Midcheshire Independent Issue 194

JULY 2026 4 A FUNDRAISER from Hull swapped more conventional sport- ing pursuits for one of Cheshire’s quirk- iest traditions when he took part in the World Worm Charm- ing Championships in Willaston. Jacob, 25, joined com- petitors at Willaston Pri- mary Academy as part of his ambitious challenge to complete 365 different sports in 365 days while raising money for suicide prevention charity Cam- paign Against Living Miserably (CALM). The challenge began last October, with Jacob committing to trying a different sport every day for an entire year. He chose worm charm- ing after discovering the unusual event and deciding it would be a memorable addition to his growing list of sport- ing experiences. Jacob is undertaking the challenge in memory of two close friends who he sadly lost to suicide. Through the year-long fundraiser, he hopes to raise awareness of men- tal health issues, encour- age conversations around wellbeing and generate vital support for CALM’s work. The annual World NEWS IN BRIEF THE Mayor of Knutsford, Councillor Peter Coan, has successfully launched his mayoral fundraising programme, raising more than £450 through his first two charity fundraising events. The funds were raised through a World Cup Sweepstakes and a special “Dine with the Mayor” evening held at Linden Stores. Proceeds from fundraising events held over the mayoral 26/26 term will be shared between the mayor’s chosen charities for the year: Knutsford Men’s Shed and the PTAs of all four Knutsford primary schools, helping to tackle social isolation in older people in Knutsford and raise funds for the schools that standard budgets cannot cover. WATERWAYS charity, Canal & River Trust, has reopened the Grade II Listed Nanney’s Bridge in Cheshire after completing repairs following a vehicle strike. A CHARITY shop supporting a hospice is set to be transformed into a better space for the community. St Luke’s Cheshire Hospice announced it will be revamping its Hartford store over the next six months. During the renovations, the shop will remain open but in a smaller format. A CHIP pan caught fire after being left unattended in the kitchen of a house in Northwich. Emergency crews were called to Wellington Street in Castle. One person was assessed by paramedics at the scene. A POPULAR family trail is returning to Knutsford this summer, with organisers hoping to raise valuable funds for The Christie Charity while bringing visitors into the town centre. The Christie Bear Hunt features a col- lection of decorated bears displayed in local shops throughout August. Families are invited to find those way- ward bears, collect clues, and solve a puzzle for the chance towinprizes. Entry forms cost £2, with proceeds supporting The Christie Charity, which helps fund cancer care, treatment, and research for patients across the region. The event has become a well-loved feature of the Knutsford summer cal- endar, attracting families from across Cheshire and beyond. As well as raising money for charity, the trail encourages people to explore the town, support independent busi- nesses, and discover Knutsford’s unique character. Organisers are grateful for the support of local businesses hosting the bears and hope this year’s hunt will be the biggest yet. The Christie Bear Hunt runs throughout August, with com- pleted entry forms being entered into a prize drawat the end of the event. A GENEROUS Tarporley busi- ness has stepped up to spon- sor a major charity golf day in Cheshire to help support local children and families. Recycling UK has been announced as the headline sponsor for the Hope House Tˆy Gobaith children’s hospices event. The special fundraising day will take place on the Cheshire Course at the beautiful Carden Park. Teams of four players are now being invited to register for the tournament, which will take place on September 29. Golfers will enjoy 18 holes of great play from a shotgun start, alongside a nearest the pin com- petition and a longest drive challenge. There will also be a chance for participants to test their skills in a special ‘beat the pro’ section. After the action on the course concludes, players will enjoy a sociable two-course meal, a raffle, and an auction in the clubhouse. Business boss Neil Clarke said: “Hope House has always been our preferred charity to support. We have a business in Oswestry where they are based. We’re delighted be returning as headline sponsor – this time at the beautiful Carden Park. It’s going to be a great day of golf on a wonderful course, and we look forward to seeing old friends and even meeting new ones.” The vital funds raised from the day will go directly towards help- ing the children’s hospices continue their life-changing