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Multimedia studio The Studio – Limestone Studio – has appointed Saul Sheard as tutor, with responsibility for teaching our programmes for young people (funded by the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund) and for developing other multimedia projects. Saul, who graduated from the Heritage Display We have introduced a number of hand-held audio guides which provide supplementary information for visitors. Also, a video film-loop has been introduced to provide specific information about individual aspects of heritage. Education and Accreditation Recent changes in government policy have reduced the funding available to adult education so substantially that costs have risen to a level which most individuals cannot contemplate paying. Furthermore, it has become necessary for provides to set the required levels of attendance at classes at a level which is hard to reach even when fees are low. The result has been that the number of classes we have been able to host from our usual provider –
Please refer to the Courses section of this site for details of current courses. Course details are also displayed on the film loop in the HeritageDisplay Archived News January 4th 2007 Elmton & Creswell Village Company"s Forum have invited a Yorkshire Brass Band, "Innovate Skelmanthorpe Band" to play in Creswell. The Huddersfield based band will be in concert at 7.30pm on Saturday, 24th February 2007 in Creswell Social Centre. Tickets are available from Limestone House 01909 724061 or Creswell Social Centre 01909 721558. Prices £5, or £4 concessions. This concert renews Creswell"s history with Brass Bands and an exhibition by the Local History Group about their famous Championship Brass Band, Creswell Colliery Band, is currently on display in The Heritage Centre at Limestone House, Elmton Rd, Creswell which is open on Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm and Saturday mornings 9am to 12 noon.
August 11th 2006
The ECVC has arranged a number of exciting Heritage Talks about our area. They will take place in the autumn and a register of interested individuals is being made. Contact Limestone House to book your place! The first of the ECVC Heritage Talks took place today at Creswell Crags. A wonderful visit to the current archaeological dig took place, viewing the site and the finds. This was folllowed by a magnficient lecture by Dr Roger Jacobi of the British Museum. For those of you that missed this, you can follow the dig diary by clicking here!
THE ELMTON WITH CRESWELL VILLAGE FORUM At their A.G.M. on Monday 12th June 06 it was decided that the Elmton with Creswell Village Forum will merge with the Elmton & Creswell Village Company. The Elmton with Creswell Village Forum was dissolved. The Elmton & Creswell Village Company’s Forum was then formed on The assets of the Elmton with Creswell Village Forum are transferred to the Elmton & Creswell Village Company along with the Development Plan of action for the benefit of the Community.
April 17th 2006
Developments of the Elmton &Creswell Village Company Limestone House, the multi purpose centre, continues to maintain its strong link within the Community. Its Education Centre, Nearly New shop, Coffee shop and Heritage Centre as well as Advisory services all play their part in the success of this project. Linking to the Heritage Centre theme:- two coach Heritage Outings were arranged recently, sponsored by the Town Centre Partnership, taking participants to the Hardwick Hall Estate and the surrounding area. John Charlesworth from the Creswell Heritage Trust shared his knowledge of the area with the coach party. Three further Heritage Outings will take place in the coming months and these will be advertised in Limestone House (01909 724061). Creswell Resource Point was brought back into full use for the Youth Point, some School Holiday activities and also became the venue for the Multi Media Studio. These are all strands of the Creswell Youth Project. Some education courses continue to take place at the Resource Point. The Creswell Youth Project In 2005 the Village Company was commissioned by the Local Strategic Partnership (Education) to run a Project to provide enrichment activities for the Young People of Creswell. The Village Company is working in partnership with Elmton with Creswell Village Forum, Creswell Heritage Trust and is also supported by the Bolsover District Council Community Economic Development Team on this project. Four strands of ‘Free Fun and Learning Activities’ for young people have been implemented since July 2005 and Volunteers from the Creswell organisations mentioned above are kept very busy organising and assisting at all the Activities for our Young people. The funding from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund and Elmton with Creswell Village Forum in 2005-2006 for the Youth Project has been much appreciated. 1. Free After School Activities take place at both 2. Free School 3. The Free Youth Club takes place at the Creswell Resource Point every Thursday evening 4. A Multi Media Studio opened on If any member wishes to view the Multi Media Studio or requires any further information about the Creswell Youth Project, please contact Julie Holling on 01909 724335 Since the Creswell Youth Project began there have been 340 Young People shown on the registers who have participated in the ‘four strands of the free Activities’, with 2503 attendances by these young people at these varied activities from 27/7/05 to 31/3/06. ‘The good news received this week is that further funding from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund will continue for the Creswell Youth Project for 2006-2007and 2007 -2008’ ECVC Book Shop The second hand book shop has now been developed and