8.1.25 Update: Do you shop at the Co-op? Wellspring Methodist Church has been successfully chosen as 1 of the 3 charities in this area that the Co-op is supporting for the next 12 months. The money raised through this will be used to develop the garden and allotments that form a part of the Wellspring Community Project. Please if you have a Co-op Membership card choose us as your charity and help us to raise money for our community garden. The more people who do this the more money we will receive from the Co-op Local Community Fund.
Thank you for your support.
Please contact me if you want to know more –Sue Nutting at nuttingsue@gmail.com
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For decades, Wellspring Methodist Church has been an essential part of our community and is preparing to continue this role for many more years. CoGNEWS spoke with project leader and Wellspring Minister Julie Hassall, who provided us with the following report:
"When the original, mostly Victorian part of our premises fell silent during COVID-19, as the groups we had given a home to for many years could no longer operate in the same way, we began a journey of exploration of what it would mean in a new world to live out God’s love and to serve our community. Empty premises gave us the opportunity to review whether our site was fit for purpose and was offering hospitality that was warm and welcoming. Our premises were dilapidated and tired, no longer environmentally friendly, and the only part of the site which was usable was the newer room, added in the 1960s. We talked together as trustees and community about what to do. In the end, our conclusion was that the older part of our site needed to be demolished and something new put in its place which would enable us to be a welcoming space, fit to meet the needs of our time."
We plan to keep the front part of the building, the newer section, which will in due course be refurbished – but our initial project is to demolish the older section and to put two things in its place:
• A new function room – self-sustaining in terms of heat/light, providing accessible and modern facilities for storage, kitchen, and access to toilets. This will be a real community space – used for family-based activities from toddler groups to community support in reducing isolation, fellowship groups, and a space where volunteering is encouraged.
• A large outdoor space (created by the demolition of the old premises) which we aim to use in the following ways: To create allotment space for community groups, providing green space in town. To provide a memorial garden on the site of the old graveyard where people can come and sit, and periodically hold ‘remembering’ events in the space. To encourage community participation in a wildflower garden, with the mental health benefits of outdoor space.
Refurbishing the front part of the building will be our second phase and will involve creating a larger entrance area, which will function as a community café and meeting space. The café will be mostly surrounded by a new glass wall, with glass doors through to the sanctuary. This will make the whole space flexible and inviting, and will mean it can be used for a variety of different gatherings. The space will be fitted with a kitchenette, accessible toilets, and audio/visual equipment. We have needed over two years of discerning to come to this point—in consultation with user groups currently meeting in the only remaining space, local councillors, planning authority, and friends from around the town. Along the way, we have struck up friendships with other groups seeking to improve the quality of life for residents of the town and beyond.
We continue our support of Moorlands Home Link, now meeting in different premises in town, and see it as part of our work to continue working alongside others who are trying to make a positive difference to the quality of life in the Staffordshire Moorlands. If you would like to contribute to the project in any way, or if you have any questions, please contact Sue Nutting at nuttingsue@gmail.com or Helen Wainwright at wainies@ymail.com.
COGNEWS would like to thank Julie and all the Wellspring members for their continued support as founder members of Cheadle COG and pledge our support to this impressive and valuable addition to Cheadle. We wish them every success with their venture.
Building Back Better: How the COVID-19 Rethink is Leading to a New Community Centre in the Cheadle Area - Last updated 8.1.25
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