National Family Week is back (30 May - 5 June 2011) and promises to be even bigger and better with a fun-filled week of activities, events, money saving offers and competitions for the whole family to enjoy. Now in its third year, National Family Week is the largest celebration of families and family life in the UK. This year over 6,000 family-friendly events and activities will take place all across the UK during the week and Torrington Drive Community Association and partners are proud to be part of this great family initiative. During Halewood Family Week Celebrations Torrington Drive Community Association and partners will be providing families in Halewood with a fun-packed free week out in support of National Family Week 2011. So don’t miss out on this opportunity for a range of great day out with your nearest and dearest.
The average family spends just 49 minutes a day together according to a poll commissioned by National Family Week in 2010 so it’s time to shine the spotlight on spending time together as a family and highlight the importance of this. Torrington Drive Community Association and partners would like to invite families from across Halewood to join us and do just that! A taste of things on offer:
Monday 30th May (Bank Holiday) - Ice Rink in the sun
Tuesday 31st May - Teddy Bears Picnic
Wednesday 1st June - Breakfast with the characters
Thursday 2nd June - Family activity day
Friday 3rd June - Family Swap day
Saturday 4th June - The Big Summer Funday and Carboot Sale
Sunday 5th June - The Big Lunch and Bingo
Join us for some family fun and celebrate your family during National Family Week this year.
For more details on Halewood Family Week Celebrations, download a copy of our National Family Week leaflet or call 0151 443 2175.
Halewood Youth in Community Centre (The Boyzee) is currently closed, due to the boiler not working. The initial cost for reheating the building will be £2000 this will allow the building to reopen to the children and young people of our community.
Members from the club will be out and about over the next week collecting much needed funds.
As snow falls across the country our local community has its fair share of bad weather.
Local residents will be asking themselves if they should venture out of the front door as the snow will and ice will make it difficult to get around safely, as many other will be taking the opportunity to build snowmen, create sculptures and enjoy the different views of our community that are not seen very often.
Over the past couple of months our country has experienced some of the worst weather since records began.
That why community volunteers decided to help our most vulnerable residents during this period by offering free bowls of warm scouse and a crusty roll to keep them warm, the food was prepared freshly by the green Room Café. Volunteers also ensured that residents had all their essential groceries to last them during the cold weather and if they didn’t a short trip to the local hops was no problem.
Tine Harris, Chairperson - “To be able to offer this small warm meal to many of our vulnerable residents was a pleasure and I am sure that this will have gone a long way to making sure that they felt supported during the cold weather”
Christmas celebrations begin with a bang !
Community Association volunteers, staff from Halewood children’s centres and other partners joined the local community for the switching on of the Christmas lights at New Hutte Neighbourhood Centre and Oak Tree children’s centre.
The 2-hour event, named “Twinkle, Twinkle Halewood”, was attended by over 250 families from across Halewood and over 450 people in total. Highlights of the day included Santa in his grotto, a choir of young people from the Halewood Centre for Learning singing carols, Christmas wreath making, children’s play activities, the switch on of the Christmas lights and, most dramatically, a superb firework display that arrived almost at the same moment as the star on the Christmas tree began to twinkle……
For more pictures of the event click here
Knowsley Housing Trust has provided us with £1,100 so two members of the association can learn to drive a minibus.
Association secretary Gary See is one of those taking the driving lessons along with treasurer and vice chairman Gary Connor. Once they have passed their test they will be able to hire minibuses to take residents on day trips rather than paying for costly coaches.
Gary See said: “We plan to organise two days out for residents a year but we have to pay for expensive coach hire. In the past we have had to ask people for £3-£5 towards the cost. But being able to drive a minibus ourselves will mean we will be able to reduce the costs to the community”.
During the past year Torrington Drive Community Association had been fundraising to purchase a specially commissioned bench in memory of Simon Hornby.
