|
Last week GGT and Gloucester Services were delighted to welcome students from Moat Primary Academy onto the M5 site as part of a current school topic. Students from Key Stage 2 have been learning all about sustainability as part of their 'No Planet B' topic, and contacted GGT's Community Support Manager Clare to arrange the visit.
Need another reason to visit?
If you still need another reason to visit, don't forget that up to 3p in every £1 spent at Gloucester Services is received by Gloucestershire Gateway Trust to invest in local people, projects and communities. Read all about it here.
This weekend we were lucky enough to be joined by a lovely group of residents from our target communities for a festive Christmas lunch at Gloucester Services. Most of the group had never visited Gloucester Services before, and it was a great opportunity for us to meet new people and thank some of our community partners for the great work they do.
Some of our guests had had challenging years, and yet still amazed us with their passion to volunteer and help others in their communities. Others shared their stories of living alone for a long time, and the joy they’ve found in building friendships through our partner organisations.
After a festive lunch, we ran a raffle and everyone won something from the Gloucester Services Farmshop. A big thank you to Hobbs House Bakery who also donated delicious mince pies for our guests to take home. One of our guests commented: "I didn't know about Gloucestershire Gateway Trust, the connection with Gloucester Services and all that it does locally, it's really inspiring." We thought our guests were the inspiring ones.
You may have already seen, a couple of weeks ago our Community Support Manager Clare took some of our community partners to Hobbs House Bakery for a cooking inspiration day - here's what happened. You can check out another delicious recipe for stale bread with the Autumn Panzella, or this amazing treacle tart - hands down favourite of the day! Treacle tart recipeServes: 12 Sweet and sticky with a nuttiness from the spelt breadcrumbs, great hot or cold.
Method
1. First, make the pastry. Rub the butter into the flour and icing sugar until it is the consistency of fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolks, and mix to combine. Wrap the pastry and then allow to rest in the fridge. This could be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for several days. If the dough is very firm, allow to soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out. 2. Line 12 small tart cases or 1 large 23cm tart case and allow to rest in the fridge or freezer before baking. 3. Next, make the filling. Weigh out the syrup and place into a medium sized saucepan along with the butter. Warm gently until the butter has melted, do not allow the mixture to boil. 4. In a large bowl, mix the egg, cream and lemon zest until combined. 5. Add the syrup and butter to the eggs and cream and mix together. Add the breadcrumbs, keeping 2 handfuls in reserve. Stir to combine and allow to stand for 5 minutes to allow the breadcrumbs to swell slightly. 6. Spoon the mixture in to the prepared cases until it is just below the rim of the pastry. Even the mixture out, if necessary. 7. Place onto a baking tray and bake for 25 / 30 minutes on 170C. 8. Remove from the oven once the treacle mixture is just set and the tops are golden. 9. Leave to cool in the tins. Serve hot or cold with custard, cream or ice-cream. A couple of weeks ago our Community Support Manager Clare arranged a cooking inspiration day for some of GGT's community partners with Hobbs House Bakery, a fantastic local producer stocked at Gloucester Services. Our community partners receive bread that can no longer be sold by retailers to cook and share with residents, and bread is something we all often have left over. Here's the first recipe you can try too - big thanks to Hobbs House for sharing! Autumn Panzanella Rustic Italian inspired bread salad using autumn vegetables with a hint of warming chilli.
Method
1. Peel and chop the vegetables into chunks, keeping each vegetable separate as they will cook at different rates. Toss them in olive oil and season with salt and pepper, add the rosemary. 2. Place in roasting trays and cook in a hot oven (180ºC) for about 30 – 40 minutes until soft and slightly caramelised. Add the chopped garlic and chilli towards the end of cooking. 3. Cut the stale bread into chunks and toss in a little olive oil. Toast lightly in the oven. 4. Allow the cooked vegetables and toasted bread to cool slightly. 5. In a bowl, mix the lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil together to make a dressing. 6. In a separate bowl, mix the cooked vegetables and the bread together, with the chopped parsley and the rocket salad. 7. Add the dressing to the salad and toss together making sure everything is coated and mixed together well. 8. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. 9. Best served at room temperature.