care. Organiser Claire Penney said: “We’re delighted to host our Cheshire Golf Day at the beautiful Crden Park. Having the support of Recycling UK again as our head- line sponsor means a great deal to us all at the hospices – their belief in our cause over the years has helped so many local children and families. It costs £450 to enter a team of four, and local businesses can also sponsor a hole at the event for £120. Anyone who would like to find out more details or register a team can visit the Hope House website. AN Alsager school has urged parents to write to their MP over Cheshire East Council’s decision to axe a free school bus service. Children living in Rode Heath will now face walking up to three miles – more than an hour each way – to school and back every day. Parents received an email that said the walking route to Alsager High School was now within the “statutory walking distance” for pupils living in the village; that distance is two miles for under- eights and three miles for those aged eight and over. The letter said: “Following recent safety improvements, the council has assessed your child’s route to school as an available walking route. The free home-to- school transport for your child will end on 31st July.” In an email to parents, Alsager High School headteacher Andrea O’Neill shared a copy of a letter she had sent to MP Sarah Rus- sell and urged them to raise their own concerns. The letter to Mrs Russell said: “We are extremely unhappy about this change and feel that it fails to reflect the practical realities and safety concerns faced by families on this route.” Mrs O’Neill argued that although the route may now have been assessed as technically walkable, the journey to school remained a “considerable dis- tance” for pupils to travel on foot each day. She said: “It is not simply a mat- ter of mileage on paper; in prac- tice, this is a long and demanding walk for children before and after a full school day. “Many pupils will need to leave home significantly earlier in the morning in order to arrive on time, which will inevitably have a nega- tive impact on punctuality, attend- ance and overall well-being.” Mrs O’Neill said she also had “serious concerns” over the safety of the route, including the busy A50 and narrow pavements in adverse weather conditions. She said: “Families are under- standably anxious about asking children to make this journey on foot. “We are also very concerned by the lack of meaningful consulta- tion before this decision was made. “A change of this significance, which affects the daily safety and routine of so many children and families, should not be imple- mented without proper engage- ment with those directly affected.” She asked Mrs Russell to raise the matter “urgently” with Chesh- ire East Council. GETTING A WRIGGLE ON! Fundraiser takes on worm charming challenge By Jonathan White An aerial view of the competition field (Image: Jonathan White) sports have included the National Wife Carrying Championships in Dork- ing, the World Poohsticks Championships at Sand- ford Lock in Oxfordshire and the famous Cheese R o l l i n g e v e n t at Cooper ’s Hi l l in Gloucestershire. Speaking about the challenge, Jacob said: “I’m doing this to raise money for CALM, a brilliant mental health charity that supports people when life gets overwhelming. It’s a cause that genuinely means a lot to me, and I want to helpmake sure no one has to face things alone. “If you can, any sup- port – whether that’s a donation, follow, or share – genuinely means a lot. And if nothing else, stick around for what will almost certainly be a year of chaos.” Schoolkids face three-mile walk Charity golf day tees off Christie Bears support charity Worm Charming Cham- pionships, which have been held in the village since 1980, challenge participants to coax as many worms as possible from the ground within 30 minutes using a desig- nated 3m x 3m plot. Over the years, com- petitors have developed a wide range of techniques to entice worms to the surface. While tradi- tional methods such as twanging garden forks remain popular, others have experimented with everything from bounc- ing balls and rakes to tennis racquets andmusi- cal instruments. With the help of friends, Jacob successfully charmed eight worms fromhis plot on the school field, adding another unu- sual achievement to his sporting challenge. As is tradition, all worms were safely returned to the ground after dusk once birds had gone to roost. The world worm charm- ing record remains held by Sophie Smith, who charmed an astonish- ing 567 worms during the 2009 championships when she was just 10 years old. Worm charming is just one of many uncon- ventional events Jacob has tackled during his challenge. Previous