2016 – 2018 About this report ‘Growing Stronger Together’ in Parish

Celebrating Community led Change and progress in 2016 – 2018

About the report’s funders

Our Growing Stronger Together project is part of an exciting opportunity called Big Local.

Funded by the Big Lottery, Big Local is about bringing together the local talent, ambitions, skills and energy from individuals, groups and organisations who want to make their area an even better place to live.

As local residents in Warsop our Big Local vision is:

“Provide a catalyst and capability to make Warsop Parish great, helping residents achieve our potential and bring back vibrancy and pride.”

The organisation that runs Big Local is Local Trust. “Local Trust’s vision of the future is that each area we work with is resilient, confident and a good place to live”

This report aims to showcase how this vision is coming alive! in Warsop Parish This is our logo to illustrate how Warsop Parish is growing as a community

4 Introduction by the report authors’ Vibrant Warsop

Let’s look at things from a slightly different perspective!

“Our vision is that the people of Warsop Parish all feel like shining diamonds, vibrant, living in the moment, growing stronger, more confident and resilient.” Vibrant Warsop CIC is a resident led, not for profit, Community Interest Company dedicated to Warsop Parish. The Growing Stronger Together logo underpins all our work.

Working together We are stronger, more resilient and happier when we can confidently connect with each other. This supports our natural desire to help and to give and receive.

Growth of All This is about all of us growing together, not a few or some – all. Fruitfully sowing seeds, nurturing growth and blossoming fully into life.

Shoots of Grit Inspiration Through creativity, There is work to love and joy we will do and hurdles to achieve more amazing overcome. things by amazing people. With our grit and determination we will see this through.

Living in the Strong Roots Moment We are present Like trees we benefit from roots which provide a safe, grounded, foundational base that is self- sustaining.

6 Contents Foreword from Vibrant Warsop and Big Warsop 10 Look what we have achieved! 11 Living in the moment – children in Warsop explain the benefits of being Present 12-13

The Growing ‘Shoots of Inspiration’ in Warsop

Our Amazing Shed & Warsop Youth Club Update on The Adam Eastwood Building as a Community Hub 14 Planting it up! Local groups coming together planting up the grounds of our amazing shed 15 Future Greens Project People of all ages with a passion for nature 16 Youth in Action in Warsop Project 1 – Care Home visits Project 2 – Town Centre Clean up Project 3 – Church Banners and Poppy Making 17-8 Creative Warsop 19 Bringing a national programme to Warsop Our FUN PALACE! 21-22 Our New and Growing Website Learn more about www.vibrantwarsop.org 22 Volunteers in Warsop run our wonderful Christmas Fayre 23 STAND STRONG, BREATHE – children grow strong and resilient in Warsop - at Church Vale Primary school and Foundation Unit – learn about how strong and resilient the children are with Take Five 24-25 How we are working together to care for our wonderful local heritage Warsop Parish Centre and Old Hall project 26 Friends of Warsop Vale Learn how Vibrant Warsop are working with Friends of Warsop Vale and how they feel they have been ‘…encouraged us to do things for ourselves’ 27

7 Sowing the Seeds…

In 2015 and 2016 active community groups came together to share insights and ideas.

The output of this event was a report which looked at practical outcomes based on the findings of this Growing Stronger Together event.

The following groups and organisations attended the 2015 event • 2nd Warsop Scouts Group • Age Concern • Churches Together in Warsop & District • Framework Homelessness Prevention Service • Friends of Thynghowe • Hetty’s (Donate & Dazzle Charity Shops) • Mansfield Community & Voluntary Service • Leisure Trust • Rhubarb Farm CIC • Under 25s Mental Health Group • Vision West Notts College Community Learning • Warsop Big Local • Warsop Carnival • Warsop Footpaths & Countryside Group • Warsop InfoTech Group • Warsop Parish Council • Warsop Youth Club • Vibrant Warsop

8 Big Warsop Delivery Plans Highlights in 2016–18

Investment Number generated of Groups for Warsop Directly £62,400 Supported 15+ Number of new partnership groups formed 3 (Environment, Health & Wellbeing, Youth Partnership)

How Vibrant Warsop are helping this process

We support and add value to the work that is already happening in the Parish, and respond to community need by setting up new projects and initiatives. In addition, we coordinate events and activities that bring people together to strengthen community connections and improve the health and wellbeing of local residents. We also work in partnership with a variety of groups and organisations on projects that address loneliness and isolation, and that offer people in Warsop Parish the opportunity to develop their skills, confidence and self-esteem.