Some of the delicious local producers stocked in Gloucester Services Farmshops that showcased their products included apple juice from Our Small Farm; Paul Elliot of Gloucester Biltong; truffles and fudge from Nailsworth based Costello & Hellerstein; and Hobbs House Bakery. Brian Iles, Group Food Operations Manager at Gloucester Services added: “There was a lot going on in Parliament yesterday with the general election announcement but feedback was very positive from Richard Graham, his team and all of our local MPs, the Secretary of State for Agriculture and a broad spectrum of MP’s from further afield and many, many researchers who were keen to learn about us and our brilliant producers. Around a 100 people or so were exposed to our story, our suppliers and Gloucestershire Gateway Trust and it was really positive to share with those who had been customers. They were all keen to share their experiences on site and it was unanimously a positive return for our food, our team and the way we are working together as a community.”
 All over the country demand for foodbanks is increasing. GGT has teamed up with Gloucester Services, the national FareShare food project, local allotment holders, GL Communities and other partners to create a new free food project. Five days a week unsold food is collected and made available at locations connected to a community café or community food cupboard at its site. The donated food also supports the community cafés and is a great way to reduce food waste in business. What can you do?
Redwell RestockOn Thursdays, our community partner Together In Matson receives produce from Gloucester Services, Tesco and Morrisons, which volunteers and staff cook together and make meals that they then freeze ready for community members to collect. Bread, fruit and vegetables are always available for people to take home to use themselves. Called the Redwell Re-stock, this service helps people restock their fridges and supplies them with food they may not otherwise be able to afford. Over the last year the demand for this service has risen. Food, fun and pea soup
Monday is the MunchdayAnother of our community partners All Pulling Together (APT) in Stonehouse run the Neighbourly Food Project, which also makes food collections from local supermarkets available to residents, uploading photos of deliveries to Facebook. Volunteers from APT are also available to talk to people about any additional support they might need. They also run a 'Munchday' every Monday when anyone can call in for a hot meal and a drink for a donation of £1. Also on a Monday, our community partner Fair Shares Gloucestershire runs a lunch club at Chequers Bridge Community Centre. Participants can help with the preparation and cooking, or set the table or wash up - there's a role to make everyone feel involved.
We like to encourage our children and young people to experiment with food, trying new tastes and textures, but we also do lots of training and skills development so that they are equipped to cook simple meals. These are great life skills for them to have. Food is also used for creative purposes. We use it to make food masterpieces like pizza faces that can then be cooked and eaten and we turn potatoes and carrots into people! This helps us to reduce waste as food that we cannot cook is used for art."
This week they welcomed us in to their kitchens and taught us some fantastic recipes to create with leftover bread. The treacle tart went down particularly well!" Jacky Edwards from GGT community partner APT said: "A great day. We learnt some amazing ideas which we will certainly use for the APT Monday Munch Day meals, where Stonehouse residents can join us for a cooked meal for a £1 donation." Sandy Brammer from another GGT community partner GL Communities who helps to run the food project agreed: "The visit was amazing, and the food was superb. Who knew you could make soup with bread (not me) and the treacle tart was definitely a treat. It was a fantastic experience and I am really excited to show everyone what I have learnt, bring such delicious food to the community and be able to do it all from free surplus ingredients." A huge thank you to Hobbs House Bakery for making this day possible, and thank you to our community partner Fair Shares for the great photos.
“We’re over the moon that this partnership award recognises that communities can use their assets to create something of scale that has a lasting impact. The fact that a charity and a business both have a stake in Gloucester Services has differentiated us in a very competitive field of finalists. Most importantly, this success highlights a new approach that can be replicated across the country to unlock a whole range of community assets. Businesses and charities committing to long-term partnerships which value each other’s strengths could be an important new route for local people to realise long-standing aspirations to create positive long-term social benefit."
