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News from Cheltenham Connect
Cheltenham Connect is a new community initiative that aims to strengthen and empower the residential and trading areas of South Cheltenham i.e. Naunton Park, Leckhampton,
The Bath Road (south), Tivoli, The Suffolks and The Park. It is currently run by a small group of dedicated residents (all of whom have other daytime jobs!). If successful we hope that it could be replicated in other areas of Cheltenham.
See our website

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We normally meet very informally every Wednesday evening at The Exmouth Arms
7pm to 9pm.

Come and join us!
Who are we?
Wendy - Chair
Clare - Secretary
Angeline - Treasurer
Karen - Buy Local
Becky - Go Green
Belinda- Skillspace
Wendy - Community

plus all the other members of the CC Steering Groups and Networks


Visit the Group Pages

CC BUY LOCAL
CC GO GREEN
CC SKILLSPACE
CC COMMUNITY


Email us

CC Buy Local (Karen)
CC Go Green (Becky)
CC Skillspace (Belinda)
CC Community (Wendy)



Meeting Dates

Skillspace Group

Business & Freelancers Networking Evening
-10 Top Free Tools for Business-

February 9th, 2010 from 7:30pm to 9:30pm - The Beehive, Montpellier Villas

email Belinda


In Transition Film
Bethesda Church
7pm, 25th February
Free Entrance
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Come and learn about the inspirational work of transition town initiatives throughout the UK.
 
Green Group
'Question Time'
Bethesda Church
7pm, 25th March
Free Entrance
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Come and find out how our local political candidates will respond to the twin issues of climate change and declining oil supply.
Can you help us with storage?
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Over the last nine months we have been accumulating lots of picture boards and promotional materials, together with things that we have been given by sponsors. We are now seeking somewhere to put them all!

Please let us know if you have a local dry storage space that we could use.

Cheltenham Connect is the proud recipient of a £4000 Cheltenham Borough Council Community Pride Grant

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Become a Sponsor of Cheltenham Connect
We are actively looking for people to help us grow. If you can help in any way let us know

JANUARY 2010

Our January newsletter is a little late as we wanted to be able to show everyone our new website. We hope that you like our new look. In the end Razor (our local creative agency) recommended that we should continue to use the social networking software that we were already using as they couldn't find anything better, or as cost effective, for all the things that we wanted to do. Everyone is getting more used to how the networks work now and we have welcomed a lot of new members to the groups. If you live or work in the area, and are interested in anything that we are doing (or simply want to help) please join us!

You can see the new website here.

January (due to the weather) was a very quiet month with most people recovering from the Christmas excesses. We know that many of our local traders had a very hard time this month as people couldn't get out to shop. They therefore need as much support as we can all give!

Cheltenham Connect Activities

CC Buy Local

Local Trading History Project

We have now moved from planning the project to talking more actively with the local traders about their involvement. Although we have raised some funds from the Auction of Promises the total cost of the project still needs to be covered and we are exploring whether everyone is happy to share this commitment. The amount raised would pay for their own research, their history boards/framed texts and their inclusion on the maps. We understand though that for many people this is not a good time of year and we are discussing with them how best to move ahead.

When we achieve the necessary funding the plan is to combine the July launch (also celebrating the Bi-Centenary of the Tramroad) with a 2 day local community, craft and music festival.

CC Go Green

This group has now developed a Cheltenham Connect Green Charter that can be applied to all the activities of Cheltenham Connect and that can also be offered as a guide to all the local businesses in the area. You can see the charter here

A team of members are now helping with the first Street Pilot. The group has been researching how best to monitor the outcomes and has been in active dialogue with The Energy Saving Trust (EST) about using its Communities Carbon Footprint tool.

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It held an Echo photoshoot with all the vicars and school heads to help promote the 10:10 initiative and a number of talks and film showings are being planned for 2010. The first of these is a film about the Transition Town movement that will be shown at Bethesda Church on the 25th of February (full details can be found in the side panel). The group also hopes to soon develop a 10:10 assembly for schools.

It is now producing a monthly 10:10 List of Things to Think About and you can read the February version here

During 2010 it will be running a series of 'Open House Events' where local residents who have knowledge about installing energy efficiency systems can share their knowledge and expertise with other residents and business owners. Please let Alison know if you would like to be kept informed of these events. The first is currently planned for Saturday 27th February.

It is also planning a Green Group 'Question Time' Panel for all the local political candidates at Bethesda Church on the 25th of March. This will be an opportunity for local residents to hear exactly how each of the candidates intends to respond to the twin challenges of climate change and declining oil supply.

CC Skillspace

The first networking evening of the new year was held on 12th of January with a record number of attendees. Helen Dowling gave a very informative talk on "Using Twitter & Facebook to promote your business" and Richard Walter shared some fascinating insights on his own life story and philosophy.

We also had the most well attended 'Moka Morning' as well this month so a great start to the new year!

