Cheshire East brings scarecrows to the Cheshire Show

Cheshire East  is the best in the North West in yet another field of endeavour – making scarecrows.

The Council is running a competition for sponsors and trade stands at the Cheshire County Show – this Tuesday and Wednesday – who are being asked to feature a scarecrow on their plot.

Show-goers will be encouraged to follow the scarecrow trail, visiting each trade stand with the chance to win a prize.

The Council will also be featuring a ‘scarecrows’ committee’ on its own stand, showcasing the work of eight community groups.

The best scarecrow will be rewarded with a £100 donation to the community group that made it.

One of the entries is from Poynton Pandas, a drop-in support group for parents with pre and postnatal mental illness which is run by a constituted, voluntary group of six mothers.

Mrs Scarecrow, whose baby Annabelle arrived by emergency cesarean two weeks ago, was Communities and businesses throughout Cheshire East are setting out to prove that the referred to Poynton Pandas by her midwife, so that she can talk about her feelings with others who have been through similar situations. Mr Scarecrow is pleased that she is getting support.

Councillor Les Gilbert, Cheshire East Council’s Cabinet member for communities, said: “Cheshire East has consistently been named by the Halifax Quality of Life Survey as the best place to live in the North West.

“We know that one of our biggest strengths is our community spirit.  We have vibrant and strong local communities, which bring local people together to improve their area and gets things done.

“Cheshire East Council is pioneering new ways to tackle the root causes of problems in society and we regard active and dedicated voluntary groups as important allies.

“By helping young people to play an active role in their neighbourhoods, or helping older people to live independently and get the most out of life, they are doing a vital job.

“The scarecrow competition is a fun way of demonstrating that spirit, and showing that we are fantastic at other things, as well as being a great place to live, work and invest.”

Cheshire East Council is again one of the principal partners of the Cheshire Show on June 23 and 24. The sponsorship underlines the authority’s love of farming and the countryside, as well as its determination to support the rural economy.

The Cheshire East stand will be easy to spot on the Cheshire County Showground at Tabley, near Knutsford.

It will be dominated by a 46 sq m outdoor television screen that will show live footage from events around the showground as well as videos showcasing the best of Cheshire East.

Visitors to the Cheshire East stand will also be able to:

• Sign up to switch to Fairerpower, the Council’s new electricity and gas supplier which offers cheaper tariffs than the big six energy companies
• Find out more about fostering
• Learn how Connecting Cheshire is bringing superfast broadband to more and more of the borough
• Speak to Council officers about the services provided by Cheshire East and its wholly-owned companies, including streetscape and waste collection services from Ansa and bereavement services from Orbitas
• Catch up with Cheshire East Highways officers about the latest plans to improve our road network