Amid its success, Gloucester Services has exceeded its charitable goals and created over 400 jobs, employed over 80 people specifically from ‘target’ local communities, and supported over 130 local producers within 30 miles. In the last 18 months over £700,000 has been reinvested into community projects and development activity in the target communities to support regeneration. Local residents help decide how future funding is spent through Gloucestershire Gateway Trust’s annual Community Survey and an additional £2.5 million will be committed to these communities over the next five years. Sarah Dunning, Chair of Westmorland said: "We are absolutely delighted to win this excellent award. We were once again up against some strong competition. It’s fantastic to have the hard work of everyone involved in the partnership recognised with another great award this year. The partnership with Gloucestershire Gateway Trust is about investing in our community for future generations. It’s a very exciting time for Gloucester Services, now in its fifth year we are very proud of everyone who has played a part in helping to build this incredible place and those yet to be part of our story as we continue to build on all the great things that have been achieved to date together." At Gloucestershire Gateway Trust we receive up to 3p in every £1 of non-fuel sales from Gloucester Services to invest in our local communities. The Third Sector Excellence Awards were created by Third Sector to celebrate and honour the great work being done across the charity sector. Over 300 entries were received for this year’s awards and the ceremony in London on 19 September was a sell-out event.
Looking for fun ideas and things to do over the summer holidays? There's so much going on in our local communities in Gloucestershire. This handy guide to events has been put together by the Matson, Robinswood and White City Community Partnership (you can download if the text is a bit small):  
More great activities from our community partners at The Venture White City:  Plus lots more from our other community partners on their websites - see the full schedule of activities from Play Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. Great reasons to get out and enjoy the summer and your community!
We're delighted to announce that the unique partnership between Gloucestershire Gateway Trust and Westmorland has been shortlisted in the Third Sector Charity Awards 2019. In recognition of the success Gloucester Services on the M5, the partnership is shortlisted alongside some well-known competition, a huge achievement as over 300 entries were submitted to the awards this year.  Amid its success, Gloucester Services has exceeded its charitable goals and created over 400 jobs, employed over 80 people specifically from ‘target’ local communities, and supported over 130 local producers within 30 miles. In the last 18 months over £700,000 has been reinvested into community projects and development activity in the target communities to support regeneration. Local residents help decide how future funding is spent through Gloucestershire Gateway Trust’s annual Community Survey and an additional £2.5 million will be committed to these communities over the next five years.
The results will be announced at the Third Sector Awards on 19 September 2019.
You can also read more about all of our Community Partners and how they support our local communities.
Last week Gloucestershire Gateway Trust (GGT) invited residents from communities across Gloucestershire have their say about where they live and to help shape its future. Over 60 people from communities including Matson, Robinswood, White City, Podsmead, Tuffley, Stonehouse and the GL10 area came together for the ‘Future Creating Workshops’. They talked about what they love about their areas, what their dream communities would look like, and what can be done to make it happen.
GGT ran the workshops for the second year running as part of the annual Community Survey it conducts in its target areas. Residents unable to attend the workshops still have the opportunity to have their say, as a specially trained team from the local communities will be conducting surveys door-to-door and at community events and day trips over the summer. Mark Gale, CEO of GGT said: “The Community Surveys give us amazing insight to our communities, encourage people to come together and make life better, and also informs GGT funding. We added Together In Matson and The Venture: White City as community funded partners as a direct result of what residents told us, and now both receive £20,000 a year from GGT, alongside our six other community partners.”
The 2018 Community Survey also highlighted that despite the ups and downs of community life neighbourliness is still strong, so GGT launched the LOOP Project to build on that spirit and to support communities in making new connections and sharing their skills. Mark said: “Many of those who took part in the 2018 survey did say they didn’t feel able to influence local decisions, this a great chance to share thoughts as the results of the survey will be shared with local councillors, community groups and decision makers.” Matson resident Sandy said: "I think as a resident the future creating workshops are a great way to get your voice heard and to have the possibility of instigating positive changes." Another resident at the workshops talked about changing mindsets: “If we all took a minute to pick up some rubbish, tidy a hedge or help a neighbour, we’d be even prouder of where we live.”
