, instances of abuse and violence increase so Mandy and her fellow-volunteers are offering advice and support on a regular basis. They are also busy with fundraising events such as a Children’s Party and Santa visits, and want to start working with schools on raising awareness – Andrea from LCC, offered to help with the conversations and connections. > Follow the Behind Closed Doors Funding page on Facebook for all their news
John from Emmanuel Church said refurbishment work was progressing well and the new rooms would be available to use in the New Year. Fran said Friendlier Fleetwood are also looking forward to 2024 and they enjoyed their recent Christmas Party Night with the Fleetwood Festive Lights groups.
Karen told us the Wednesday crafting group at the library also had a nice time at their Christmas lunch. David updated that Healthier Fleetwood will be announcing dates and venues for wellbeing drop-ins across Fleetwood next year, alongside the monthly meetings at Emmanuel. Copies of the free Healthier Fleetwood 2024 calendar were distributed and will be available in the weeks ahead at community venues across Fleetwood - if you'd like copies for your group, please get in touch.
The meeting was closed with local resident Anne reading her poem, December the Twelfth Avenger and Pauline wishing everyone a lovely Christmas … we look forward to seeing you again on the 7th February.
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