An amazing year for Care for Cleveleys

At the start of 2023, a recruitment event was held at The Dickens in Cleveleys. Asking people to come along and get involved if they had a love for the town and wanted to help, the volunteers presented a list of things that they thought could be achieved during the coming year.

And on January 2 2024 the new year begins with another similar event – only this time attended by even more people! After a lot of hard work from the growing group, most of the things on the ’23 list are now marked ‘complete’ – and another year starts with a new list and even more ambition!

Jane Littlewood is Chair of Cleveleys Town Centre Group – the organisation managing Care for Cleveleys – as the volunteers are known throughout the town. She explains: “2023 saw a quite dramatic increase in the pace of work that’s being done in the town and we’ve achieved a huge amount between us.

“It’s brilliant to see so many people so enthusiastic about what we can do in the town this year.”

Throughout the year Cleveleys has been maintained and looked after, we’ve weeded, litter picked, planted and painted our way around the town, keeping it spick and span for the many thousands of people who use it each week.

New planters have been added around the bus station and western end of the high street to brighten it up no end, including the popular and quirky ‘Mary’s Garden’ installation. Crafty volunteers have had great fun creating their own take on Cleveleys In Bloom, with dozens of crochet toppers for the many bollards which line the pavement edge. Bunting and blooms contributed to the town coming away with Silver Gilt at the RHS In Bloom awards.

Cleveleys Town Centre Group has also received £60k from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and that’s being used to great effect in an exciting new event programme. Five events have already taken place which residents and visitors have all thoroughly enjoyed.

It’s all great for the town but it’s also a great boost to the community too. Cleveleys is known for being a friendly place anyway, but involvement with Care for Cleveleys is a brilliant way to make new friends and do something different. It’s great fun, involves lots of laughter and is really good for your mental health and wellbeing!

As if all that wasn’t enough, fundraising has been taking place left, right and centre, to pay for new Christmas lights which were switched on at a brilliant event on 2 December.

An incredible amount of background work has also taken place throughout the year to lay the foundations for 2024. More businesses than ever before have been working in partnership to enable the seemingly impossible to happen!

Now the group is turning its attention to 2024, and an exciting calendar of events and activities about to be published.

Daniel Thornton is a Director of Cleveleys Town Centre Group and owner of Phillips Jewellers. Daniel says: “I’m really proud to be part of this amazing team of people and the difference that all of the volunteers make to the town is incredible. While other town centres may struggle, Cleveleys thrives. The work of the group keeps visitors and people from all around the Fylde Coast returning to shop here and the economy vibrant.

“It’s great to see so many other town centre businesses getting involved and benefitting from this combined effort. If you aren’t already part of it I’d urge you to come forward and get involved.”

Don’t worry if you missed the recruitment event on January 2, just come along at any time to find out more and join in. Dates and information can all be found at www.CleveleysTCG.org.uk and at Care for Cleveleys on Facebook.