contains more than 1500 books at present. They are shelved on the first floor at Limestone House. They are set out in categories and there is a separate collection of children’s books. They are not expensive and cost from 30p (paperback) and 50p (hardback). Elmton & Creswell Village Company and Elmton with The E.C.Village Forum is an unincorporated body and this has an affect on the actions it may wish to take to advance the aims of their Constitution. Many of you will remember that the EC Village Company was formed from the EC Village Forum and close links have always remained between the two organisations. The Creswell Youth Project is an example of the way they work together. Discussion between the two organisations on taking the amalgamation forward and sorting out ‘practicalities’ has been positive and the amalgamation has been agreed in principle. Both the EC Village Forum Committee and the EC Village Company Board support a merger because it offers major advantages in supporting Village activities. Please write to the EC Village Company Chairman c/o Limestone House, Staffing Sue Pritchard has decided to leave after very useful years helping to establish the Company, first at Creswell Resource Point and then at Limestone House. Maisie Bialy will become Operations Manager and Bev Hallowes will become the Education Services Manager. More Staff are to be appointed. The ECVC Board In December 2005 Dr Brian Kirsop resigned as Chairman of the Elmton and Creswell Village Company. Julie Holling was elected as Chairman and thanked Dr Kirsop for his work as Chairman of the Village Company. Dr Kirsop remains on the Board of the Village Company as a Community Director. Current members of the EC Village Company Board are:- Julie Holling Community Director and Chair Daphne Wimpenny Community Director, Vice Chair and Company Secretary Karen Freeman Community Director Prue Jones Community Director Brian Kirsop Community Director Bill Richmond Community Director Brian Bassett Institutional Director and Treasurer (for Alf Clifford Institutional Director (for Elmton and David Hague Institutional Director (for Bolsover CED Team) Rev.David Hull Institutional Director, Rector of the Parish Ian Wall Institutional Director (for Creswell Crags Heritage Trust)
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November 21st 2005
Multimedia studio nearly ready! - To book a place, ring us on 01909 724 061! Equipment to produce music videos, films, web pages and newsletters to modern standards is being installed at Creswell Resource Point. Mac computers, digital cameras, microphones, printers, mixers, etc have been purchased, staff is being trained and the studio will be in use from the beginning of January. Sessions will be tailored to meet user’s needs. We will welcome both young people and older individuals and users from all occupations. There will be no charge for use in the period to March 31st, so come and join in! Bookshop Visitors to Limestone House buy second hand books regularly and this has encouraged us to develop a larger second hand bookshop. The extension will be in the atrium area on the first floor and will generate funds to help in Creswell’s regeneration. Please bring any unwanted books to us at Limestone House. Heritage Display The items in the display of local and regional heritage can only provide a small amount of the information available. To meet this problem we are recording additional information on handheld recorders, which visitors can carry with them and listen to as they move around the room. Six handsets have been purchased and will be in use towards the end of the year. Access for disabled people We have modified the entrance to Limestone House to improve wheelchair access at the top of the ramp. New Chair for ECVC After three years, Brian Kirsop is leaving the chair of the village company and Julie Holling is taking on the post. The last years have been productive, especially in regard to the construction of Limestone house and development of its services. Julie has all our best wishes as she continues existing developments and progresses new services, including the media studio, bookshop and heritage developments.
NEWS June 28th 2005 Grant obtained for new educational developments! We have good news to impart: the Village Company has been commissioned by the Bolsover Local Strategic Partnership to carry out a project to provide “Enrichment and Support Measures for Young People of Creswell”. We already provide a good range of support for older residents at Limestone House and will now extend our work to younger people. Many of these in Creswell are not realising their potential and this is reflected in high levels of exclusion and non-attendance at school. Furthermore, many 16-18 year olds are neither employed nor in any form of further training after leaving school. We see the best way of providing help is to consult with young people, in and out of school, to find out their opinion and then provide facilities to satisfy their needs. Creswell Resource Point will be the base for the project and it will gradually be equipped to meet immediate needs and provide opportunities for further training. We have already carried out the first consultation exercise and begun discussions with the children that responded. The project will be a partnership between many organisations, working through a steering group. Members of this group include local schools, Creswell Crags Heritage and Education Trust, Groundwork Creswell, Junction Arts, Third Piper, Bolsover Community Economic Development team and Connexions. It is funded initially until March 31st 2006. There is much scope for volunteer involvement. Anyone interested should contact us at Limestone House, by phone (01909 724061) or by email (creswell_res_point@yahoo.co.uk).