The next networking meeting will be held at The Beehive on Tuesday 9th February when Jonathan Pollinger, of Intranet Future, will talk about "10 Top Free Tools for Business" and Pia Cato from The Vanilla Pod Bakery will share her own story.

If you live or work in the Cheltenham Connect area and would like to attend please email belinda@cheltenhamconnect.co.uk

CC Community

Wendy has now had a meeting with Cheltenham Neighbourhood Watch to see if their local representatives could help us establish a network of Cheltenham Connect 'Street Champions'. The aim would then be for these champions to be the point of contact for all the ongoing Cheltenham Connect activities.

This group is also looking at the possibility of running a series of local talks called 'Life Tools' that help people achieve a better work/life balance.

We are looking for someone to help co-ordinate the activities of this group (as Wendy really does not have enough time). Please email Wendy if you can help.
Fundraising

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As a voluntary group we are always looking for new ways to help us grow. As we meet in each others homes (and very often in pubs!) our running costs are very small, but we have lots of things that we would like to do and each project needs to be funded.

Please let us know if you would like to help or have any great fund-raising ideas.
Our Sponsors
We are immensely grateful for everyone's help. Please let us know if we have missed you off the list.


The Local Church Partnership for helping with the 10:10 Initiative

St James' C of E Primary School, Naunton Park Primary School, Leckhampton Primary School and Richard Pate Primary School for helping us with the 10:10 Initiative.

Robin and Sue at Mobenn Marquees for helping us with the marquee for the Christmas Fair

Ryan at RS Audio for his help with the music for the Christmas Fair and our Christmas party.

Richard Walter for D.J.'ing at our Christmas party and teaching us to Salsa!

Greenway Nurseries for providing the Christmas trees for the Craft Fair

The Handmade Biscuit Company for supplying luscious lemon slices at the auction of promises and thankyou biscuits for sponsors of the Christmas Fair.

Cheltenham Ukulele Band for offering their time at all our major events

The Dixies for playing such cool jazz at our launch and the Christmas Party

The Incredibelles for singing at the launch and the Christmas Fair

The La La Lunchtime Chorus for singing at the Christmas Fair

Pip and Jim's (St Philips and St James' Church) Choir for singing at the Christmas Fair

Thrill Collins for playing at the Christmas Fair

The Music Manfor entertaining the children at the Christmas Fair

Tivoli Tradingfor providing the signage for the Craft Fair

Taylors Fancy Dress for providing the elf costumes for the Craft Fair

Cooks Kitsch-In for providing Christmas lights for the Craft Fair

Morans for providing Christmas decorations for the Craft Fair

Chris at Dodwells for regularly providing us with stationery at cost price

The Exmouth Arms for the use of their meeting room and providing our launch venue

The Beehive for offering their upper room for our monthly CC Skillspace business network meetings

Graham Boston (from Gloucestershire Connections) for designing the logo

Belinda at GlosOffers.co.uk for our noticeboard on The Bath Road

Clare at Cheltenham Directories for providing a page of editorial about Cheltenham Connect each month.

The Sign Studio for the banner that we used at The Suffolks Fair

Karen at Colourmatters for helping us with the printing costs of our first T shirts

Matt at The Brown Jug for helping with our launch preparations and storing the tombola prizes

Mike and Louise Preston at Independent Eye Carefor providing two beautiful Bugattis for our launch

adVANce+MAN (01242 517 886) for supplying a man with a van to pick up the exhibition stands for the launch

ILEC for the loan of their van for the launch

.St Philips and St James' Church - for the loan of tables for the launch event and the Big Picnic Lunch.

Bethesda Church - for the loan of tables for the launch event and offering their venue for our Green Group events.

Jan Vaisey and Ian Harvey for singing at our launch

St James' Primary School PTA for lending us their pergolas for the launch and the Big Picnic Lunch.

The University of Gloucestershire for loaning us their exhibition panels and providing the Park Campus for The Big Picnic Lunch

Simone Williams (freelance artworker) simone@hockeyhouse.co.uk - for designing The Big Picnic Lunch poster

Angeline Fuller from Entire Credit - for giving us a large cash box!

Mobenn Marquees for helping us plan the Christmas Craft Fair and offering to provide a marquee at cost.

Cheltenham Bowling Club for the use of their clubroom as a meeting venue. 

Duncan at Paperbox for providing the Trader Invitations and the sample history board.

St James' Primary School for the use of their hall for the Auction of Promises.

In2digital & Mailing Ltd for printing the Auction of Promises catalogue 

Cotswold Linen Care for the tablecloths for the Auction of Promises.



Please feel free to send a copy of this newsletter to anyone that you think might be interested in Cheltenham Connect.

If you are an editor please help us to let people know about Cheltenham Connect by asking for articles/editorial.

It really is all about people power.
 
The Cheltenham Connect Team
By supporting Cheltenham Connect you are helping to protect and preserve your local community

www.cheltenhamconnect.co.uk