9 Foreword from Vibrant Warsop and Big Warsop

The Big Warsop Delivery plan for 2016 – 18 was ambitious in its commitment to projects meeting local needs, and this report showcases the tangible progress we have all made. It also demonstrates the commitment and determination of the Big Warsop Partnership to engage with other organisations to deliver their joined up vision.

It is our hope that when you read the report, and watch the various films it has links to, you will hear, see and feel the voices, passions and strength of local people.

We are so lucky to have so many people who just want to make Warsop Parish a better place to live and this report shows a glimpse of some of those groups and people.

In addition we have made proactive steps forward in engaging local people in community activities and projects who were not previously engaged, and this report celebrates this too.

Our work in 2016 – 2018 was a great start to bringing alive the vision of Vibrant Warsop CIC, Big Warsop, and indeed Local Trust, and this report sets out to share the progress and momentum.

However, we know it is not time to ‘rest on our laurels as they say’. There is much to do, many people to engage and many still unmet local needs to address.

What is clear however is that there is growing energy, enthusiasm and know-how in local people to build on this start and make Warsop Parish an even more vibrant and amazing place to live.

10 Look what we have achieved!

Four action plans were 2017 – 2018 update – Look what we have set out in the 2015/16 achieved since! report:

Action Plan 1 The community sector in Warsop is growing stronger by the day. There are many incredible, dedicated ‘unsung heros’ who How to support existing lead and support groups. We are getting better at promoting leaders, self-help groups them and realising and supporting the amazing people resources Warsop already has. There is still some work to on this action and community groups: plan, but important strides have been made – this report Called: ‘Growing Stronger Together showcases some of the successes. Programme’ We have also launched an amazing Warsop website that showcases and promotes all the groups (see page 20).

Action Plan 2 This report shares glimpses and stories of how more and more people in Warsop are getting involved in community projects. How to galvanise local Examples of new activity include: people who are currently Local residents involved in the Fun Palace, the Christmas market inactive. and over 80 young people active in Warsop Youth Club. We have also launched a developing facebook page that engages Called: ‘Energising Warsop Parish’ people in Warsop based connections and opportunities in a very interactive way.

Action Plan 3 As a result of groups in Warsop beginning to work together, they are finding new energy and inspiration; through shared learnings, How to build delivery consideration of new ways of working and building skills. partnerships and generate In 2018, with the help of Vibrant Warsop five groups secured an inward investment for additional £62,400 to support community projects. We are developing plans to attract even more investment for Warsop Parish 2019. Called: ‘Partnership Theme groups’

Action Plan 4 There is still much to do on this Action Plan but we envisage our Health & Wellbeing partnership is key to us making inroads. How to address serious and However, we have made a fantastic start in our plan to build complex issues strength and resilience. See pages 22 and 23 to read about how the children of Church Vale Primary are feeling strong and have Called: ‘Complex issues’ and includes the skills not to give up. for example: Personal Debt, , lack of ‘This school has made me a lot resilient because confidence and resilience, like a bean bag and a tennis ball the bean bag will not bounce – it will stay there and obviously give up, not bounce back, but the tennis ball will bounce back, which means its not going to give up and that’s exactly how I feel, I will never give up ever again’.

11 Let’s look at things from a s lightly different perspective!

“Our vision is that the people of Warsop Parish all feel like shining diamonds, vibrant, li ving in the moment, growing stronger, more conf ident and resilient.”

Children at Church Vale Primary School in Warsop Vale designed these images to explain to their parents/carers and other adults why it is important to be present

Not present Present (before Take Five) (after Take Five)

See pages 22 and 23 to hear and see more of the amazing things the children have to share

12 Let’s look at things from a s lightly different perspective!

“Our vision is that the people of Warsop Parish all feel like shining diamonds, vibrant, li ving in the moment, growing stronger, more conf ident and resilient.”