June 21st 2005
ECVC Report for year June 2004-June 2005 The Elmton and Creswell Village Company held its Annual General Meeting on June 8th 2005. The Chairman reported that although Limestone House had only been operating for a year it was now – thanks to the hard and dedicated work of staff and volunteers - a well-used village facility. The Nearly New shop was busy selling clothes, toys, books and bric-à-brac and had been refitted with modern storage and hanging equipment. The Coffee Shop has recently been extended and would be operating in July 2005, serving an extended range of refreshments and providing additional space for visitors. The two together are making a real contribution to the running costs of the company, as well as meeting village needs. The Heritage area was popular and the Local History Group regularly renew their display of archive photographs. Local schools are beginning to use the Heritage display as a resource for their children. Training classes are working well and the community is increasingly aware that courses are available. The courses on offer starting in September 2005 are listed in the ‘Courses’ page of this web site. If people in the village would like additional classes, they should contact Limestone House (01909 724061) and staff will see what can be done to establish them. The future: For the future, the ECVC is concentrating on becoming sustainable. It seems likely that by the end of 2006 basic costs will be covered by income. It is considered vital to earn enough money to meet the costs, as there is no guarantee that grants funding would continue. The freedom to operate as the community wants can only be guaranteed if earned income covers costs. Planned activities: Two new activities are planned for the next few months, both related to the young people in our community. The first is to meet the need for a nursery for the 0-3 year old children of the village, so that their parents can be free to take a job if they wish. A survey of the parents of young children has confirmed this need. As a result we are collaborating with the Village Forum and the Creswell Infant School in a joint project to develop a Nursery. It will be housed in the infant school and run as a not-for-profit, community-based activity to the highest standards. More information is available at Limestone House. The second new activity is to try to address the needs of junior, secondary and recent school-leavers in Creswell. It seems to ECVC and the Village Forum (one of our partners in this project) that many young people feel that facilities for them in Creswell could be improved. We are therefore developing a project to consult them and then to provide some solutions to their problems. The common complaint that “there is nothing to do” could be better met by finding out what developments they would welcome and trying to provide these – a bottom-up approach rather than a top-down strategy with adults deciding activities on their behalf. Working in partnership with other groups with expertise in providing such facilities as music or multi-media, ECVC has plans to develop the old Resource Point as a place for youngsters to meet. Residents can contact ECVC at any time, with suggestions, comments and queries. We are at Limestone House, where the phone number is 01909 724 061 and our email address is creswell.res.point@yahoo.com. More information will be made available on our web site from time to time, so please bookmark this site.
News from Limestone House February 1st 2005 Limestone House has now been operating for just over 6 months and is an active village resource. Christmas activities for local children were organised and Father Christmas left gifts for children who had written to him. The shop is well used and making a good contribution to the running costs. New display rails and shelving have been purchased. An extended second hand book area is being developed. The Heritage Café is well used and funding has been secured to extend the area available for serving drinks and light refreshment. Building is already underway and when this is completed, additional items will be added to the menu. The spring term courses are in full swing and new opportunities are under discussion for the future.
The use of the Resource Point is being discussed; it is currently used for occasional meetings and courses, as well as a storage area for the shop at Limestone House. Plans for a young person’s multimedia area are being considered.
NEWS FROM LIMESTONE HOUSE, November 19th 2004 Limestone House has now been open for nearly 2 months and we are pleased to announce good progress. For example:
Above all, the local community seem very pleased with the arrival of the new building and its many functions. For this, the excellent, friendly staff and volunteers are to be congratulated for creating a welcoming and friendly place to visit.
July 28th 2004 Limestone House was opened to visitors on Saturday, July 24th 2004. The opening was preceeded by a welcoming performance by the Creswell Colliery Band. Shaun Wass, Chair of the Elmton and Creswell Parish Council, opened the building and people walked into the centre for the first time. They were offered free coffee or tea, explored the heritage display and browsed the shop. It was felt by all to be a very exciting place for visitors to meet and relax in a pleasant environment. In the autumn, a range of courses are planned and a list is available from the Courses page. The Charity shop is already active and the coffee shop proving popular with the community.
The Heritage area provides a wealth of information about the geology, history and wildlife of this unique area and offers information and guidance to many interesting heritage sites in the region - all available within a day. Limestone House functions as an orientation point for the region"s heritage. The centre provides many interactive features for children to explore and is already a magnet for youngsters in the community.
ECVC is preparing leaflets for distribution to collaborating heritage sites which will bring visitors from further afield to the new resource.
