Chris Cowcher

Positive catch up with Sir Jeremy Wright MP today, talking all things WRCC - the Community Food Fleet, affordable rural housing & the need for vibrant and inclusive community assets!

Mint green and pink background. "Sign up. We're Right Here Newsletter. For stories of community power; ways to get involved; campaign progress updates.

2025 is our year to demand real change. If we don’t push the government to give communities stronger powers, who will?

Get the latest updates from our campaign leaders by subscribing to our newsletter.

A fresh edition is landing this later week. Sign up 👉 https://buff.ly/31iz9Zk

Photo shows the Market Hall Museum in Warwick.

Always look out for places that cater for neurodiverse children, and I have to say I was very impressed with the Market Hall Museum in Warwick! It has a lot of interactive displays for its size and offers a "sensory rucksack" for young visitors, which was a nice touch. @warwickshirecc.bsky.social

WRCC's Community Food Fleet delivers 'Meals on Wheels' across #Warwickshire 365 days a year!

Our drivers are enhanced DBS checked & trained to carry out basic well-being & safety checks when they deliver, giving customers, carers & next of kin peace of mind.

www.wrccrural.org.uk/services/com...

Image shows the WRCC logo alongside a picture of an oil tanker. The image states that WRCC have helped households save £574,661 on heating fuel since 2012. The image includes the line "do you want to save money on your heating oil?"

WRCC helps households across #Warwickshire without access to mains facilities to save money on their fuel bills.

Membership for our syndicate is FREE & if you're interested in saving money on your heating oil, please get in touch now.

💻 www.wrccrural.org.uk/energy
📧 energy@wrccrural.org.uk

Many of us rely on gas and electricity every day. But would you know what to do if you lost power for a few days?

Learn how to prepare for power outages, loss of gas supply and more at
www.warwickshireresilienceforum.org/risks/loss-o...

#BetterPrepared

Growing up in social housing gave stability to Rick Liddiment. 🏡

It’s vital to challenge the negative stereotypes to stop social housing being seen as only for the desperate, he argues. Read his words for Big Issue below. ⬇️
https://bit.ly/40BFtWL

Our latest mailer landed in inboxes this week,
Info on #grants and #investment for community shares through our Booster Fund
Plus grants to pay for #EnergyEfficiency measures with @crowdfunder.bsky.social
Plus case studies and more, read here:

co-operativesuk.cmail20.com/t/t-e-shyejd...

Today, in a major step towards the publication of the government’s long-awaited #LandUseFramework, Defra announces a Consultation on Land Use in England.

Read our Chief Exec @suepritch.bsky.social's response below and our news story here 👉 ffcc.co.uk/news-and-pre...

WRCC AGM, photo shows me presenting the impact report for year ending 31 March 202.

The end of my first complete month at WRCC, and yesterday we had the chance to get our team together for our 2023/24 AGM (delayed from last Autumn) followed by tea & cake provided by Harbury's @womensinstitute.bsky.social. We celebrated the efforts of our staff and #volunteers with partners.

Group of volunteers outside a closed pub.

In the 190 community pubs known to @plunkettuk.bsky.social, over 41,000 people have become shareholders, raising over £38 million between them through #CommunityShares.

@andrewdubock.bsky.social explores the vital role of volunteers in community projects ▶️

www.goodfinance.org.uk/latest/post/...

Renting your space for the benefit of your community - webinar January 2025 - Locality This webinar will help community organisations maximise the potential of space rental.

Join us at 10.30am tomorrow (28 Jan 2025) for a free webinar on how to rent out your space for the benefit of your community.

This webinar will be led by experts from @Plunkett_UK. Sign up today!

locality.org.uk/events/renti...

Calling all parents and carers of teens - don't miss our latest Let's Talk Warwickshire podcast episode!

Join a range of professionals as they cover health and wellbeing topics, including the mental health support for young people and the importance of immunisations.

Listen here ow.ly/KEfn50ULQuC

Flood Alert for River Stour in South Warwickshire River levels are forecast to rise in the area overnight as a result of Storm Herminia. Consequently, flooding of roads and farmland is expected from this evening Sunday 26/01/2025, through to tomorrow morning, 27/01/2025. We expect flooding to affect low-lying land and roads in the area. Further, potentially heavy, rainfall is forecast overnight. We expect river levels to rise in response to this through the night. We are closely monitoring the situation. Our incident response staff are actively checking river levels and the weather forecast. Please avoid using low lying footpaths and bridges near local watercourses and plan driving routes to avoid low lying roads near rivers, which may be flooded. This message will be updated midday Monday 27/01/2025, or as the situation changes.

Flood Alert for River Stour in South Warwickshire

Selfie with smiley face having run Shipston IX in very windy conditions. Picture taken in Fell Mill Lane just outside of Shipston on Stour.

Crikey, that was a windy one this morning! Thoroughly enjoyed the Shipston IX, taking in the beautiful #Warwickshire villages/hamlets of Tysoe, Whatcote & Honington. Cracking effort from all involved with #StratfordAthleticsClub & their #volunteers for putting on the event for the first time.

Photo shows the Community Food Fleet signage at WRCC's Meals on Wheels distribution hub in Leamington Spa. The sign shows the number for this service which is 01926 800915.

