Category: Community

Florist Kathryn Cronin has a yellow theme for her installation at the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park in the next few days (Wed July 17 – Sun July 21).

Daffodils and sunflowers feature in a poignant tribute to her late friend Christine Jones.

The choice of colour is deliberate – the sunflower is the emblem of East Cheshire Hospice where Christine died of bowel cancer in January, while the daffodil is a nod to their Welsh upbringing.

The installation called ‘Threshold – On Life and Living’ is to raise awareness of the Hospice’s work and its motto ‘where people come to live.’

Kathryn Cronin at last year’s Chelsea Flower Show.

Kathryn is exhibiting at Tatton for the third time and had an installation at last year’s Chelsea Flower Show, though this display at Tatton is special for personal reasons.

She said: “This is the most ambitious installation I’ve done and it’s the one that means the most since it’s in honour of a dear long-standing friend.

“Christine loved her garden and I had to have daffodils so I dried them. As a fellow Welsh girl, we’d often cheer the Welsh rugby team when everyone else wasn’t.”

Kathryn at work in her garden. 

Fresh and dried flowers, all sustainably British grown, are arranged in wild garden style, a wooden door frame forming a living threshold.

Kathryn developed her floral passion at five inspired by her fuchsia-loving grandfather Jack.

“I would stand in his greenhouse knee high to his potting bench. The greenhouse took up half the garden at his terraced house in Cardiff. I just loved it and I think every child needs to know how to grow food or flowers.”

Kathryn with flowers for Fashion on the Edge.

Kathryn worked for AstraZeneca for 25 years and has supported the Hospice’s Fashion on the Edge show with flowers grown in her Cheshire canal side cutting garden.

Her business www.fierceblooms.com provides exclusively British flowers for weddings, funerals and other functions and she is passionate about sustainability.

Friends Christine and Christopher Jones on their 40^th wedding anniversary.

“Many places grow flowers for import and that takes a lot of carbon, chemicals and air freight, but you can have beautiful British grown seasonal flowers.

“This has been the toughest year I’ve known for growing flowers due to the cold and wet. The installation will hopefully raise awareness for East Cheshire Hospice where Christine received such wonderful care.”

Next stop half a million pounds! That is the promise from fundraisers What Women Want after a triumphant and emotional fashion show.

The five girls raised £7,000 from the event, taking the overall total donated to East Cheshire Hospice over the last 15 years to a staggering £410,000.

Models who have all experienced cancer took to the catwalk to entertain guests at Tytherington High School.

There was a special surprise too for the WWW quintet who received a lifetime achievement award from the then Macclesfield mayor Cllr Chris Wilcock.

The What Women Want group with Cllr Chris Wilcock. From left, Julie Barnes, Jayne Carter, Jo Millward, Jill Harding and Elaine Burgess.

It was a deserved reward for Julie Barnes, Jo Millward, Jill Harding, Elaine Burgess and Jayne Carter whose amazing dedication has raised such a prolific amount for the Hospice from various fashion shows, balls and bingo nights.

Jayne, the group’s chair, said: “Our fourth fashion show was another fabulous occasion. It was so humbling to see all the models in action. They all either have cancer, are in recovery from the disease or have someone who has passed away from it.

“Their courage was amazing and thank them for putting themselves in the spotlight.”

Olliers Photography captured the models strutting their stuff in clothing provided by SOS Fashions and John Douglas. The event was sponsored by Lynne Stevens from STD Developments.

The work goes on for the WWW women. Jayne said: “The next stop is half a million pounds and we’ll continue doing our fundraising events.

“We were thrilled to receive our civic award from the mayor to cap a wonderful night.”

Kind-hearted Jennie Jones has spent her life helping others.

So when illness forced her to give up her job as a carer, she turned to her creative skills to support the community.

She now has a stall inside her market at Townley Hall which she runs jointly with business partner David Barnett.

Jennie Jones (centre) with hamper winners Charles and Patricia.

Almost 20 traders have stalls at Craft-Collective Market, held from 10.30 am until 3.30 pm on the first Saturday of each month.

