The latest newsletter from WBTC is out for distribution, but if you do not receive a copy (in the latest edition of the High Peak Review), you may read it here:

Summer Newsletter

Remembrance Day on 11^th November this year marks the centenary of the ending of the First World War. To mark this we are through the Royal British Legion obtaining a number of large poppies, which can be affixed to lampposts.

We are inviting individuals , businesses and organizations to sponsor a poppy for £10 each. Every single penny raised will go to the Royal British Legion.

Sponsored poppies will be put up throughout Whaley Bridge and Furness Vale for a short period of time from the 1^st November to the 22^nd November, and should make a really striking display. If you would like to sponsor a poppy, please contact the Chair of Whaley4Wards, Jon Goldfinch on goldfinchjon@gmail.com or 01663 733067.

We will provide receipts and publish a sheet indicating sponsors and money raised, to which you can have your name or business added if you wish.

This project is being managed by Whaley4Wards , the regeneration advisory group to Whaley Bridge Town Council, with assistance from Tony Gunner of the Goyt. W4W propose and implement small volunteer led regeneration projects around the four wards of Whaley Bridge – Taxal, Fernilee, Yeardsley and Furness Vale. Recent projects include the painting of the Jodrell Rd play equipment, painting of the Canal St Railings, bench repairs, litter picking, design/installation of interpretation panels and shopfront grants, amongst many others. If you have ideas for potential regeneration projects around the town, or wish to become involved, please make contact via the details above.

Thankyou.

Whaley Bridge to the Future is a working party to discover if residents of Whaley would like a Neighbourhood plan.

If you have a spare 5 minutes here is a survey we would love you to complete:
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/H3JSJ7F

These questions are being asked because Whaley Bridge has the opportunity to shape its future through the “Neighbourhood plan”. This is something that was introduced in 2011 by the Localism Act and is organised by local people guided by the views of those who live here. Other towns have successfully put plans in place for example Chapel-en-le-Frith and Disley. We would like to know if you think this is a good idea and what, if anything, you would like to see for Whaley in the future.

If you have a spare 5 minutes here is a survey we would love you to complete 
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/QJG3K23

You can also join in on Facebook by searching for the group “Whaley Bridge to the Future”. This group will keep you updated on its progress and is a place you can comment.

During August 2018 there is information available at the Mechanics Institute including a paper version of the questionnaire and a place for you to leave your contact details if you want to be updated on progress but are not on Facebook.

More information about Neighbourhood plans in general can be found using the links below.

Links for further information:

https://locality.org.uk/services-tools/neighbourhood-planning/

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/neighbourhood-planning–2#what-is-neighbourhood-planning

https://www.highpeak.gov.uk/article/655/Neighbourhood-planning

Whaley4Wards will be preparing and painting the railings on Canal St from around 10am tomorrow morning – Sat 7th July.

If anyone would like to come along and help you would be very welcome.We will be finishing well before the England match at 3pm ! People can drop in and drop out as they wish.

We are going to do the stretch running from the Corner of Canal St down to the bus shelter.

Whaley4Wards is a volunteer group committed to carrying out small regeneration projects across the 4 wards of Whaley Bridge which improve the Town and make it an even nicer place to live. We welcome anyone who wants to join.

On Sun 15th July from 10.30am we plan to repaint the childrens play equipment in the Jodrell road play area. We will finish well before the World Cup Final at 4pm . If you would like to spend an hour helping, then your help would be very much appreciated.

Jon Goldfinch –  goldfinchjon@gmail.com

Water saving tips

We’re all enjoying this beautiful, warm weather but it also means we’re using an incredible amount of water compared to our usual demand. This week we’ve seen record levels of demand with an additional half a billion litres being delivered to customers every day. With the hot and dry weather set to continue for the next few weeks, we’re asking our customers to help by using water carefully around the garden and home – if possible, please try not to use water outside in the garden while it remains hot as we are all using so much more water.

Try these easy tips in the house and garden and see how much water you can save.

Using water inside

Spend one minute less in the shower

If each member of a family of four spent one minute less in the shower they could save approximately 36 litres of water a day!

Use a washing up bowl

Instead of letting the tap run for longer than it needs to, use a washing up bowl – you can reduce wasted water by up to 50%! Even better, use your dishwasher, you’ll save yourself a job and often they use less water than washing dishes by hand – remember to do a full load each time.

Turn off the tap

Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth saves a massive six litres of water per minute! For a family of four that could be up to 48 litres a day.

Boil only what you need

People often overfill the kettle when they make a cuppa, think about it next time you make one just for yourself, and make your mantra: ‘boil only what you need’.

Using water outside

Ditch the hosepipe

Hosepipes use hundreds of litres of water an hour. Use a watering can for your plants, and a bucket and sponge for your car, and you’ll be doing the environment a good turn.

Water out of hours

Water your garden in the early morning or late evening, when less water is lost through evaporation.

Use mulch for moisture

Add a layer of mulch (eg bark chips, manure) over your soil to retain moisture and keep weeds at bay.

Choose less thirsty plants

Try planting drought-resistant plants, such as geraniums. They look great, and require a lot less water, and not watering them as often means you can save time too!

Buy a butt

A water butt collects the rain from your roof, so you can give your plants a drink.

More information can be found in our using water wisely leaflet (PDF 1,948 KB opens in a new window).

The annual Whaley Bridge town meeting was held on the evening of 27 April at which a presentation was given to David Johnson who is retiring as Caretaker of the Mechanics Institute, after many years.

WBTC Chair, Rodney Gilmour, thanks David Johnson (right) for his long and faithful service as Mechanics Institute Caretaker

Reports were received from:

County Councillor Alison Fox: here

Borough Councillor Andrew Fox:

Borough Councillor David Lomax: here

Borough Councillor John Pritchard: here

Town Council Chair Rodney Gilmour: here

No report was received from the Community Police

Relief Caretaker required

The Whaley Bridge Mechanics Institute is a Registered Charity and provides a community building with rooms for hire, a reading room and the Town Council’s office.

We are looking for an efficient and reliable Relief Caretaker, to cover for leave or sickness of our main Caretaker (including some weekends and evenings). The Relief Caretaker therefore has a zero-hours contract, and may work for only a few weeks per year; the main Caretaker normally works 15 hours per week.

The successful candidate must be able to work alone but also as part of a small team. The main job purpose is to provide high standards of cleanliness, security and maintenance of the Mechanics Institute and the role includes setting up of rooms as necessary. A competitive per-hour rate will be offered

The Mechanics Institute is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Any offer of Employment will be subject to receipt of a satisfactory DBS Disclosure Form.

Application forms are available from the Mechanics Institute, or please contact townclerk@whaleybridge.com by Wednesday 9 May.

Whaley Bridge Mechanics Institute, 27 Market Street, Whaley Bridge, SK23 7AA

Tel: 01663 733068