I am looking forward to going out with our Community Food Fleet this morning, providing #MealsOnWheels and a 'Warm and Well' check for people across #Warwickshire. Find out more about this service via www.communityfoodfleet.org.uk #WRCC #WarksRCC

Photo of Chris Cowcher, WRCC along with Stephen Laing and Emma Rawlinson from the British Motor Museum, amongst exhibits at the Gaydon based museum site.

Really positive and informative meeting with Stephen & Emma from the British Motor Museum, who have worked with us at WRCC to support #Warwickshire's #WarmHubs network. I am looking forward to strengthening that relationship to support more #rural outreach and address 'hidden' needs in future.

Are you interested in how your community business can take environmental action? 🤔

Our second, Special Interest Group provides a safe space to share thoughts, ideas, and discussions on how Plunkett and community groups can combat the ongoing climate crisis.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/plunkett-u...

The latest Let's Talk Warwickshire podcast is now out!

With a focus on how to keep your teens well. Covering everything from mental health and body image to vaping and vaccinations.

Read more: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/news/article...

Listen here: letstalkwarwickshire.podbean.com/e/warwickshi...

Photo shows posters and badges promoting Village Halls Week 2025, a week long celebration in March of all the volunteers behind the wonderful network of rural assets which sit at the heart of our communities.

Absolutely love this year's #VillageHallsWeek stash, which has arrived from our national body - ACRE! We're looking forward to promoting the week long celebration of #volunteers running these vital #rural assets here in #Warwickshire, with our 'Halls Together' partners. acre.org.uk/village-hall...

Letter to residents about progress with the parliamentary petition to save the Beds for the Ellen Badger Hospital

📢 Campaign Update: Fighting for Ellen Badger Hospital

Thanks to the amazing Beds for Badger campaign, 4,000+ signatures were collected in weeks.
Your petition is now with the Department for Health.
💪 Thank you to everyone who’s supported this fight.

Selfie of me outside the WRCC offices at the University of Warwick site in Wellesbourne, following a 5k lunchtime run.

Yes, it's a very cheesy selfie of myself post lunchtime run, but I wanted to share it as I'm a keen advocate of taking your full lunch BREAK. It is a break from work. Use it. I may be a new & v.busy CEO, but I'm putting the boundaries in place to protect the 'break' for my mental & physical health.

Chila Kumari Singh Burman exhibition at Compyon Verney, photo shows several pieces of art made from neon lighting.

We are so fortunate to have the wonderful Compton Verney art gallery and park lands here in South #Warwickshire. I enjoyed taking my bairn around the Chila Kumari Singh Burman exhibition. The colours were just so vivid - this picture does not do it justice!

Shakespeare statue covered in frost in the Bancroft gardens in Stratford upon Avon.

Chilly day in #Warwickshire... Will Shakespeare looked a tad cold outside the RSC in #StratfordUponAvon.

New Opportunities for Affordable Housing Speak with our Rural Housing Enabler to learn how your community can make a difference. Together, we can create a brighter future for housing in rural Warwickshire.

"With a stronger focus on delivering affordable homes, especially in areas where affordability is a significant issue, this update is positive news for many households in Warwickshire." Have a read of WRCC's new blog about the NPPF from our Rural Housing Enabler.
www.wrccrural.org.uk/empowering-r...

Lydia Rodford | Global Player Listen to Lydia Rodford for free on Global Player.

Amidst this cold weather, it was great to hear WRCC's Mary Lee on @capitalofficial.bsky.social Coventry last Thursday, talking about the 30 Warm Hubs we run with Cadent, which offer support to over 10k people across #Warwickshire. Listen again at 01:00:30... www.globalplayer.com/catchup/capi...

Our pledge to Warwickshire’s rural communities in 2025 - WRCC WRCC remains committed to offering our valuable services countywide, just as we have for the past 87 incredible years.

Our pledge to Warwickshire's rural communities: Let's work together to ensure our communities are thriving, vibrant, and sustainable. Places where people love to live and work.

#Warwickshire #Rural #Community #CommunityAction #CommunityPower

www.wrccrural.org.uk/our-pledge-t...

Image shows me outside Ilmington Shop holding a box full of locally produced food.

Proud to be supporting this wonderful #Warwickshire #combiz once again this #Christmas! The #communityowned shop in Ilmington have helped my family to feast on #local produce over the festive season for many years, and I'm looking forward to tasting this year's haul tomorrow! @plunkettuk.bsky.social

Warwickshire County Council's devolution bid may delay election The postponement bid on the 2025 election in Warwickshire is subject to government approval,

Community engagement and consultation with key stakeholders and partners should be the priority, to dictate the timescales for any likely merger. It must also consider the huge short-term impact for service delivery & contracts.

#Warwickshire #Devolution

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

How many beds and where? New year consultation will ask public where they want to see south Warwickshire’s 35 hospital community beds.

It is absolutely critical that Warwickshire's rural communities have access to hospital beds, and as a Shipston on Stour resident I hope that the Ellen Badger hospital will be considered in line with this consultation.

#Warwickshire #Rural #NHS #Hospitals
www.stratford-herald.com/news/how-man...