Among the projects that West End Morecambe Big Local (WEM) has recently commissioned are a growing number of smaller initiatives.
One such initiative plans to bring a little ‘Sparkle’ into the West End. As the evenings get darker, we’re planning to help light things up with something celebratory that leaves a solid legacy for illumination activity in the area. Working with Morecambe Sparkle CIC, the organisation behind the much acclaimed Baylight festival, WEM has agreed a £10,000 contribution towards some illuminations in the West End. We are agreeing the details this month and hopefully the West End will be more aglow this winter.
the west end Morecambe big local blog
Digital Exclusion
Among the projects that West End Morecambe Big Local (WEM) has recently commissioned are a growing number of smaller initiatives.
We hope to develop a commission that will support individuals who have lagged behind in digital skills. A key issue is how to provide support in a way that is welcoming and reduces the anxiety of the digital world and of learning settings.
New West End Online Directory Website
WEM is developing a ‘West End Online’ website to promote local businesses, trade, community groups, and services. This has moved to its beta version (a nerdy name for testing) and is currently looking for local partners who want to begin being listed.
Mental Health Project Commission
Back in March 2023 we launched a mental health project commission, looking for some activity that would support mental health in the West End. The mental health commission was advertised for over five weeks and generated a good deal of interest, with over 170 downloads of the main commission and small ideas form.
WEM working towards a West End Community Fair
Among the projects that West End Morecambe Big Local (WEM) has recently commissioned are a growing number of smaller initiatives.
WEM has been having
conversations towards the idea of a
unifying community fair in the West
End. This would be an occasion for
bringing together the potential of both
past and existing activities, festivals,
fairs, etc., but with a specific objective.
Rather than replicating or seeking to
improve on previous projects, one
suggestion has been to underscore
such an event with a more serious
purpose, such as a health fair, whilst
still offering a ‘community festival’
appeal. Let’s see what 2024 brings.
West End residents invited to participate in Frontierland Consultation
Frontierland has been a vacant eyesore on Morecambe’s seafront since closing in the late 1990s. For over 20 years it was subject to a number of failed private sector schemes until it was bought by the city council to kickstart redevelopment. Lancaster Council is now entering into local consultation about
Job Opportunity: Young People’s Mental Health Support Worker
WEM is currently seeking to appoint a young person’s mental health support worker for the West End.
Growing Resilience: Learn to Thrive!
Growing Resilience is a self-awareness course that considers encountering conflict and stress in everyday life, as a certain inevitability. The programme shows participants how to grow a mental health toolkit to become more resilient and be better able to cope with times of chaos and deal with conflict pro-actively, focussing on a positive future situation.
Green Rose HEAT Project
The Home Energy Action Together project (HEAT for short) is being funded by WEM Big Local for 12 months from Jan 1st 2023 to Dec 31st 2023 to deliver free Home Energy advice, support and training across the West End. We met and talked to Morecambe-based Green Rose CIC to deliver the project and Green Rose was given a set of targets. HEAT are now half way through their project, and have already reached around 50% of their target completion. It seemed a good time to catch up with how they are doing, so we spoke to Lucy Reynolds, the WEM-funded HEAT Project Worker to hear how things are going.
Growing Well
We’ve been chatting lately with Growing Well, a group who were unsuccessful with their Mental health submission, but we still wanted to promote their service to West End residents. You can read about Growing Well below, or find out more at their website at https://www.growingwell.co.uk/.