Community News: Nantwich Mayor to hold Salt of the Earth Awards

Nantwich Mayor, Councillor Penny Butterill, has announced that she will be following in the footsteps of former Mayors and presenting awards to recognise and celebrate the
achievements of individuals, groups and businesses, that selflessly make a real difference to the Nantwich community. 

Eight fittingly named ‘Salt of the Earth’ Awards will be presented at an intimate reception on Thursday 3 rd May at Nantwich Civic Hall.

The Mayor is welcoming nominations for the awards. So if you know someone or a group, who gives up their time and energy to help others, please help us recognise their work by
nominating them for an award.

Award Categories
Community Volunteer Award: Recognises a person, who has taken an active role in shaping their community, helps provide services to more vulnerable residents and encourages community spirit and growth.

Inspiring Individual Award: To celebrate a local unsung hero who goes the extra mile to serve their community.

Supporting Children Award: Individuals, group or school who have made a difference to the lives of children, so that they can achieve their full potential.

Young Achiever Award (Under 18): Who do you know who has shown major potential? Who is one to watch in the future? Who has made an outstanding contribution to the community? Nominate Nantwich’s rising star.

Outstanding Organisation/Group/Project Award: Tell us about a local volunteer group/organisation/project which has really engaged with the community.

Business Support in the Community Award: Award for a business that has gone beyond their remit and supported their community.

Community Sports Award: Sportsmen and women giving their time back to sport and making it accessible for people in our communities to join in with sporting activities

The Mayor will also present a Mayor’s Recognition Award. The winner of this award will be
an inspirational individual or group who has made an outstanding impression on the Mayor in her year of office. This award is specifically decided by the Mayor and nominations will not be accepted.

To nominate someone for an award, apply to the Mayor with the following information:

• Name of person nominating
• Name of Nominee
• Address and contact details of both of the above
• Award Nominated for
• Reason for Nomination (no more than 250 words)

Nominations must be submitted no later than Friday 23rd March and can be posted to ‘Salt of the Earth’ Awards, Nantwich Civic Hall, Market Street, Nantwich, CW5 5DG, dropped off at the Civic Hall, or emailed to ntc.marketing@nantwichtowncouncil.gov.uk. 

Nominees must either be a Nantwich resident, work in Nantwich, or make a valuable contribution to the people of the town.

The Mayor is also looking for sponsors for this event, if you are interested in getting involved, please contact Sheryl Birtles on 01270 628 633 or  for more information visit www.nantwichtowncouncil.gov.uk.

RedShift to Host Community Stage as Roundheads Take on Cavaliers in Battle

Community Radio and Events organisation RedShift will once again be hosting the main stage in Nantwich Town Square on Saturday 27th January, as the troops prepare to re-enact the Battle of Nantwich.

The Battle was a key event during the first English Civil War in 1644, when a Parliamentarian army under Thomas “Black Tom” Fairfax defeated the besieging Royalist force of Lord Byron.

With a packed programme beginning at 10.00 am, the town square will be at the heart of the action during the morning, with various musicians joining compère Paul Boniface on stage. Also on and around the town square there will be the Domesday Morris Dancers, street entertainers and Plough Witches weaving their way through the crowd. A hog roast will be available and for the first time this year, Joseph Heler’s will be selling special Holly Holy Day cheeses.

Nantwich Museum will be hosting a Civil War tour at 10.00 am followed by a musketry demonstration by the Sealed Knot at 10.30 am and 17th century music from Forlorne Hope at 11.30 am.

Organised by the King’s Guard of the Sealed Knot, the Battle re-enactment has been an annual event in Nantwich for more than 40 years.  The armies will march from Malbank School and down Welsh Row, arriving in the town centre at 1.00 pm.  After a wreath laying ceremony at the war memorial, they will head down Mill Street at 1.30 pm and onto Mill Island for a spectacular battle display featuring muskets, pike and cannon at approximately 1.45 pm.

Anyone interested in volunteering as a steward for the event should visit www.battleofnantwich.org/volunteer.

For more information about Holly Holy Day, please visit www.battleofnantwich.org.

