Opportunities on CRE8’s agenda

Local charity Cre8, which provides activities and services for young people and their families on Macclesfield’s Moss Rose Estate, continues to go from strength to strength and is working to expand its social enterprise activities, as local MP, David Rutley, learned on a recent visit.

On his visit, David met with Cre8’s Founding Director, Rob Wardle, and gave his continued support to the charity’s successful social enterprise businesses, Cre8 Works and Cre8 Facilities. The projects enable local young people to gain valuable paid work experience, either cleaning milk floats for Manchester’s Creamline Dairies, or taking part in ground maintenance, weed control and rubbish removal for local residents and businesses.

Mr Wardle explained that Cre8 is looking to further expand these businesses, as well as to develop opportunities for new social enterprises in the community, to support more local people to take the first step on the career ladder and get into the world of work. Among its exciting plans for the future, Cre8 is looking at the potential to establish a new mobile food pantry, which would serve vulnerable residents in Macclesfield.

As well as its important social enterprise work, Cre8, which has now been established for thirteen years, has built up a vital role on the Moss Rose Estate, working with young people and their families to provide community-based activities, including music clubs, and camps. Cre8 hosts Fun Days and Concerts throughout the year and young service users recently performed at the first MaccPride event in the Marketplace.

Cre8 also run a successful garden and allotment project at St Barnabas Church, which is open to all Moss estate residents on Friday afternoons. One of Cre8’s new projects is a joint venture with Macclesfield charity Just Drop-In and Wilmslow Youth, aimed at tackling young people’s mental health challenges. David was also impressed to hear more about how the charity was runner up at the North West charity awards last year.

Any local businesses that are interested in getting involved further with the charity’s social enterprise work can contact Cre8 via the charity’s social media page, www.facebook.com/cre8macclesfield, or by telephoning 01625 503740.

Speaking after his visit, David said, “It was a pleasure to once again visit Cre8 and to learn more from Rob about the charity’s ongoing work to develop its important social enterprise businesses, which play a key role in giving local young people new skills and confidence, to help them into the world of work. The charity has become a much-loved and invaluable part of the Moss Road Estate, and I look forward to continuing to support its important endeavours in the months ahead.”