Children at Church Vale Primary School in Warsop Vale designed these images to explain to their parents/carers and other adults why it is important to be present

Before Take Five

After Take Five

See pages 22 and 23 to hear and see more of the amazing things the children have to share

13 Our Amazing shed & Warsop Youth Club!

Shoots of Inspiration

The Adam Eastwood Building locally known as the Shed, was gifted to Warsop Parish by the Sir John Eastwood Foundation. The building is being championed for the community by Warsop Youth Club. The work done to date is incredible and its all down to the hard work and determination of Warsop Youth Club Trustees to make it happen. The Shed is developing into a community Warsop & Rotary have also hub supporting and promoting activities given support by assisting with the ranging from Youth Club sessions, development work on phase 1. Pilates, Fit Together, Judo, Karate, Kids Clubs, Horticultural projects, community events and meetings.

The Shed has amazing potential, but its current form is restrictive and in order to make the best of this opportunity we are seeking funding to create additional facilities, a total refurbishment along with an integrated business and community plan.

14 Planting it up!

Shoots of Inspiration

This project was about Warsop Scouts, Footpaths & Countryside Group, Ecologic, Warsop Youth Club, local schools and volunteer members of the public working together. Ages ranged from 8 to 80! Planting up 600 hedge plants,3 large trees and using old railway sleepers to create raised beds.

The project focused on changing the current site from an overgrown piece of wasteland to an area which encourages wildlife and also provides the opportunity for planting flowers and vegetables.

Vibrant Warsop co-ordinated the project. Ben Melling from Warsop Youth Club said: “What has been especially pleasing is that the project has seen members of the community from widely differing age groups working alongside each other to make things happen.”

15 Future Greens

Shoots of Inspiration

“Doing this project has made me realise how fantastic and enjoyable working outdoors can be. The group has created a real sense of community bringing people together from all walks of life to create and maintain a brilliant environment for people, plants and wildlife.”

Rebecca. “This project is about creating an environment The Future Greens project seeks that is safe but allows the to engage local people with the environment, raise awareness and instil a children/young people to be sense of pride of place, and develop skills free and take control. The and understanding within the Parish. sense of community is great It provides an opportunity for local people of all ages with a passion and brings a diverse range for nature, the outdoors and the of people together through environment to work together to make the passion and love that we their area a better place to live – now and in the future. have or may have learnt to have for the environment.”

Andy Hollis, EcoLogic

“Now that we are involved as part of a wider network, we feel much more positive about making future projects happen.” Steve Horne, Warsop Footpaths and Countryside Group

16 Youth in Action

Shoots of Inspiration

Youth in Action involves 200 year seven children who spend at least 12 weeks over the year working across all of the Youth in Actions projects. This is both part of us meaningfully including younger people in our work and developing partnerships between organisations in Warsop to work together to improve the lives of local people.

The project was funded by the #iwill campaign making social action part of life for 10- 20 year-olds. The #iwill campaign brings together hundreds of organisations from all sectors to embed meaningful social action into the lives of young people across the UK. Social action includes activities such as campaigning, fundraising and volunteering, all of which create a double-benefit – to communities and young people themselves. Here is a link to the six principles of quality youth social action or you can visit the iwill website. Here is more about three of our Youth in Action Projects: Youth in Action Project 1 Care home visits

Weekly visits to a local care home have meant a great deal to the residents and provided the young people with a new insight to the lives of older people and those who care for them. This has included chatting, making tea, calling bingo and other social activities with the residents and staff.

17 Youth in Action

Shoots of Inspiration Youth in Action Youth in Action Project 2 Project 3 Town Centre Church Banners Clean up and Poppy Local parish councillor Sharron Adey started this group with litter picks and Making general tidy ups and has continued to One group received support and guidance work with the young people on small from a local artist in creating banners town centre projects. The youth club for the church, making a mosaic and has had sanding, painting and a youth poppies from recycled materials. Other club logo painted onto the wall, which local volunteers spent time in school has really brightened up the club room, e.g. demonstrating crafts and a local ex- one of the offices at the Town Hall has serviceman discussed the history of the been repainted and other smaller projects poppy, war and it impact on his own life. undertaken. Ben Melling from Warsop Youth Club said: “It was great to see the young people sit and listen and refreshing to see how much pride they had in their own heritage. The session really challenged their perceptions about conflict and wars.” Vibrant Warsop has obtained funding to take this project forward and build on its success.

18 Creative Warsop

Shoots of Inspiration

Creative Warsop is a project sponsored by The lead tutor, Caroline Hughes said: Warsop InfoTech and in partnership with the Workers Education Association. “The inspiration for The project empowers people in Warsop delivering the sessions by extending the range and reach of creative learning opportunities across came through teaching a generations. mosaic group in Warsop. I noticed how much the people in that group Creative taster sessions have been held benefited from learning throughout the parish so that residents and working together and of all ages can have a go at creative arts sharing skills.” and pastimes in an informal, social and fun environment. The artwork from these sessions has been exhibited locally.