For further information about RedShift, visit www.redshiftonline.org, follow our Facebook page, see us on Twitter @RedShiftRadioUK or join our online Facebook Community Hub

Out and About: Liz's Funky Week with Lashings of Christmas Cheer

The Funky Choir singing at Sainsbury's, Nantwich

Volunteer of the Week

I am going to start with my Volunteer of the Week because this week I am dedicating it to a popular group of volunteers who bring lots of joy and cheer wherever they go. The Funky Choir, led by the very witty, Mr Funky himself, Brent Robinson.

The Funky Choir.com ("don’t forget the dot.com!") has been around a similar length of time as RedShift Radio so you could say we have grown up together! We have welcomed them at many of our events from singing on the Community Stage at the Battle of Nantwich in the freezing cold, to flag waving at the Queen’s 90th birthday Gala in St Mary’s Church and the RedShift Community Garden at the Nantwich Show to our Christmas Fair at the Crewe Lyceum.

The Funky Choir is far more than just Funky ... they are a friendly, welcoming and fun bunch who meet weekly at The Georges Community Centre on West Street in Crewe to practise for their constantly growing list of performances.

I have enjoyed seeing the choir grow over the years and now that my mum has joined having moved up here from Surrey last year, I can see just how much of a supportive and friendly community choir Brent has built.

My Mum happily keeps me informed about which care home, hospital or community event they are next playing and I know that not only does the choir put a smile on the faces of the audience, but also the sense of wellbeing and joy that each member of the choir gets from singing together is priceless.

This photo was taken on Saturday at Sainsbury’s in Nantwich where the Funky Choir sang for over four hours to help the local branch of Riding for the Disabled with their bucket collection. Have a Funky Christmas Funky Choir and thank you for everything you add to our Funky Community!

Betty and Ann Parkin

Betty and Ann at St Mary's

Moving on, and I must mention another pair of volunteers that bring joy to lots of people: Betty and Ann Parkin, my father in-law’s lovely donkeys. They were out again on Sunday for their annual visit to St Mary’s Church, Nantwich for the Nativity service.

Don’t worry if you missed them, Betty and Ann will be at St Margaret's Church, Wrenbury for their final outing of the year on Christmas Eve at 3pm for the Crib Service.

Merrily, Merrily ...

Last week I enjoyed two carol services: one at my nephew's school, St Anne’s in Nantwich and one at St Margaret’s in Wrenbury. Seeing my nephew sing was lovely and we realised that, just like his Mummy, Auntie Liz and Grandma Ruth, he's not exactly pitch-perfect, but belts out his tunes with a smile and giggles!

Sadly though, I feel the need to include a little rant here. I was walking home with my mum and nephew after the service at St Anne’s (about 5.45pm) and I was horrified that TWO cars didn’t even slow down at the zebra crossing, let alone stop while we patiently waited there.

What shocked me even more was my sister telling me that this is a regular occurrence - even in daylight! Drivers please slow down at zebras - especially near schools!

Lots of Christmas Cheer

Christmas is of course a time for parties and having had more than my fair share this month, it's safe to say that I have completely fallen off the diet-wagon! Last Thursday I was out with my fellow Tropic girls for a superb meal and dancing at the Crown Hotel, Nantwich, which served up the best Christmas dinner so far! On Saturday we had Christmas with our old neighbours and friends and I ate mountains of the legendary Diane Kilby pâté.

On Sunday I enjoyed another lovely Christmas meal with my girlfriends at The Globe in Nantwich, although this time I went off-piste and opted for the Thai green curry with king prawns - not a stuffing ball or sprout in sight, but very tasty!

Lots of Santas ready to run ...

The Annual Santa Dash

Sunday saw a huge gathering of Santas (and the odd reindeer and snowman!) in Nantwich Town Square. Sponsored by The Ruk Group, the annual Hope House Santa Dash had to be postponed the week before due to the snowy weather but it got in full swing this week, despite the miserably wet weather. Participants were able to choose to run either 2.5k or 5k and considering the weather, there were almost 200 people running to raise money for Hope House.

And Finally ...

