We'd love to know a bit more about you and what you've been up to in your local community?
I'm Sara Randle, and I work as the Community Manager for the Shavington-cum-Gresty Parish Council. My role is to plan community events and projects and communicate these to our local community to hopefully get them involved. 

The "Impact" project stemmed from the community's desire to enhance the area within the Parish. Inspired by the successful #Queenbee project in 2022, which demonstrated community enthusiasm for such initiatives, we embarked on Project Impact. 

Why did the project start and what prompted it?
Overgrown flowerbeds and two vacant phone boxes in the village presented opportunities for improvement. Given the limited space owned by the Parish Council, we saw these as prime areas for enhancement with flowers and plants. 

What have you done so far? 
After obtaining permission from the Cheshire East Council, we worked on the flowerbeds outside Hickory’s, with support from volunteers from Keltbrey and Hickory’s staff. We reinstalled two flowerbeds planting them with pollinator plants, taking advice from the Cheshire Wildlife Trust. We also dedicated a new small area to wildflowers. 

We also refurbished the traditional red phone box and creatively transformed the second one with community mosaics. We turned these into herb gardens, planting herbs for community use.   

After a call for help, Community volunteers also assisted us in planting spring bulbs, further enhancing the beauty of the area. We also organised coffee sessions covering various topics to facilitate community engagement. 

What has been the impact? 
The project has visibly improved areas of the village, with the flowerbeds boasting beautiful spring bulbs. We anticipate increased pollinator activity during spring and summer. The project has also heightened community awareness and engagement. Working with community members and encouraging groups to come together we are hopeful that we have started to foster a stronger sense of community connection. 

What didn’t work with the project? 
Securing permission for the flowerbeds proved time-consuming, causing delays. However, persistence paid off. 

What are your plans for the future? 
Building on our successes, we aim to launch "Wellbeing Wednesdays" over the next year, focusing on outdoor, nature-led activities to promote community connections. We also aspire to establish a community garden area if we are able to find a suitable area. 

If you'd like to find out more about the projects happening in Shavington-cum-Gresty you can visit their website or check out their Facebook page.