Alongside the social, creative and environmental results of the project it has provided inward investment in the form of grant money for the benefit of local people and facilitators.

19 Fun Palace October 2018

A ‘Fun Palace’ is part of a national programme in celebration of the culture and creativity in local communities. Individuals and groups plan the event and gather to share their skills and passion for art, crafts, music, dance, science, sports activities, nature and heritage.

20 We were able to promote this on BBC radio and during the interview a caller sent a text saying: “There was lots of creativity in Warsop when I lived there 40 years ago, good luck to the Fun Palace!” Well, I think we proved it is still there.

Here is what Mike Payne, one of the event coordinators, said: “We set out to bring fun, creativity and colour to The Shed and reveal the creativity and skills which lie hidden within Warsop - well, we certainly did that! We had graffiti art on the walls, African and snare drumming, giant bubble and slime making, guitar and ukulele playing, arts and craft and heritage stalls, making cards and jewellery, a games area and model trains, apple press, lighting fires, decorating cakes and building bird boxes and eating lovely food and loads of people generally having a really Fab time!”

21 Our New and Growing Parish Website

Shoots of Inspiration

The Vibrant Warsop website has been set up and provides a central hub of ‘what’s on’ with a calendar of events and a free service for local groups and businesses to advertise events, services and promote their organizations. These are listed under four categories: • young people • local places and heritage • local business community • health and wellbeing.

Our Vibrant Warsop’s Facebook page, now has 184 followers a big increase over the last half of 2018 as a result of working hard to create content and share what’s going on. We plan to further develop our social media engagement and upgrade the vibrantwarsop.org website to make it more interactive and user friendly.

22 Christmas Fayre

Shoots of Inspiration

In 2016 a Christmas Fayre was held in Warsop so that the whole community could come together. It had been many years since an event this size had taken place.

The indoor/outdoor event was arranged, managed and delivered entirely by a group of fifteen local volunteers led by Vibrant Warsop.

It was hosted by Warsop Youth Club in The Shed which proved large enough to welcome the various stallholders, fairground rides, and accommodate the 800 local people who visited the Fayre.

The event was such a great success that a volunteer group have organised Fayres in 2017 and 2018 with the continued support of Vibrant Warsop and the Youth Club.

23 Church Vale Primary School and Foundation Unit – building resilience through Take Five

Shoots of Inspiration

In 2017 Church Vale Primary School and Foundation Unit embarked on a Whole School resilience building programme called Take Five. The programme was funded by County The Big Warsop Strengthening Council. Communities Programme funded films Vibrant Warsop supported the project as to showcase the resilience building in they were keen to be able to share how Warsop amazing the children are and how they Click here to hear a Year 5 pupil explain in saw resilience building as a fundamental 40 seconds what it means to be resilient part of growing a strong vibrant community. Take Five is a programme https://vimeo.com/315225357 delivered by Each Amazing Breath CIC, which was a CIC initially funded through the UnLtd and Local Trust’s Star Award programme in Warsop. For more information on Take Five visit www. eachamazingbreath.org

https://vimeo.com/315223929

24 “At Church Vale the children have really understood the purpose of ‘Take Five’. They describe themselves as being more resilient and having a strategy for when things overwhelm them. This was evident during the 2018 SATs tests. Our children find tests hard, they historically do not cope well, they do not achieve their potential and have in the past resorted to their default defeatist attitude. Not this year! The children reported using ‘Take Five’ before, during and after the tests because of this they were more resilient, more buoyant and then exceeded our expectations in their results. Increasing reading by 28% and bringing our school in line with national results. This was a fantastic result for this cohort of children and we lay responsibility for the success in the way that ‘Take Five ’ has changed the way our children think.” Jo Yardley, Head Teacher, Church Vale Primary school

What shoots of inspiration they are – our vision is that all young people in Warsop will feel strong, resilient and

Click here to see the full film of the whole full of life as these school – Foundation to Year 6 doing Take children – what Five. The children are simply AMAZING! an amazing place https://vimeo.com/314552427 Warsop is growing into!

