This year, our CIC delivered creative and wellbeing activities for children, families, and adults, making arts accessible and building connections across our community. Activities included - Children’s Art Club Developed artistic skills, confidence and encouraged self-expression for children aged 6–11. Young Peron’s Art Club Designed for young people aged 11-17, this group was member led - which means the members were in control of their activities. They contributed to ideas that shaped the group. They developed their artistic skills and confidence in making friends, and encouragement of their own self-expression. HAF Clubs (Holiday Activities and Food): Provided children with engaging, creative activities during school holidays. Ensured inclusive, free access to arts experiences for families who might face financial barriers. Adult SEND Evening Club: Created a welcoming space for adults with SEND for them to socialise and make friends. Reduced isolation while encouraging creative expression in an inclusive setting. Adult Art & Chat Group: We provided a weekly drop in group where members could work on any crafts they were interested in, or join in on the weekly theme, refreshments were also provided. The community found that this group improved their mental health by having the freedom to talk if they wanted to, or enjoy the activity in silence. We had members attend with additional needs and it was lovely for them to have a quiet inclusive place for them to get creative. Messy Play (start of year): Introduced under-5s to sensory and creative play to support early development. Strengthened parent-child bonding through shared, hands-on experiences. The community loved the themed events, and we got to see the young babies learn through exploring messy play to develop their cognitive skills. Wellbeing Thursdays and Fridays With the support from Proper Good Wigan Borough and Rebuild with Hope, we were able to set up a creative space inside Rebuild with Hope flagship store in Wigan. We set up weekly wellbeing groups that were supported by Wigan Council's Deals 4 Communities Fund, teaching members embroidery, textile crafts, and dream catcher weaving. Rebuild with Hope has since continued these groups as a result of its success. Community Events: Contributed to local festivals and gatherings, providing free arts and creative activities. Enhanced community engagement, promoting inclusion and accessibility for all families. We hosted fully funded events that were free to the attendees, Sip & Paint sessions to combat isolation in the community of Beech hill - funded by the councilor of that area. We hosted a Christmas craft and chat event which was funded by Forever Manchester for us to host a Christmas craft session to combat isolation over the Christmas period. At the very start of the year we hosted fully funded calligraphy workshops at CommUnity Corner. Their members loved learning a new creative skill and taking time out for themselves to learn something new. We hosted a few paint-a-pot events at Leigh Library and Golborne Library. When we first started this event, the community was queuing out the door for affordable activities to do with the children in the holidays. We provided the pots, the paint and the clean up. The children enjoyed the activity and getting a little messy and the parents enjoyed relaxing and knowing their child was enjoying an activity that they didn’t need to clean up. These events also helped us fundraise for the CIC to support the running of the weekly groups, the pots were funded by GROW- Grass Roots of Wigan. We held free craft activities at Leigh Leopards matches, creating flags for the children going to watch the game or the community just showing their support for the rugby players. This helped the children gain a sense of community in their local team. At Leigh Feast we were asked by Wigan Council to hold free craft activities for the community's monthly summer event. They had different themes every month. The children enjoyed these activities whilst having lots of entertainment at the Library. Mindfulness Courses for Parents and Carers : Created a supportive network and friendships for parents and carers. Encouraged wellbeing through creative activities and introduced new skills. We started with Making Minds - in Partnership with Leigh Neighbours Project. To create a mindfulness course for people who live / work / attend education in the Leigh Neighbours Project area. Every week we would get feedback from the members how the course improved their mental wellbeing, and the members in the group built strong relationships together. After the success of Making Minds, we set up a course aimed at parents and carers. The attendees of this group were parent carers and we found that they enjoyed having likeminded people to talk to - who are experiencing similar situations and being facilitator led through the activities.

The company’s stakeholders include the children and young people who participate in our clubs and activities, their parents and carers, local families and community members. As well as connections with other organisations such as Leigh Neighbours and The Turnpike Gallery and HAF (wigan parent carer network). We consult with these stakeholders through informal discussions during sessions, meetings with other organisations to review programmes, and have engaged in local Family Hub to stay informed about the needs of families in the area and ensure our programmes remain relevant and accessible. In response to feedback, we have adapted sessions to improve accessibility and inclusivity, introduced new activities such as mindfulness courses for parents and carers, Holiday clubs with a focus on the arts and have expanded community events and free-access sessions.

No remuneration was received

No transfer of assets other than for full consideration