The Bench was received in October and positioned in front of the class room that Simon once attended. A small family gathering was organised to present the bench to Simons close loved ones.
Simons Mum and Dad have thanked the community for their support.
TDCA Youth Member Tony See has won a prestigious award thanks to KHT.
Tony and other members of TDCA attended a very special evening organised by KHT (Tuesday, 21st September 2010) at which he won the award for YOUNG CITIZEN OF THE YEAR. This category was a tough one to win, with two other strong nominees Carl Riley and Carl Geraghty. Our commiserations go to these two young people.
Tina Harris, Chairperson said ” Well done Tony, we are so proud of you and all you have achieved. You are a positive role model to the young generations of our local community, and are a well respected young person among our older residents. keep up the excellent work!”
To see pictures of the evening visit our Flickr page - Click here
For more information about KHT Community Impact Awards 2010 - Click here
Advantage is a support package available to all KHT tenants. There are four elements to Advantage; Ge
t Rewarded, Get Information and Guidance, Find Jobs and Training and Get Funding for Community Projects.
We try to reward tenants for keeping to the terms of their tenancy agreement i.e. paying rent on time, allowing KHT access to service gas appliances, having no anti-social behaviour orders. Each quarter we run a prize draw into which all eligible tenants are entered, we have so far given away numerous TVs, laptops and hundreds of high street vouchers.
Every KHT tenant should have received an Advantage Discount Card, which entitles them to many local and some national savings in many shops and restaurants. This also helps to sustain local business as well as reducing the cost of tenants weekly shopping bill.
KHT tenants are also able to access a completely free of charge helpline, which provides advice and information on a range of subjects, from benefits to bereavement. KHT also provides information and guidance around reducing the cost of gas and electricity; we have a dedicated Energy Efficiency Team who visit tenants and carry out Home Energy Audits with a view to saving tenants money on their energy bills. Advantage also funds Welfare Benefits and Debt Advisors who are available to all KHT tenants.
Advantage is working towards tackling unemployment in Knowsley, and provides tenants with help gaining employment and training in partnership with Knowsley Works, Knowsley Community College and Fusion 21. Advantage helped to secure funding for 60 long term unemployed people to come and work for the trust through the Future Jobs Fund, some who have secured longer contracts with KHT.
The Advantage Team also funds community projects and non-for-profit organisations that benefit the local community such as the Veggie Van and Community Cafes such as the Green Room.
For more information about Advantage and the services we provide, please call 0151 290 7000 or visit http://advantage.k-h-t.org/
Residents in Halewood have exchanged everything from books and toys to 
furniture in a bid to help the environment.
A ‘Swap Day’ was held by Community Associations in Mackets Lane, Leathers Lane/Wood Road, Torrington Drive and WAFTA , in September to reduce the amount of waste residents were sending to landfill sites. Just under 1 tonne of waste was diverted from landfill by residents simply swapping items of furniture, toys, clothing etc.
Swap days are used to raise awareness of the Councils waste minimisation projects whereby people can bring something along and exchange it for something they want….completely free of charge.
Picture: Knowsley Housing Trust (KHT), Knowsley Borough Council and Volunteers from Halewood Residents Groups.
Hayley Summers from KHT said: “We had a lot of people picking up some great items
“KHT is committed to recycling and helping our tenants reduce the amount of waste they produce, so we thought this was a great idea.
National Family Week is back (30 May - 5 June 2011) and promises to be even bigger and better with a fun-filled week of activities, events, money saving offers and competitions for the whole family to enjoy. Now in its third year, National Family Week is the largest celebration of families and family life in the UK. This year over 6,000 family-friendly events and activities will take place all across the UK during the week and Torrington Drive Community Association and partners are proud to be part of this great family initiative. During Halewood Family Week Celebrations Torrington Drive Community Association and partners will be providing families in Halewood with a fun-packed free week out in support of National Family Week 2011. So don’t miss out on this opportunity for a range of great day out with your nearest and dearest. 