25 Working Together to Care for our Wonderful Local Heritage

The Warsop Parish Centre is in . It is a Grade II* listed building that dates back to the 14th century and is both of historic value and a lovely building – however it needs refurbishment.

Vibrant Warsop has been supporting the centre’s Old Hall Project, which aims to raise funds for repairs to the centre and also provide opportunities to explore the origins and history of the Old Hall.

‘The project came about because the first floor at the Parish Centre Old Hall hadn’t been used for several years because of health and safety and access issues.

We know this is an important building because eighteen months ago we were visited by the person chosen to rewrite the Pevsner Architectural Guide for Notts and . She took a close look at the timbers and told us that the Old Hall was potentially the best preserved building of its kind in the county.

With ongoing support of Vibrant Warsop to help us with our fund raising efforts, we are hopeful that these will secure the funding needed to restore the parts of the building that need repairing so that we can preserve them for future generations.’

Keith Clayton, Church Warden

26 Friends of Warsop Vale

Shoots of Inspiration

The Friends of Warsop Vale group was established in the summer of 2017.

“ One of our first goals was to see whether we could get the resource centre and shop reopened so that the community can use it again. Our local councillor, Andy Burgin, is very supportive of this idea and it was Andy that put us in touch Maddy from Vibrant Warsop, who has been a real asset. She doesn’t do things for us. Instead she comes up with the relevant information and encourages us to do things for ourselves – which is good because it means that we After a local survey found people said are learning how to do things and ‘nothing goes on in the village’ the group responded by organising an Easter Egg- gaining experience.” Stravaganza for Easter Sunday. Chris Maskell, one of the founding members

27 Progress with Action Plan 3

Shoots of Inspiration

Partnership work has started and has been essential in our work with Action plan areas 1 & 2. We are continuing to work with these partnerships as they have not fully established themselves and with the encouragement of Vibrant we feel they can only continue to flourish.

As Vibrant are independent this approach seems to work. Our ideal outcome is that the groups will start to develop projects without our support and a leadership for each of the partnerships will evolve.

There is no reason to drive the outcome one way or another but to observe and allow and to see what works best in each case and allow this to be an organic process.

Progress with Action Plan 4

We have begun to work with organisations in the area such as CAB, Jobcentre Plus, Age Concern, Jigsaw, the Parish Council and Big Warsop. These groups all provide insight on this community and most groups are open to working together and to share information.

28 Like the magnificence of cherry blossom in May, sometimes we can forget to see and cultivate what is in our communities already. The People of Warsop Parish are amazing. We are just learning to attune our eyes and shine a light on them. That is the focus of our Strengthening Communities work and this report. When we do, we see our vision is already a reality.

“Vibrant Warsop’s vision is that the people of Warsop Parish all feel like shining diamonds, vibrant, living in the moment, growing stronger, more confident and resilient.”

29 With Gratitude

Vibrant Warsop would like to say a big thank you and offer a vote of gratitude to the local people and organisations in the Warsop Parish who put their hearts into this community. We give what we can and we receive with gratitude.

Specifically, we are grateful for the support we have received from: • The Big Warsop team for their sponsorship of the Strengthening Communities project. • The volunteers of the organisations who, despite great demands on their capacity, have championed their projects and will steer them to success.

We also thank all the additional funders and list here those not already mentioned:

The Sir John Eastwood Foundation, Warsop Parish Council, Active Notts, Awards for All, The Thoresby CharitableTrust.

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About our Growing Stronger Together logo This logo underpins all our work. As such it is more than an image. It is a statement of intent and a proactive approach/template to community driven change.

Although this logo (and related words), are under copyright we do offer a support service that allows it to be replicated in other communities that would like to embrace a similar approach.

Please contact us for more details.

In 2016 – 2018 there was lot of activity in Warsop Parish.

The report also aims to convey a sense of the energy and enthusiasm of local people, whilst at the same time showing how, in the 3rd and 4th year of the ten-year Big Local Delivery Plan for the Parish, there are strong shoots of community capacity building.

Vibrant Warsop Community Interest Company penned this report with the aim to share what they see, feel and hear on a daily basis in the Parish – namely, that there is a growing confidence and sense of dynamism. The emergence of a greater belief in thriving! Of being able to have the capacity to secure external funding for local projects, to bring to full fruition projects with love, joy, energy and abundance.

For any further information please contact: [email protected]

Funded by:

Copyright: Vibrant Warsop CIC

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