AGM celebrates High Peak's Community champions
Whaley Bridge's Holy Trinity Church was full of High Peak charitable groups, to celebrate and stand with our community.
We proudly hosted our Annual General Meeting (AGM), providing an opportunity for local organisations to come together, celebrate shared achievements, and honour the outstanding contributions within our community.
On a blustery Wednesday lunchtime, 13th November, the warm and welcoming atmosphere of Holy Trinity Church in Whaley Bridge was filled with representatives from a multitude of charitable groups, all dedicated to enhancing the lives of those in the High Peak.
With doors opening at noon, attendees were greeted with hot drinks, cake, and friendly faces, setting the tone for an uplifting and engaging afternoon.
The meeting officially commenced at 12:30 pm with an introduction and rousing message from our Chair, Karen Rigg, mostly surrounding the looming cuts the voluntary sector are facing.
This was then followed by our newly appointed CEO, Ross Burnage. Ross shared his journey into the voluntary sector and highlighted key achievements from our Annual Report, demonstrating the impact High Peak CVS has made over the past year.
Crompton & Woodcock award
Our Group Development Workers, Deb and Clare, proudly celebrated the voluntary organisations across High Peak, presenting the award in memory of former Chairs Mike Crompton and Chris Woodcock. Jo then awarded certificates to the winners, recognising their outstanding service to our community.
The nominations
There were 24 nominated groups who were all well deserving of recognition but a top 3 had to be chosen!
Runners Up
Sustainable Hayfield
A community group formed around a shared determination to ensure Hayfield will be a beautiful place to live for future generations. This is done through: increasing awareness of climate change issues, share knowledge of positive lifestyle choices to protect our environment and equip the younger generation with the skills to meet the challenge of change ahead.
High Peak Hearing Voices
The group provides 2 monthly meetings for people with a severe mental illness, generally labelled as having schizophrenia, to meet to discuss their personal, tormenting voices and to learn/share strategies for group members to learn to live with the illness. Since its inception in November 2020, group members describe the group as a safe, respectful group to talk with ‘people in the same boat, on the same level’, which has helped them on their road to recovery/inclusion.
Winners
Survive and Thrive
A peer-to-peer support group for people with long-term chronic conditions such as Fibromyalgia, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Long-Covid, and other similar post-viral fatigue conditions.
Meeting once a month in person and once a month online, Survive and Thrive provide a safe space for people with these conditions and their friends and family members to share experiences and advice on how to deal with various aspects of living with these conditions.
Following the meeting and awards ceremony, attendees enjoyed a vibrant networking session—over another round of tea and cake, of course! This provided a valuable opportunity for local charities and services to connect, share insights, and explore new avenues for collaboration.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to each and every person who attended, voted, and continues to support High Peak CVS. For over two decades, your dedication has strengthened our community and helped shape the High Peak into the remarkable place it is today. We look forward to another year of growth, partnership, and positive impact.
Enjoy some more pictures taken throughout the day below!
