Local groups invited to bring community ideas to life as Cheshire West Crowd celebrates 5th birthday
Community groups, charities and local organisations are being encouraged to bring forward their ideas as Cheshire West Crowd celebrates five years of helping local people make a difference in their communities.
Since the first projects launched in autumn 2021, Cheshire West Crowd has helped community-led initiatives raise funding, attract supporters and deliver lasting benefits for residents across the borough.
To mark the milestone, the deadline for new projects to join the latest funding round has been extended until 18 November, giving more organisations the opportunity to get involved.
Whether it's creating greener neighbourhoods, supporting young people, improving health and wellbeing, enhancing community spaces or bringing people together through sport, culture and the arts, Cheshire West Crowd helps local groups turn great ideas into reality.
The crowdfunding platform enables project creators to raise funds from supporters while also accessing match funding opportunities, helping projects reach their goals and maximise their impact.
Over the past five years, projects supported through Cheshire West Crowd have demonstrated the power of community action, bringing local people together behind ideas that make a real difference where they live.
Leader of the Council, Cllr Louise Gittins said:
The greatest thing about Cheshire West Crowd isn't the money raised, it's the people behind the projects. Over the past five years, local residents, volunteers and community organisations have shown incredible creativity, passion and determination in delivering projects that make our borough an even better place to live. As we celebrate five years of success, we're not just looking back at what has been achieved, we're looking ahead to the ideas, projects and community leaders of the future. Somewhere in Cheshire West and Chester, someone is sitting on an idea that could transform their neighbourhood. We want to help them make it happen.
Peter Radley, of Transition Tattenhall Repair Cafe, one the very first successful projects said:
Five years ago, our project was just an idea. We knew we wanted to make a difference in our community, but we needed support to get started. Cheshire West Crowdfunding via Spacehive gave us much more than funding. It helped us raise awareness, connect with supporters and build momentum around the project. The impact of what we achieved is still being felt today, and we wouldn't be where we are without the support we received. We have been running continuously since our first repair cafe in July 2022 and have fixed 537 items, saving them from landfill, saving around 12900kg of CO2 and saving their owners, we estimate, £26.850 If you're thinking about launching a project but you're not sure whether to go for it, my advice would be simple: do it. There are people in your community who will believe in your idea and want to help make it happen.
Groups do not need to have experience of crowdfunding to take part and support is available throughout the process.
The Council is now encouraging community groups, charities, voluntary organisations and residents with community-focused ideas to explore the platform and consider launching a project before the deadline.
Anyone interested in finding out more or registering a project can visit the Cheshire West Crowd website.