Professor Mary Brydon Miller from the University of Louisville added “I come to Gloucester each summer to help facilitate the Future Creating Workshops and train the local survey team. Gloucestershire Gateway Trust, Gloucester Services and the work they are doing together is growing a worldwide reputation for Gloucester and their community driven development work. I have spoken about this work in the USA, the Philippines, South Africa and Europe and I know many other organisations across the world are now independently looking to learn from the experience of this project. There’s no doubt it is a trail blazer showing how communities and business can work together for mutual benefit.”
Amid its success, Gloucester Services has exceeded its charitable goals and created over 400 jobs, employed over 80 people specifically from ‘target’ local communities, and supported over 130 local producers within 30 miles. In the last 18 months over £700,000 has been reinvested into community projects and development activity in the target communities to support regeneration. Local residents help decide how future funding is spent through Gloucestershire Gateway Trust’s annual Community Survey and an additional £2.5 million will be committed to these communities over the next five years.
Sarah Dunning, Chair of Westmorland said: “It's fantastic to have the hard work of everyone involved in the partnership recognised with this award. Embedding the charity directly with the aims and ambitions of the business has been of huge benefit to both. The partnership with Gloucestershire Gateway Trust is about investing in our community for future generations and we look forward to continuing to build on what has been achieved to date." Gloucestershire Gateway Trust receives up to 3p in every £1 of non-fuel sales from Gloucester Services to invest in our local communities. The Business Charity Awards were created by Third Sector to celebrate and share outstanding partnerships between charities and corporate partners.
Amid its success, the partnership has exceeded its charitable goals and created over 400 jobs, employed over 80 people specifically from ‘target’ local communities, and supported over 130 local producers within 30 miles.
In the last 18 months over £250,000 has been reinvested into community projects in the target communities to support regeneration. Local residents help decide how future funding is spent through an annual Community Survey and an additional £1million will be committed to these communities over the next five years. Mark Gale, CEO of GGT said: "We're delighted to be shortlisted for the ground breaking Gloucester Services on the M5. With our shared purpose and ownership, we're proud to deliver the vision of local residents, which has created jobs, opportunities and regeneration across our neighbourhoods." The entry has been shortlisted in the long-term partnership category, with the awards taking place on 22 May 2019. Gloucester Services is a pretty special place and attracts some high profile visitors, but yesterday the GGT team met the cutest celebrity going - Little Richie, the four week old lamb. 
   Gloucester Services is a great place to work (not least because of the great food) so it’s no surprise they can receive over 100 job applications every month. Some applicants have no prior experience in catering, retail or customer service, whilst others may need a little more support around CV writing, interview skills and communication. In January, GGT funded a three day ‘Bridging the Gap’ course with Charlton HR to help potential applicants to work on these skills, and guaranteed an interview for anyone successfully completing the course. Six people completed part in the course and went on to be interviewed, three of which had developed their skills so well that they were ready for employment and were each offered jobs at Gloucester Services. Participant Brian described his experience of the course: "Inspiring, motivational and worthwhile. Stand out service station and never been more excited to join a new company and the views are stunning… people doing the course were great too.” Fellow participant Katie said her highlights of the course: “[the course] made me more confident, meeting the staff, visiting the site. Really excited about the new job, can’t wait.” Jason Dunsford, Head of Employment and Skills for GGT said: “We’re proud that people really got involved and completed the course, which will have helped them all to move closer to employment, but of course delighted that three of them now have paid jobs with a great employer as a direct result of Bridging the Gap.” The course is open to anyone who is interested in applying for a job at Gloucester Services but feel they need some pre-employment training. The next course will be held on 5th-7th March 2019 at The Phoenix Centre, Matson. See the attached flyer for details as to how you can find out more.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
