The BIG cycle ride from Lands End to John O'Groats (LEJOG)

As well as helping some fulfil a life ambition we're also hoping to raise funds for Cre8's Offbeat projects. Cre8 Offbeat provides skills and task focused activities (such as bike repairs and music making) for marginalised and hard to reach young people on the Moss Estate in Macclesfield. You can find out more about Cre8 on their website: www.cre8macclesfield.org

Tom, Jonathan, Tim & Ollie will be cycling the 1000 miles (well just shy!) from May 23rd - June 6th 2015, with support provided along the way by family and friends. Please help us to raise £3000 for Cre8 - we really need your support!

Have a look through the photos from the activities during the Festival week, see if you can find yourself, and if you weren't there - well why?!! Make sure you're there next time!

Paul T - one of our very dedicated, passionate and enthusiastic supporters, is as we speak, trekking across the country to raise the cash to complete the rennovations of the 'new' bikeshed! Trussy Trek 2014 from Lindisfarne to Iona has raised over a thousand pounds so far as well as Cre8's profile in the wider Macclesfield area and beyond!

Renovation work at the Building in the 'new' BikeShed area has begun whilst Paul has been walking. The old damp, crumbling walls have been removed and the new walls are being constructed. Not that exciting you might think. But actually it is. For lots of reasons...

In these photos it might just look like a bit of plasterboard has been put up, but it's more than that; its the start of something. Once the plasterboard is up, the walls will be skimmed then painted. OK fair enough, that's usually what happens. However, being Cre8, the key to all this, is that all the work - from ripping out the old stuff to putting the boarding on, plastering the walls and then painting - is being done by young people and young adults who are part of Cre8 and their local community . . .

• Young people doing their Saturday morning and after school work experience on the RD project have ripped out all the old rubbishy, crumbling walls
  
• Young people on the One to One project, doing work experience, have helped to build the stud-work and do some of the joinery and put the plasterboard up
• Those same young people are being shown these skills and taught these trades by young adults from the local community, who are starting to work for Cre8
• The plastering itself is being done by a young adult who started out at Cre8 nearly 8 years ago by coming to clubs. He's now a plasterer by trade but he comes back and helps out at Cre8
• The painting and decorating is done by someone from the local community. Their family are involved with Cre8 and now they're starting to become involved with what we do as well

That is what makes Cre8 a unique, exciting and ground-breaking place. It draws people in. Yes we needed a bike workshop creating, but actually the creation of that is becoming a fantastic project in itself. Sometimes at Cre8 we forget that what we are doing, involving people from all aspects of the 'wider' community, is ground-breaking stuff. It isn't the 'normal' way of working. It can be a really difficult thing and can end up taking a lot of time and a lot of energy, and have many unlikely stumbling blocks, but it's an incredible way to get something done. And it means that everything we do has roots and foundations spreading all over this community. And that's why we're here and why we'll be here for a long time.

And then there's the end product - a beautiful new, purpose-made Bike Shed for our Bike repair project that is so popular with young people - especially the really young ones! Hanging on the walls will be the tools and equipment that will help to teach young people how to rennovate and repair their bikes. 
Bike Shed is about passing on these skills as well as having a laugh, sharing a brew and a biscuit and being a place where young people can spend a bit of time learning how to 'be' with one another.

The partially constructed walls in the shed end might not seem very exciting at first glance - but when you think about what's involved and what will be happening in that space, then it quickly becomes a tingly feeling that makes a big grin spread across your face because you're part of something very special and exciting.

If you'd like to be a part of Cre8 - find out how by clicking here