Meeting to see if WINCAP can help
From the Guardian Series, first published Thursday 11th Oct 2001.
A WINSFORD-based community project is holding an annual general meeting to enable all local groups to come together and discuss ways in which to move forward for the town.
The Winsford Community Action Project, or WINCAP, has invited all groups in the town to come together for the meeting and discover how they can be helped by the services offered by the project.
WINCAP was established in 1997 by Cheshire County Council to act as a grant giving body but has since grown and now operates as fund manager available for developing services projects and schemes aimed at reducing social and economic disparity in areas of Winsford.
The project also funds a community worker, sponsors trips for local people and, in partnership with Neighbourhood Cyber Café, runs the Funder Finder Project assisting people to identify potential funders for new developments and projects.
The meeting, to take place at the Community Art Centre on October 22, will include a talk from guest speaker Fiona Dunning of Vale Royal Borough Council as well as a fully operational version of Funder Finder enabling visitors to find out more about potential funding opportunities.
For more information about the meeting or the work of WINCAP in general ring Fiona Mallinson, community worker, on 01606 551766 or write to WINCAP, Winsford Neighbourhood Centre, Cheviot Square, Winsford, Cheshire, CW7 1QS.
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Developing informal networks and formal partnerships
Case Study - Training Opportunities in Winsford
Background
For several years the main function of WINCAP had been to manage and administer a small grants scheme, which utilised funding provided by the Council to support the start up and development of community groups, voluntary organisations and local projects. In the light of changes to funding criteria, the grant giving function was due to end and the WINCAP committee were seeking to identify new ways in which they could continue to support local groups and projects.
Community Development support
The Councils Community Development Worker supported WINCAP to engage with local community leaders, groups and organisations to identify what the priorities were for the community. One of the needs highlighted was for free, local training opportunities which would help volunteers to build on their knowledge base, confidence and skills in managing and developing local projects, organisations and groups.
With support from the Community Development Worker, WINCAP volunteers managed the SRB funding which provided this training and development, which included Health and Safety, Food Hygiene, Emergency First Aid, Making Consultation Fun, Child Protection, Health and Safety plus a 10 week Introduction to Youth Work course in conjunction with Cheshire and Wirral Youth Federation.
Feedback from participants demonstrated that the training programme was valued both for the learning which ensued and for the unique opportunities the training sessions provided for those involved in the community and voluntary sector in Winsford to meet, network, share contacts and resources and to help and support one another in their work for the benefit of the local community.
The training programme came to an end in 2003 when the SRB funding ceased and members of the WINCAP committee needed to build the capacity of their organisation to become an employing body for the first time, and to attract the funds needed to employ a project worker. With the employment of their own project worker, WINCAP were better positioned to seek additional funding and intended to use any evidence of local need plus the successful track record of the past to attract the necessary resources.
Through this work, and continued investment from the Council’s Community Development Worker, the networks in Winsford have extended considerably, and WINCAP are currently in the process of helping to launch Winsford Lifelong Learning Network in conjunction with Lifelong Learning staff from Vale Royal Borough Council and The Winsford Project – a community based learning centre run by Voluntary Action Vale Royal. It is hoped that the network will provide an opportunity for informal, regular get togethers between training providers in the town, thus facilitating information sharing and the development of further opportunities to work in partnership.
Finally, spurred on by the success of the training programme for adults, and in the light of needs identified through engagement with young people, WINCAP as an organisation are currently in the process of applying for funding which would allow them to develop a training programme tailor made for young people.
Band together for nights of fun
From the archive, first published Tuesday 13th Nov 2007.
TEENAGERS can spend their nights playing guitars and drums for free.
Band nights have been set up on Thursday and Friday nights at The Winsford Centre with instruments available to borrow.
Jill McQuaid, from Winsford Community Action Project (WINCAP), said: "We did a survey of what children wanted to do and this was by far the most popular.
"So I was determined to make it happen because you have to give children something that they actually want to do rather than organising them and telling them what to do."
More than £4,000 of equipment has been bought with a grant from the Local Network Fund and the band nights will take place at the Winsford Centre in Cheviot Square.
People of all abilities between 13 and 25 are welcome to go along, play music and form a band if they want to.
Jill said: "We have the instruments here so they can learn to play without having to buy one. One girl came along wanting to play the drums and after an hour wanted to play guitar
"Instruments are very expensive so they can find out what instrument they want to play before paying hundreds of pounds for one."
The idea for the band nights came after a huge amount of young Winsford bands played the Winsford Town Festival last year.
Festival organiser Steve Smith said: "Last year there weren't enough slots to fit in all the bands that wanted to play so this year we are making sure everyone gets the chance.
"The band nights are a great idea because the interest young people have in music in Winsford at the moment is fantastic and we should encourage it as much as we possibly can."
For more information on the band nights call Jill McQuaid on 01606 590233 and to play in next year's Winsford Festival call Steve Smith on 07786 554441.
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