Last month, Cheadle welcomed another lovely business to the town, this time a creative arts space on Cross Street called Studio 15. The Mayor and Mayoress popped in to see owner Kerry Broad to welcome her to the town, and COGNEWS went along too on the official opening day (20th June 2026). L-R: Cllr & Mayoress Zenobia Routledge, Store Owner Kerry Broad, Mayor Phil Routledge Kerry told us, "In 2017, I was where Holly's boutique was as Bless Your Arts Boutique, so this has been

Monday, 20th of July, saw the women of Cheadle and the surrounding areas gather at the Guild Hall to find out more about a process that happens to all women and is not generally talked about much in public. Menopause is the natural biological process for women where menstrual periods cease permanently because of a decrease in reproductive hormones. It is often misunderstood, downplayed, and the brunt of many poor jokes. It is also important that women—the gender responsible f

Activities now online and more being added daily. Funded by Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime Ben Adams, the Space summer programme brings together public, voluntary and private sector organisations to provide enjoyable, positive activities for young people. These activities aim to increase their skills, improve their health and wellbeing and create opportunities, while also aiming to reduce levels of anti-social behaviour during the school summe

On the 9th of July almost 320 runners braved one of the hottest nights of the year to complete JCB’s Lakeside 5 race and fun run. And they're off! More than 420 people had registered to join the event and while the 30° heat reduced the field on the night, it failed to lower the spirits of the runners or the crowds who turned up to support them. JCB employees joined a host of club runners to complete the gruelling five-mile course around JCB’s World HQ at Rocester, including t

Pride in the Moorlands brought out all kinds of supporters and we were delighted to meet the colourful bunch from Match Foster Care. Here's what they had to say. Pictured are Jo Finn & Michelle Black from Match Foster Care Jo & Michelle told us that they are both based in Stoke town centre, as part of a satellite division of Match, with their head office in Droitwich, Worcestershire. They have quite a few foster parents living in and around Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire

We recently met with Vicky at the Craft Community Hub on Chapel Street, Cheadle, to learn more about an inspiring butterfly project they have been working on. Vicky told our reporter that they had been working with Child of Mine, who support bereaved parents, siblings, and other family members. They support people from a miscarriage all the way up to 18 through whatever kind of trauma and loss a family can experience. They are organizing a memorial day in Stafford at St Mary'

We caught up with Sarah from Uniting Staffordshire Against Hate (USAH), part of Citizens Advice — one of the services they offer, at this year's Pride in the Moorlands and discovered more about their work. USAH supports anyone who's been a victim of a hate crime or hate incident, including people who are targeted because of their race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or transgender identity. The services that they offer are information, advice, and guidance about ne

If you've ever asked the question "What's for dinner?" or if just hearing the words makes you want to hide behind the sofa, this post is for you. I've been in charge of the cooking since I was fifteen, and with a modern household of constant activity, hybrid and shift working, allergies, and health considerations, something which used to be simple and organized is complete chaos. Batch cooking is brilliant if you can make the time to do it. But here's a quick win - a crib she

Local residents have watched with interest over the past few months as a disused shop at the north end of the High Street was sympathetically brought back to life. A Wedding Gown destination store is the perfect addition to this section of the High Street, and it's clear from just viewing the window how much love has been poured into bringing this space to life. COGNEWS was on hand to find out more about this lovely addition to our town. New Store Owner Bernice Fisher with Lo

A NORTH Staffordshire mum is celebrating the 10th anniversary of her life-saving transplant surgery with a call for more donors to come forward. Janet Matthews (centre) is flanked by her daughter Jenny Lowe and grand-daughter Maisie Lowe Janet Matthews, 62, received the gift of a kidney from live donor daughter Jenny Lowe in a life-changing operation on June 14th, 2016. Now, as organ donation levels across the UK fall, Janet, a buyer at the JCB World Parts Centre in Uttoxeter

