Our next community litter-pick will be on Saturday May 14, 11am to 1pm. We will meet as usual at the MSA Office at the corner of Upper West and North Groves for handing out bags, gloves and pickers. If you can’t come at that time but can help sometime over the weekend, get in touch and we’ll get you a bag (or two). This is always a fun time together, to chat and catch up while we make the Groves look better. And doing something to improve our environment always seems to make us feel better. Maybe we can find some prizes for the best junior litter picker uppers…

Thanks to everyone who turned out to help with our Groves New Year Litter Pick. Some of our litter heroes are in the photo. There was a lot to pick up, and we filled about 20 bags (some more will be added as other neighbours take a turn over the weekend). Our street and alleys now look a lot tidier, and it was great to meet and chat as we worked. And the chocolate rewards went down well!

It would be so much better if people learned to be tidy and respect their environment so days like these were not necessary, but while they are (because we don't want to live in a tip) we will enjoy them.

We're having a community litter pick on Saturday January 22nd from 11:30am to 1pm.
Collect bags, and pickers and gloves from outside the MSA Office on the corner of Upper West and North Groves and come and help clean up our streets and alleys alongside some of your neighbours.
If you prefer to do another time over the weekend, contact Judith to arrange to collect a bag (plus picker and gloves if you need them). Filled bags can be left at the Upper West Grove end of West Grove and will be collected by Biffa on Monday.

A tree in nearby Swinton Grove Park is being fitted with Christmas lights and we're having a community switch-on event next Wednesday, November 24, 4:40-5:30pm. There will be refreshments, singing of traditional carols and other music, plus special Christmas treats for the children, and prizes for any children who come in a Christmas hat, particularly one they have made themselves. It's all free thanks to support from the Council and a number of local organisations including Moss Care St Vincent Housing and Elizabeth Gaskell's House, which will also be open all day for free entry for M13 postcode residents.

Yesterday Upper West Grove became an Active Play Street for the day. Residents were asked to park their cars elsewhere and the street was closed to traffic from 11-4pm. We began with a litter pick with prizes for the children who joined in. Then Manchester Active brought in loads of games, lots of neighbours brought food and we had 3 hours of fun and conversation while the children played and laughed. We reckon around 30 adults and 50 children came for all or part. One neighbour said it reminded her of how the streets were back in the 60s when not many people had cars. Thanks to Manchester Council, Manchester Active, MossCare St Vincent Housing and Biffa.

We have produced another issue of our newsletter – everyone on the Groves will have had one through your doors in the last few days. It has an important message about Covid vaccination. If anyone else wants to read, download here.

Remember the hanging basket kits offered by the Council that many of us took last November? Well, those seeds and bulbs have been growing and here are some of the results, sent in via our WhatsApp group. Some green fingers in the Groves! Spring is truly on the way. If your hanging basket isn't here and you would like it added, just send an email.

Our Winter Cheer project was a great success. 18 food and treat bags, 40 children's treat bags - all with Happy New Year posters and tealights, plus over 40 more posters and tealights delivered. Thank you everyone who helped with getting the supplies, sorting them into packs, and delivering them and the posters and lights. Thanks everyone who put the poster and light in their window. And last but not least, thanks to MossCare St Vincent Housing for sponsoring the project and MSA for prizes for the poster competition. 

Little did we know as many of us wished each other a Happy New Year that just a few days into it we would be back in lockdown! The vaccinations are on their way, but meantime beating this virus is going to require a bit more effort from us all before we see that light and hope we wished for in 2021. Let's keep looking out for each other. 

Thanks to everyone who sent in an entry to the Happy New Year poster competition. Our judges found it very difficult to decide, and in end we had a winner, two runners up and a third! All received prizes and the winner and runners up also received a certificate. 

The winning poster (below) was designed by Sunny from East Grove and will be our Happy New Year poster that we will give, along with a light, to all houses on the Groves that want one. The idea is that we put these in our windows to wish each other a happy 2021 – light, hope and peace.

The runner-up designs (below) will be used on leaflets that will go with each 'Winter Cheer' pack. These will go to our elderly and vulnerable residents and also to families with children. We have a list of houses to go to, but don't want anyone to miss out. If you are, or know, someone who should be getting a pack, please get in touch by email or phone or text 07906 228132 before December 24.
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The picture shows runner-up Aishah with her certificate which was presented by Judith.

These are gloomy times – another lockdown as the Covid restrictions continue, and now cold and dark winter weather. Winter Cheer is a project to put the smiles back on our faces. In December we will be giving small packs of food and essentials to the vulnerable and elderly, and also some sweets to families with children (plus, maybe a few surprises). Then, towards the end of the month, a Happy New Year poster and a light for every house. If we can all put these in our windows we can wish our neighbours light and hope for the new year. And it will look great!

POSTER COMPETITION
Also, we have a competition for junior age children to make a picture or design to use on the poster with a great prize for the winner. More info on this leaflet.

More details about Winter Cheer are on our latest newsletter which everyone should have received at the weekend. If you can't find yours, you can download it here. If you need more information or know of a home or family that should get one of the packs, send an email.