On Monday, after writing this article, I will be at the Oddfellows on Welsh Row for our office team Christmas dinner AND to celebrate the fourth RedShift engagement of the year - Helen Gregory our Office Manager who got engaged on her birthday weekend to the love of her life, Mark Thompson. Congratulations Helen and Mark!

This article appeared in Crewe Chronicle on 20th December 2017.  Please look out for my "Out and About" page each week in the Crewe Chronicle. For more information about any of the items in this article, please email us here at RedShift or call us on 01270 440 750. 

Out and About Blog: Christmas Events Aplenty in This Week's RedShift Round Up

Liz 's Christmas tour includes Weston Lights, Richmond Village, Residence and the RedShift Christmas Party ...

How much can I cram into my article this week? It's been spectacularly busy and my plan was to go for a chronological approach ... but one event stood out as the highlight of my week.

Weston Christmas Lights

It's Sunday evening and I have just returned home from one of our community’s most fabulous events: The Weston Christmas Lights. I wasn’t feeling 100% on Friday for the launch night so I popped along tonight with my Mum and Michael-John. We were just a few minutes ahead of the switch-on so I was able to video it as each and every light sprung to life, and I have to admit, once again, I found the experience quite moving.

Graham Witter, from Carter Green’s Farm on Jack Lane, Weston, first opened his parents' farm five years ago to raise money for the Donna Louise Hospice, a charity very close to his family's heart.

Graham’s sister Jessica sadly passed away on New Year’s Eve 2015 and had received a huge amount of support and respite care from the Donna Louise. Please help Graham and his family smash the fantastic £22,680 raised last year by popping down between 6.15pm and 9pm every single evening until 28 December.

You can enjoy the wonderful lights, a chat and selfie with Santa, and even an ice cream from the Whitby Morrison ice cream van in return for a donation.

Richmond VillageTraditional Christmas Market

On both Saturday and Sunday I enjoyed the Richmond Village Traditional Christmas Market. I was playing the festive tunes with RedShift and also running my Tropic Skincare stand. I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend, watching the children enjoy a festive donkey ride and face painting by former RedShift presenter, Sharon from Hullabaloo Kids.

South Cheshire Chamber Business Awards

On Friday last week, I hosted my annual four-hour Chamber Business Awards Show. I love being able to chat to the winners and sponsors in more detail than the time allows on stage at Crewe Hall at the Awards themselves. The AudioCasts from the show are available to listen to via our website www.redshiftonline.org.

RedShift Community Hub Christmas Drinks

Back to Thursday of last week and it was another special annual event - our Community Hub Christmas drinks at the Residence of course!  We had a lovely evening and must say a huge thank you to Ben Rafferty and his team for looking after us so well and sponsoring our canapes and welcome drinks.

RedShift Team Christmas Party

I am looking forward to our team Christmas party tonight at Regent’s Park. It has been organised by our youth volunteers who have invited the #ClimbKili2017 walkers to thank them for the fundraising that is going directly towards the running costs of our youth projects and activities.

Crewe Pledge Meeting

Last week I attended a Crewe Pledge meeting at South Cheshire College. I haven’t been able to attend the last couple of meetings and it was good to see how well the team of business and education members has grown. Communication and knowledge sharing has really developed to help relationships and opportunities prosper for businesses and education in Crewe. Find out about the Crewe Pledge here: www.thecrewepledge.co.uk

Santa Floats Visit Nantwich

I promised to give Santa himself a mention this week ... well, his team of helpers from Crewe Rotary, Nantwich Rotary and the Round Table! Yes, we have three super teams of Santa Floats that cover Crewe & Nantwich collecting for local charities. If you would like to help one of the teams of volunteers, please drop me a line and I will pass your details on: hello@redshiftonline.org.

Volunteer of the Week

My Volunteer of the Week needs no further introduction as it has to be - of course - the fabulous Graham Witter (photographed at the top, with me and my Mum). Graham not only gives up his December (and hundreds of hours throughout the year to prepare and build sponsorship) to raise a huge amount for his favourite charity the Donna Louise Hospice, but he also gets stuck into other events throughout the year including the Nantwich Food Festival, Nantwich Show and our Big Day Out event. The world needs more Grahams and in my humble opinion, at his young age of just 23 years old, he is a superb addition to our great community. Happy Christmas and thank you Graham!

