The ‘Have your Say’ kids activity event on Saturday 5th November gives people an opportunity to shape the future of the Working Families project run by Creating Enterprise.

Jasmine from the Creating Futures team has organised a fun day packed full of activities for kids, to allow parents and carers to have their say on the future of the Working Families project. Activities include sports sessions, arts and crafts and a winter wellbeing session themed around light.

If you:

• Live in social housing or a private rented property
• Have at least 1 child
• Have at least 1 person in your household working
• Live in Old Colwyn, Rhos On Sea, Mochdre or Llandudno

The activities are all completely free for eligible families, and food will be provided.

Book your place today: https://forms.office.com/r/UK5EhpJhBW

Do you know any working families living in social or private rented accommodation in Llandudno, Rhos-on-Sea, Mochdre and Old Colwyn who would benefit from free family events, activities and support?

Please share this event with them!

This week we opened the doors to our community centres in Rhos on Sea, Kinmel Bay and Old Colwyn to offer a ‘Warm Welcome’ to tenants and local residents.

The temperature has most definitely dropped during the week and both mornings and evenings have felt quite chilly!

People have already started to visit our ‘warm hubs’ to enjoy a warm safe space, a free mug of hot soup and a roll – as well as a good chat. There’s been a great reception to the scheme, and we hope that it will not only help to keep people warm – but reduce isolation and encourage community cohesion throughout the winter.

• 7 million – The estimated number of households across the UK in fuel poverty from 1 October 2022. This could rise to 7.8 million from spring 2023
• Over 11,000 – Winter deaths caused by cold homes (NEA).
• Nearly half of low-income households are still living in energy-leaking homes

The definition of fuel poverty is: ‘a household that spends more than 10% of its income on fuel costs and if the remaining household income is insufficient to maintain an adequate standard of living’.

Source: www.endfuelpoverty.org.uk

Though it’s sad news that we’re in this situation – it’s reassuring to know that there are warm hubs across Conwy that people can access if needed.

Our Warm Welcome timetable is as follows:

There are also similar schemes being run by Conwy County Borough Council and various charities across the region.  If you know anyone who will benefit – please do pass on the information. As we head towards winter, these warm hubs could literally help save lives.

For support with fuel bills or cold homes – contact Warm Wales or speak to one of the Creating Enterprise team for advice on other organisations who can help.

On Friday 6th October, a few of the Creating Futures team took a trip to Maesgeirchen in Bangor, to visit Maes Ni – an Invest Local community project.

It was a great opportunity to discuss community engagement and chat about what works and what doesn’t. Though the communities we serve are distributed differently – there was a lot to be learned.

Maesgeirchen is a large housing estate on the outskirts of Bangor, with roughly 800 properties and 3,000 residents. It is the third-largest housing estate in Wales. The estate is only accessible by one road – which makes it a particularly tight-knit community. Very different from the smaller, scattered communities that we serve here at Creating Enterprise!

Community Support Worker Jess Silvester welcomed us for a chat at the Maes Ni community hub, along with resident and local Councillor Peter Whitby. We took a walk around the area, stopping by their amazing community garden and their newly acquired community space.

‘Whatever it takes to make stuff happen!’

One of their key priorities is developing a community centre to provide adequate spaces to carry out activities. They are also working to improve the local environment and create a sense of pride in the community through activities such as litter picks, gardening and supporting youth performing arts group MaesG ShowZone.

A particular highlight of the visit was learning about the HIVE Community Cafe, where volunteers gather once a week to cook free meals for the community. They are now providing over 70 meals for residents of all ages, who all come together at the local church. The volunteers clearly have a knack for budget shopping, with meals costing them just 50p a head!!

‘Perseverance pays off!’

“As the community begin to see things happening, they start to believe that things are possible. This gives residents the confidence to bring their ideas to us.” Jess told us.

Other projects that Maes Ni support include ‘Stich & Bitch’ sewing and craft mornings and ‘Cranky Moos’ coffee mornings – both community led initiatives, which are helping to bring residents together.

The trip highlighted just how valuable visiting other projects and communities is for the team. The opportunity to share best practice, be inspired (and reassured!) is time well spent! Jess was keen to learn how we measure our social impact here at Creating Enterprise. We hope that we can welcome her for a visit to CE in the near future so we can share some top tips.

Find out more about Maes Ni at: https://www.bct.wales/areas/maesgeirchen

Got an idea for a community project? Get in touch with us and see how we can help! We support community groups all across Conwy – so whatever your idea, we’d love to hear about it. Drop us an email at: getinvolved@creatingenterprise.org.uk

Our Creating Futures team are heading out on tour!

The jobs bus will be visiting communities across Conwy from 26th September to 27th October.

Our roadshows have been a huge success in previous years, so we can’t wait to be out on the road again!

Spending time within communities across Conwy allows us to connect with Cartrefi Conwy tenants and local people. It’s an amazing opportunity to learn about their lives and what matters most to them, so we can develop targeted support that is unique to each community.

It also allows us to spread the word about all of the fantastic opportunities that are already available through our Creating Futures program – from job opportunities and volunteering to digital support and free family activities.

Come along for a chat, meet our wonderful Creating Futures team and find out how we can help you and your community!

Now we’ve all settled in at our new Morfa Gele offices, we’re super excited to hold our first Open Day on Thursday 22nd September.

No need to book, just come along anytime between 12pm and 3pm.

Meet the Creating Enterprise team and find out about our upcoming courses, events and job opportunities – as well as all the support services we offer.

We can’t wait to meet you!

For more information, email get.involved@cartreficonwy.org or call 01492 588980

Bus services to North Wales Business Park are: 13/12 and 12x

Great news – our Passport to Construction course is back!

The next course starts on Wednesday 31 August in Abergele, and will run 3 days a week for 2 weeks. The course – which offers an opportunity to get a CSCS card, meet local employers and gain certificates and practical experience – is open to anyone living in Conwy County.

Just recently we learnt that one of the participants on our most recent course had been offered a Painting & Decorating apprenticeship with Bell Group – yet another example of the power of Passport to Construction to change lives!

Spaces for this course are already filling up fast! Get in touch to secure yours!

01492 588 980

get.involved@cartreficonwy.org

Did you know that Creating Enterprise’s base recently moved from Mochdre to Abergele? It’s fantastic to have Cartrefi Conwy and Creating Enterprise back under the same roof! We’re busy planning an open event where you’ll be able to come and have a look around and learn more about all of the fantastic services we offer. Keep an eye on our website and social media pages for more information coming soon!

It’s here! We are absolutely thrilled to share with you our Annual Report, which highlights Creating Enterprise’s achievements during 2021/22.

And what a fantastic year it’s been! We are beaming with pride at the stats and stories on every single page. Massive congratulations to our wonderful colleagues, partners and communities.

Read the report here.

We were absolutely delighted to receive the following feedback from a tenant who recently moved into her new home on the Swn Y Gwynt estate in Holyhead. It’s amazing to see the difference that the Passivhaus system can make to people’s lives in terms of comfort and energy efficiency.

“I’m over the moon with my new home! The construction and finish are fantastic. When I shut my front door I feel so secure – it’s so quiet! The house is always at an ideal temperature for me, even on the really hot days we had last week and in the colder weather over the weekend. The technology in this home is incredible – I can’t get over how clever the fresh air and misting systems are. It’s all amazing and I want to sing its praises from the rooftops!”

Find out more over on our Modular Solutions page.