We are the GGO Community Group of Winsford, Cheshire. We are a community operated group that is ran entirely by volunteers. Most of us are parents to children, some with SEN (special educational needs). And we all live busy and hectic lives! But we all also love having the opportunity to volunteer and do what we do.
Here at the GGO Community Group, we are an inclusive organisation and what we do is open to everybody and anybody. No matter who you are, if you are interested in the things that we have going on, there will be a place for you. We are currently located on the St John’s Estate in facilities generously provided by Weaver Vale Housing Trust.
Obviously, Coronavirus changed what we do and the services we have offered, But these additional services have expanded our role in the community. Nowadays, we provide a number of essential functions for people in Winsford that we hope to continue into the future.
FOODBANK AND MEAL KITS
Key amongst this is a partnership with local foodbanks to distribute essential supplies into the community. This is a referral based service, and if you need a referral for this, please contact us. The distribution service is available: Monday and Wednesday from 5pm till 7pm. We are also providing meal kits every Friday which are available to everybody. These provide families with all of the ingredients that they need to prepare and cook a healthy and nutritious meal at home. We are also working with Cheshire Food Hub to provide slow cookers to help with this endeavour. This means that anybody can enjoy a hot meal.
During half terms, we have also been providing families with a breakfast hamper. This provides them with a number of breakfast items such as bread for toast, cereal, and crumpets. We are proud to offer that
CRAFT KITS FOR KIDS
As parents, we can appreciate how difficult it can be keeping kids entertained! Especially during the school holidays. To help combat this, we provide craft kits to families that can help pass an afternoon whilst children are off school. These cover a range of activities, all of which provide a finished product which parents can display with pride!
In the past, we have offered an even broader range of services to Winsford. Many of which are aimed at providing activities and bringing people together. One of our most popular activities are always the weekend coach trips. These are organised coach trips on a Saturday to places like Blackpool, Gulliver’s World Theme Park, and Chester Zoo.
As well as that, we have also offered the following services on a regular basis:
- Youth club for ages 4+
- Junior Social Club for children attending high school
- Tuck Shop
- Carers group for all carers
- Bingo
- Knit and natter group
- Parent and toddler group
- Course for cooking on a budget (fortnightly)
- Walking group
- Adult crafts
- Zumba
- New Horizons/New Leaf
- Activities for the elderly
- Dance Workshops
During summer and the seasonal period we have traditionally planned events for families and children. These include dance, craft days, NERF Wars, outdoor sports events, a Mad Scientist (who provides a showcase of exciting science) and exotic animal displays. These are always wildly popular with attendance frequently exceeding 300 people! This culminates in an end of summer Fun Day which includes things like a barbecue, bouncy castles, various stalls, and a host of other outdoor activities.
As an organisation we are a not for profit funded almost entirely through donations. Any money that we make through events and things like our tuck shop and bingo is invested back into the GGO Community Group. We also work with local authorities and Cheshire Police through community outreach programmes.
We are always looking for new volunteers, and if you are interested in this please contact us through the links below.