Its chosen charity East Cheshire Hospice receives proceeds from a monthly raffle for a luxury hamper made up of goodies donated by traders.

Jennie worked in mental health and autism for many years until five major abdominal operations led to a change of career.

She said: “Once I realised I could no longer be a carer, I decided to do something else to benefit the community.

“While recovering from surgery, I started using my craft skills to give something back.

“The market has gone extremely well since we opened in April and I’m sure there’ll be more Hospice donations when customers come through the door on Saturday (June 1).

“The Hospice is a lifeline when people are going through such a dark time. The charity is an important cause for traders and it’s nice that our craft family has such a diversity of talent.

“We’re combining creativity, community and craftsmanship.”

Have you got any spare room to store items used to raise funds for East Cheshire Hospice?

Fundraiser Gary Henshaw is looking for somewhere to accommodate goods he either sells at his market stall or uses for his tombola stall.

All proceeds go to the Hospice which has received donations of around £12,000 since Gary started his fundraising two years ago.

The retired businessman said: “I’m desperate for an empty garage or a room with easy access once a week to store gifts in.

“I’m also looking for more unwanted gifts I can use for my tombola stall or sell on my stall. Every penny goes to the Hospice which is such a fantastic cause.”

Every entry in the tombola wins a prize. Entry is £1, the same price as any item sold on his stall located outside St Michael’s Church at the next Treacle Market on Sunday (May 26).

Market owners Becky and husband Andy Thompson have another bumper line up of stalls, plus music at the popular market.

Stallholder Gary Henshaw (left) with Treacle Market owners Becky and Andy Thompson and Alex Williams (right). 

The couple teamed up with former Manchester City goalkeeper Alex Williams to raise £200 for the Hospice from sales of his autobiography at the last event.

Gary said: “There’s a wonderful community spirit at the market. Football fans of all ages supporting many different teams came along to say hello to Alex.”

* If you can help Gary call him on 07776 181028 or email gazhenshaw@hotmail.com

It is time for Kath Ibbotson to finally hand over the baton after more than half a century teaching music.

She retires as Musical Director of Claritas, the East Cheshire Hospice Choir, with a musical coffee morning at the United Reformed Church on Saturday, March 23 (10-12).

Kath leaves after 12 memorable years volunteering with the choir which has raised more than £58,000 for the Hospice.

She said: “I’m ready to retire. In many ways I’m quite sad, but it was the right time for someone else to take over and continue the good work.”

The community choir are conducting interviews for her successor.

She said: “I’ve been teaching one way or another since I was 16. The choir raises money for a fantastic cause, but the role of Musical Director can be quite tying.

“I always need to be in Macclesfield on Mondays for rehearsals and there’s plenty of preparation.

“The choir can’t make progress unless the MD is available, so the buck stops with me. However, there is a full committee doing lots of other vital jobs.

“I want to thank Hilary Balsdon our accompanist, choir members and the public who’ve attended concerts for their support.

Kath Ibbotson, who has decided to retire as Musical Director of Claritas, the East Cheshire Hospice Choir.

“I’ll enjoy the freedom to travel, pursue other interests, and be more available for my family.”

Kath taught at Fallibroome Academy for 21 years before retiring in 2010, though she was involved for another six years.

After moving to Macclesfield in 1975, she taught music at Tytherington and Wilmslow High Schools.

Between 1983 and 2012, Kath became accompanist then a MD with Macclesfield Majestic Theatre Group.

Her Claritas highlights include the 2014 Fallibroome concert; the 2016 10^th anniversary concert and two recent Christmas concerts at the United Reformed Church, all raising large sums.

Kath said: “Sponsorship and donations offset costs so everything we raise goes to the Hospice. Our members have been touched by the Hospice in some way and fundraising is a way of giving back.

“We have three big fundraising concerts each year and perform at clubs, societies, nursing and residential homes.

“I also introduced Singalongs because while people like to listen, they also love to join in.”

Kath will continue to play her piano. “After teaching music for so long, I do appreciate peace and quiet. I’m looking forward to attending concerts and in 12 months’ time might even visit Claritas to see how they’re doing.”

* Visit www.claritaschoir.com