Winner - Ferrybridge Community Centre
The Ferrybridge Community Centre offers support to a wide range of people from babies to the elderly. Since the start of this year the centre has been closed due to a large flood but they whole team have worked tirelessly to revamp the centre and they proudly reopened in June.
They have opened a community food pantry and added so more services such as man matters, lots of new events to draw more people to the centre. The last year has seen fundraising focusing on reopening the centre, but now the group are looking to turn their focus back to supporting the community.
2nd - Normanton Knightingale Cheerleaders
The Normanton Knightingale Cheerleaders have been a squad for 25 years and are a completely self-funded group. They provide joy and light to children, teens and adults within the community.
The group began with three members, a collection bucket and flyers. Today they remain self-funded and have a waiting list and over 20 active members.
When the group started it was the only cheerleading group in the area. They are an inclusive group which performs for local nursing homes and galas.
Soup4EM
Soup4EM help to support vulnerable and homeless people in genuine need of a good meal. The group works to deliver food parcels and holds coffee mornings for people to come and chat and talk over their problems
The group is run by volunteers who give their own time to the cause and have raised awareness in the local community. They arrange the collections of donations and collect food from local supermarkets that would otherwise go to waste.
This support helps the group to prepare and deliver a variety of hot meals for over 50 residents from the local community on a weekly basis. Any food items left over from these donations then go into a community pantry.
3rd - The Crafty Creatives
The Crafty Creatives has bridged a gap in supportive services in our local area. The group offers a friendly and supportive space for people who have been diagnosed with cancer.
The Crafty Creatives offer two free weekly sessions for anyone diagnosed with cancer. In each session they host a craft workshop so people can learn new skills, find a hobby or just enjoy a positive distraction during a difficult time.
The group collaborates with local artists, non-profits and charities to run workshops such as mindfulness and to signpost services they can access. The group hosts a table at Pinderfields Hospital selling some of the crafts and also offering an understanding ear to people there.
The members said: “I opened the doors to our support group in January 2023 after experiencing how low and alone I felt throughout my own diagnosis. I was determined to make sure we had a local group for anyone that needed it.
“Cancer not only affects your physical health but your mental health too and the power of talking to someone else that has been, or is, going through that can make you feel less alone. Just speaking to someone that understands can be a real help.”
Smawthorne Welfare Action Team
Smawthorne Welfare Action Team (SWAT) is a hardworking community group which has regenerated its local park. The group operates a tend and tidy each week, in which volunteers come together to keep up the appearance of the park and ensure that residents have a beautiful green space to enjoy.
The group has transformed the park; adding a memorial garden for a local fallen soldier, flower garden, a sensory garden, improved the play area for the smaller children, added benches, picnic tables, planted bulbs, and new notice boards.
The park is enjoyed by dog walkers of all ages and is particularly utilised by the older generation who can often be seen chatting and enjoying each other’s company whilst exercising their pets. Schools are also involved in the park and meet at Christmas to sing around the sensory garden.
The group’s annual gala is always popular with local food stalls, craft stalls, tombola, donkeys, fairground rides, a Punch and Judy show for the little ones, and local performing groups.
Wrenthorpe Environmental Society (WRENS)
Wrenthorpe Environmental Society (WRENS) that has been operating since 1989 and carries out various environmental activities to keep the village clean and tidy. These tasks include maintaining planters, planting bulbs, tidying up roadside and pavement areas in the park and litter picking around the village.
All the work is carried out by volunteers and helps to conserve and improve the environment of Wrenthorpe and increase the awareness and understanding of environmental issues amongst residents.
The group are currently developing a moss garden. The idea behind the project is to have a learning garden which will enable WRENS to educate residents on the benefits of mossy areas to the environment.
Members and volunteers have worked over many months to create the garden for the local community to enjoy. The group also involves residents in projects, including the local schools, the council and has liaised with the Fieldhead Hospital gardening team.
Friends of Moverley Flatts
Friends of Moverley Flatts is a relatively new group which was established since 2021 and has gone from strength to strength. Although the committee is only relatively small, the impact the group has is varied and widespread.
Each year the group members set themselves several projects and events to deliver that are realistic and achievable. These include regular weekly bingo sessions, coffee morning, Halloween and Easter events and craft afternoons.
For the craft afternoons, the group approached WDH for Communities Together funding which allowed the group to buy materials for new crafting projects and provide refreshments for those that attended. The group also arranges regular trips to garden centres and local pubs for lunch, often linking up with groups from other independent living schemes.