July 14th 2004
The new education and heritage centre at 50-54 Elmton Road, Creswell, has been named Limestone House! Thanks to all who joined in the competition. The building will be opened at 2.00pm on July 24th, so please come along to explore the new building and enjoy a free cup of tea or coffee.
The building will provide the following:
We are all very grateful to the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, the Heritage Lottery Fund and many other funding organisations who have contributed to this initiative. We are also grateful to the very many people who have helped make the dream a reality.
March 15th 2004 The ECVC has set up a competition to find a good name for the new buildings that will form the new education and heritage centre in Creswell. Here is the notice that has been distributed around the village:
NAME THE NEW CRESWELL EDUCATION AND HERITAGE BUILDING!
Have you seen the new building work that has begun opposite the Junior School? The Village Company has acquired grants to provide the following facilities:
· an extended education centre · an enlarged charity shop · a limestone heritage centre · more meeting rooms · a coffee shop.
The Elmton and Creswell Village Company expect that the new building will be ready for use in the autumn. If you would like to see the plans, members of the ECVC Board will be at the Resource Point (20 Elmton Road) between 10.00 and 12.00 on the morning of Saturday, March 20th, 2004, to show them to you. But we need a name for the building!
So the Village Company has opened a competition to choose a good name that reflects its multiple uses. Can you help? If you have a good idea, please contact the Resource Point (20 Elmton Road) and your idea will be added to the others we receive.
Thanks for your help!
Resource Point: 01909 724160
February 16th 2004 Education and Heritage Centre in Creswell At the end of 2003 the Elmton and Creswell Village Company was awarded grants from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to create an Education and Heritage Centre in Creswell. Now the Company reports that three adjoining properties on Elmton Road, Creswell have been bought to house the Centre and that work to construct it will begin on Monday February 16th. Two of the properties have been an eyesore for several years following a fire and their repair will greatly improve the appearance of the main street of the village. The Centre should be up and running by September this year and, as well as providing education/training and a Heritage Orientation Point, will house a coffee shop, which a survey has shown is much required by residents. The existing “nearly new” shop currently housed at the Creswell Resource Point will also be moved to the new site and expanded to a larger Charity Shop. Design experts will be advising on the layout of the Heritage Orientation Point. The Company greatly appreciates the support given by NRF and HLF in this venture, and the additional funding now supplied by Derbyshire County Council’s CED team.
December 17th 2003
The ECVC has just heard that it has been successful in its bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to create the heritage display and orientation point within the Education and Heritage Centre, reported below.
The heritage centre will display the timeline of the magnesian limestone region in which Creswell is centrally placed and which has given rise to many important and interesting features in the region. These stretch through history from the time the rocks were deposited, to the ice age settlements at Creswell Crags, through the Norman and mediaeval times to the Welbeck, Bolsover and Hardwick estates and so on to the mining industry of recent times.
The heritage display will provide information, visual representations, maps - as well as photographs of Creswell from the local history group archives. It will be linked to a coffee shop and make an interesting place to visit, both for local residents and visitors touring the region.
This is a great Christmas present from the Heritage Lottery Fund! The ECVC thanks the organisation most warmly. November 21st 2003
The Village Company’s planned Educational and Heritage Centre will soon become a reality. The Neighbourhood Renewal Fund is to provide funds to develop the Centre. Once formalities are completed – hopefully by January 2004 - we will be able greatly to expand the educational and training courses now offered at the Resource Point, to meet needs identified in village surveys. The courses will be both vocational and non-vocational. Also, a display of the heritage of Creswell and the surrounding region is planned, illustrating events along the time-line, from the Ice Age to the present. The Village Company is deeply appreciative of the support of the NRF and of the Local Strategic Partnership team at Bolsover Council for making this development possible.
NEWS FROM LIMESTONE HOUSE, November 19th 2004 Limestone House has now been open for nearly 2 months and we are pleased to announce good progress. For example: Day and evening courses are up and running and working smoothly The shop’s income is nearly three times that of the earlier version at the Creswell Resource Point and is providing a real service for the community; new book shelves have been bought to hold the ‘2nd hand book stall’ material The café is doing good business and seems to be much welcomed by the community The advice services are well used Local schools have visited the heritage display and are working with us to develop more teaching resources. They plan to use the display as a resource for a number of curriculum projects Christmas activities for local children are planned and Creswell Junior School will provide festive art work for the upstairs lobby. Above all, the local community seem very pleased with the arrival of the new building and its many functions. For this, the excellent, friendly staff and volunteers are to be congratulated for creating a welcoming and friendly place to visit.
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