Middle Wallop Robots

It was a cold night out in Test Valley, when CB visited the Community Centre at Middle Wallop Station where the Army Welfare Service look after a large number of local Families.
Stuart worked with the adult volunteers to put on a robot making competition using recycled materials, showing them how to use the hot glue guns safely. At the end, each robot maker had to give a short presentation about their creation - it's name, as well as it's special functions and abilities! There were some fantastic ideas - all made in just 2 hours.
There were lots of questions about the Scrapstore and how it operates, and more than one request to come and see the store!

New Films for Mansbridge and Swaythling 2009!

The Mansbridge Cinema Club has now gained independance, having been set up with the help of SCC development worker, Elly Wong,the CB Project and the

support of the residents association.

Local residents, Isobel and Nick, have now taken over the running of the group and renamed it 'Swaythling Films'. The group shows films once a month at Mansbridge Primary School and has a special licence for the showings within a local community setting, but are not permitted to charge. However, you can buy yourself a cup of tea and a cake during the interval.

Good luck to the project, which recently featured in the Southampton Echos, 'Beat the Credit Crunch' guide!

Mansbridge Art Sessions

During November and December, members of the Mansbridge community met together for a series of craft workshops run by Scrapstore artist, Vicki Hodgson. Swaythling Housing very kindly lent their Gilbury Close meeting room and the sessions, and local artist, Ade Hollinshead, also assisted. In this time of the credit crunch, the group members learnt how to make their own custom wrapping paper, cards, rags and crackers! skills to be retained for future money saving. Elsewhere in Mansbridge, The Cinema Club which CB helped to set up, is now being run by two local residents, Isobel and Nick, who already have set up a new programme for Spring 2009.

Mini Millbrook in Thornhill Christmas Carnival

Well, the ladies from Mini Millbrook finally got to show off all their hard work at the Thornhill Christmas Carnival on Friday 12th December. And they looked stunning in their Alphonso Mucha French themed costumes!

Their picture frames manged to withstand high winds and rain, and the ladies danced there way around Thornhill estate for over an hour. Everyone enjoyed themselves and it a great finale to the NCFE Carnival Training course they've been studying with TWICS since September.

Well done and Congratulations Mini Millbrook!

New Forest Young Parents groups - Christmas Party

Last Thursday, CB Participated in a combined Christmas Party for both the New Milton and Fordingbridge Young parents groups. CB have been working alongside the youth service, in supporting these new projects.

Over the last 6 months we have funded community artist, Kate Aughey, to run workshops with both groups, passing on practical sewing and home craft skills. These skills are now becoming very useful during the credit crunch, with members making custom cloth bags with block printed designs as christmas gifts.
For the Christmas party, we borrowed a full size Reindeer from St Albans Church in Swaythling, (many thanks), and the New Milton group painted a suitable backdrop, so that the children could have special Christmas photos taken with 'Rudolph'. The whole event was very successful and we were rushed off our feet, taking and printing out photos.

Mini Millbrook Project carnival dance class

The Mini Millbrook Project 'shook its booty' at a choreography class with Dance teachers from Nottinghill Carnival. Laid on by TWICS Training and Thornhill Plus You as part of the NFCE Certificate in Carnival Craft, the dance class was an all day event in preperation for the Thornhill Christmas Carnival on Friday 12th December.

CB working with the Army Welfare Service in 2009

The CB project will be breaking new ground in the new year as part of it's rural push in the Test Valley and Winchester Areas.
After making contact with the Army Welfare Service, we have been meeting with the community development worker at Worthy Down Camp, in South Wonston.
With a large number of service families living in an isolated location, we are keen to work together on a community event project that will bring people out of their army quarters, to meet up and get involved, and also to learn new skills for future events.