In April of this year, the Government released the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy for England, pledging to prioritise women's voices in NHS decision-making, address gynaecology waiting times, and enhance pain relief and care for conditions like endometriosis, fibroids, and menopause. The strategy recognises what many women have been saying for years: that they feel dismissed, unheard, and left waiting too long for diagnosis and treatment. These national commitments strongly

Pride in the Moorlands returns with full three day weekend programme of celebration, creativity and community to towns and villages across the district from Friday 26th to Sunday 28th June 2026. The weekend celebration, promises to be an inclusive and joyful experience for people of all ages, backgrounds, and identities. From a textile craft workshop in Cheadle to a roller disco in Biddulph, Pride oatcakes in Endon and a spectacular parade through Leek, this year's celebratio

This week, a new shop opened on Cheadle's historic High Street. Situated in the old Mother Nature building, "Little Dots" specialises in beautiful fashion and toys for ages 0-6. We met with owner Samantha Rowley-Corns to find out more. Samantha and some of her hand picked British Brands Samantha started her business two and a half years ago, a retail store and play cafe in Stone, when her daughter was just 4 months old. She told our reporter that she was very much inspired by

Wednesday, the 6th of May, saw local supporters of Cheadle and District Foodbank gather to hear more about the vital work of this local charity. The event was organized by Wellspring Methodist Church, which provided the venue and refreshments. Tony had a great deal of interesting facts to share. Firstly, he tackled the question of what a foodbank is, and opinions on this tend to vary from "It's a bit like supermarkets where everything is free" to "they provide short-term emer

This week is National Epilepsy Week, and we thought it was a good opportunity to take a look at this condition and how it affects the people who have it and the families that support them. This is a personal point of view from a local observer of the condition. Epilepsy is a condition that affects the brain and causes seizures. It can affect anyone at any time in their life. The causes are often unknown; it can strike or change at any time and does not follow any kind of stan

It was announced on social media last week that after 28 years of operation, the Leek-based charity, Home-Start Staffordshire Moorlands, will close on 30th June. A great example of the type of work Home-Start provided Home-Start is a local charity that provides free, confidential support to families with at least one child under five in the Staffordshire Moorlands district, including Cheadle. The help offered via local staff and volunteers includes providing early help, home-

Wednesday, the 13th of May 2026 saw Cllr. Linda Malyon take on the role of Chairman at SMDC, with Cllr. Lyn Swindlehurst taking on the role of vice chairman. Outgoing chairman, Cllr Adam Parks, spoke of his "human sleeping pill" leadership strategy. By starting each meeting with a long speech, a calm atmosphere was created, which helped manage the difficult topics that have dominated this year of planning change. He also shared his experiences from his last two days in office

Pride in the Moorlands 2026 is to take place this year on the 26th –28th of June. A spectacular weekend is promised for this community-let LGBTQ+ celebration of life, creativity and joy across the Staffordshire Moorlands. You can - follow the Pride Torch Relay as it travels through Cheadle, Biddulph and Leek, symbolising unity, visibility and pride, before culminating in a full day of celebration in Leek on Sunday 28th June. Across the weekend, expect a brilliant programme o

Cheadle Flower Club welcomed members to their April meeting introducing David from Sunny House Farm Nursery in Tean, Ali from Checkley who is a cut flower grower and Elie an ecologist from Keele University. David started the meeting with a discussion on growing sweet peas, advising visitors to grow them in deep pots, sow the seeds in October prior to planting the following year, dig a deep trench if planting in the garden lined with superphosphate and fish, blood and bone fe

A regular reader of COGNEWS commented to me that the Iran war has cost her more to fill up her car this week. She tried to fill up with regular diesel, but there was none. So she had to fill up with premium, costing £1.89 per litre. Because she is on a budget, she was limited to just £20 for the top-up—a mere 10.5 litres, barely enough to get to work and back for a few days. What can be done about the high energy costs we are experiencing now? Our government has put a cap on