Out & About March 2017

The Newbury Community Resource Centre runs five different projects. To find out more about the work they do visit www.n-c-r-c.org

The Community Furniture Project Based in Bone Lane, Newbury and Joule Road, Basingstoke, the furniture shops collect unwanted items which are then restored, reused or recycled and resold to help support all the other charitable initiatives undertaken by NCRC. This doesn’t just mean support financially either. The work undertaken to restore and recycle items plays an integral role in the Training and Community Support Centre’s schemes.

Growing 2gether is a project designed to give people the chance to learn about and help to grow a range of fruit and vegetables. It offers volunteering and training opportunities from its site at Cottismore, near Kingsclere. The 1.5 hectare site also offers a place for school visits or birthday parties, as well as Forest First Nursery – an outdoor parent and toddler group held on the first Tuesday of every month from 9.30am until 11.30am. The fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers grown at Cottismore are also sold to help boost the charity’s coffers.

Training and Community Support Centre The Training and Community Support Centre (TCS) is an accredited training centre, with 10 qualified trainers and assessors, who work closely with LASER Learning Awards, focussing on its wide-ranging LEAP (Learning, Employability and Progression) courses. The centre hosts a number of workshops where items donated to the CFP are

The Renewal Project This initiative focuses on the restoration of the River Lambourn in Newbury and continues the work started in 2009 by the Environment Agency. It aims to help restore the chalk characteristics of the river, which has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

repaired and tested before being resold. It also specialises in training in warehousing and logistics, offering AITT (Association of Industrial Truck Trainers) accredited courses in forklift truck operating. The TCS takes referrals from West Berkshire Council, as well as families and carers of those in need of support.

The nationally important habitat offers the opportu- nity for people to carry out voluntary work, as well as educational projects, such as ‘Trout in the Classroom’. The project works closely with local schools to promote awareness of

Pulling Together Pulling Together helps build the self-confidence and self-esteem of people suffering from depression and other mental health problems. By offering a friendly and supportive social network from its Newbury premises it hopes to tackle feelings of loneliness and social isolation. It offers people the opportunity to engage in a range of activities that will help them learn new skills and enter employment. All of this is achieved thanks to an innovative 5-Step programme that has been developed by NCRC.

the river ecosystem and wildlife and RAT (river action team) Pack events are run during the holidays from the Riverside Community Centre, in Newbury. A Forest School is now run from the river in Shaw twice a month.

It is not just focused on training however, believing that a person’s social life is just as important. It has set up a mixed ability football team, that trains twice a week and plays in the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Inclusion League; has a small gym at its Bone Lane centre; and also organises regular darts and social evenings. Its training has been recognised with awards from West Berkshire Education Business Partnership and West Berkshire Learner Achievement Awards.

19