Ever Thought of Volunteering for Charity?

Now's your chance to make a difference by volunteering for St Luke's Hospice's new shop in Nantwich

St Luke’s Hospice couldn’t exist without its amazing team of volunteers who help raise funds to provide quality care and services for patients and their families in Mid and South Cheshire.  

They are currently looking for people who can assist in their new Nantwich shop on Pepper Street, serving customers, sorting donations and helping with displays.

If you have a few hours to spare and would like to make a difference in your local community, whilst meeting new people and making new friends please get in touch.  

For more information pop into the shop or visit our website

stlukes-hospice.co.uk/ways-to-support-us/volunteer or contact Pam Ford, Volunteer Support Coordinator at Pamela_Ford@stlukes-hospice.co.uk or by calling 01606 555690.

OUT AND ABOUT BLOG: It's Begnning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Friday will be 1st December so I officially have an excuse to talk about Christmas! Put your hand up if you're ready for it?

OK, so I may not be ready for Christmas but I am actually looking forward to it. I will be cooking for 13 people and each time I mention that to anyone, I am reliably informed we need to put a teddy at the table to make it 14! Either I have never cooked for 13 or this is a Cheshire thing and being a southerner, I have never heard of this superstition before. Either way, Jasper our dog now has an excuse to sit at the table with us!

Local Christmas Markets

This weekend you will find me at the Richmond Village Traditional Christmas Markets with two hats on: I will be blasting out the Christmas tunes from the RedShift van whilst also manning my Tropic Skincare stand in the warmth of the main building. Please do pop along and buy some lovely unique gifts and enjoy a mulled wine, or three, whilst browsing.

Also this weekend there is a Christmas market in Nantwich and the ETSY handmade market at Reaseheath so really there is no excuse to not at least start your shopping!

Red Hair, Red Dress Affair

Last week I ventured up to Knutsford to attend my dear friend Sue France’s “Red Hair, Red Dress Affair” event at the Courthouse. Sue runs a fantastic ladies' networking group called Creative Connecting in Cheshire. We had a lovely meal and listened to a great guest speaker called Nikki Pattinson, an inspirational woman who gave a hilarious, moving and insightful speech. The event raised over £700 for a charity called Gift of a Wedding, an incredible charity that stages weddings within weeks, or even days, for terminally sick people.

I met Sue France on 6th September 2010, the day RedShift began broadcasting and we have been friends ever since. Her events (ladies only, sorry chaps) are always unique and well attended with business women from across Cheshire and Sue has been such a wonderful support and encourager to me over the last seven years.

South Cheshire Chamber Business Awards

Friday night saw me hosting the South Cheshire Chamber Business Awards for the 7th year, and 5th year with my fabulous co-host Paul Boniface.

Paul and I both love this event and seeing how much it has grown in size and calibre of entrants and finalists over the years is great. I am looking forward to hosting the Chamber Awards radio show this Friday from 10am - 2pm with all the winners and sponsors so please do tune in at www.redshiftonline.org.

Back to the Future Project

A quick mention for our Back-to-the-Future inter-generational project again. We are looking for people over 70 to join us on Saturday 9th December from 2-4pm at Nantwich Museum. We will be making Christmas table decorations and singing carols by candlelight. We have several young people booked on and we have four spaces for under 20 year olds and seven spaces for over 70 year olds. To book onto this fun and free inter-generational project, please call 01270 440 750.

Volunteer of the Week
My choice for Volunteer of the Week has to be the lovely Paul Boniface who has been with us for six years. Paul presents Easy Like Sunday Morning and really does put his heart and soul into it. He plans his show theme, features and songs so carefully and he has a loyal following of regular listeners.

Paul’s commitment to, and support of, RedShift goes far beyond producing and presenting his show.

Paul frequently supports me at events and over the last six months he has raised an incredible £3,464 as part of the #ClimbKili2017 campaign, a quarter of which will be coming to RedShift to support our youth activities.

Thank you Paul!