We have so many voluntary organisations that make the Moorlands amazing and it is a pleasure to highlight just 3 of them as my week 14’s Reason to Visit the Moorlands.
The first of these is Home-Start Staffordshire Moorlands based in Leek. To celebrate their 25 year anniversary and to continue to raise funds for families in the Moorlands, they have organised an Anniversary Challenge and Toddler Trail which will take place on Sunday 10th September.
The 19 mile walk is from Flash Bar to Stockton Brook via Tittesworth and Leek. There are lots of options including a flat walk along the canal towpath and a Toddler Trail in Brough park for the little ones.
Led by the fantastic Catherine Bennett, the Moorlands branch of the national Breast Cancer Now charity runs brilliant campaigns to raise awareness of breast cancer. This year the Titties-Worth walk around Tittesworth reservoir was held at the end of August.
The third local voluntary group I am focusing on is Borderland Voices (arts for health and mental well-being), a fantastic charity which aims to promote mental well-being and counteract the stigma associated with mental health issues. Borderland Voices gained the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2017 and is probably unique locally in the service it offers to support mental well-being.
The charity runs small, regular creative writing and expressive art groups who meet weekly to learn (or practise) varied arts-based skills. Attendance is open-ended and participants gain inspiration from a local professional artist. They also support one another and have fun. Just taking part reduces social isolation and helps people cope better in every-day situations.
These are just a few of our many local voluntary groups, all doing such amazing work and organising events and activities to help others – all such fantastic Reasons to Visit the Moorlands.
