Midcheshire Independent Issue 195

AUGUST 2026 2 PDQ LANDSCAPE & BUILDING SERVICES 07763 923005 01270 421405 From inside to outside, whatever you can imagine, we can make it come true. IF WE CAN’T DO IT NO ONE CAN! FREE QUOTE Call Steve sredmond24707825@aol.com A CHARITY that supports disabled youngsters has been chosen as one of the Congletonmayor’s charities during her year in office. Coun Suzy Firkin has selected Friends for Leisure as a charity partner alongside Lower Moss Wood Wildlife Hospital and No Tier Snooker. Friends for Leisure has been supporting disabled children and young people aged between five and 21 across Cheshire East for more than 30 years. The charity provides activ- ities during term time and school holidays, aiming to reduce loneliness, improve confidence and independence and offer a place for children to make friends and have fun. The charity recently announced it has been forced to start charging for its services due to a lack of funding. Any additional funds raised throughout the mayor’s term in office will help to secure the long-term future of Friends for Leisure and provide ser- vices for young people across the region. Amanda Hunt, general manager for Friends for Lei- sure, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen by the mayor of Congleton as one of this year’s charity partners. “This support will make a real difference to the children and young people we work with, helping us continue to create opportunities for friendship, confidence-building and inclu- sive social and leisure experi- ences. We are really looking forward to working alongside the mayor, the town council and the wider community over the coming year.” A REVISED bus service for Winsford will start in September. Residents will benefit from longer operating hours, new Saturday journeys and improved links to the wider bus and rail network when the timetable changes are intro- duced for the Winsford circular bus service W7 operated by D&G Bus from 1 September. Recent improvements to the Ser- vice 37 timetable have created an opportunity to introduce a revised Winsford Circular service on a 12-month trial basis. The revised service will operate hourly, passen- gers will benefit from a full range of enhancements including: • Extended operating hours from 7.17am to 5.38pm, compared with the current service operating between 9.40am and 2.15pm • Additional weekday journeys • The introduction of a Satur- day service • Direct links to Winsford and Sandbach railway stations • Direct access to Sandbach and Middlewich town centres • Integrated daily, weekly and monthly tickets that can be used across D&G Bus services operat- ing through Winsford, making it easier to connect with the wider bus network The changes will provide res- idents with improved access to employment, shops, healthcare services and leisure opportunities throughout the day, while main- taining an important local bus service within the town. The W7 service was previously operated by Stagecoach alongside a local school transport contract. Fol- lowing changes to those arrange- ments, Cheshire West and Chester Council has been exploring alter- native options to ensure residents continue to have access to a reliable local bus service. Councillor Karen Shore, Dep- uty Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council and Cabinet Mem- ber for Transport and Highways, said: "We know how important good local bus services are to resi- dents, helping people access work, education, healthcare, shops and leisure opportunities. “The revised service will operate hourly, with much longer operating hours, the new Saturday journey destinations will allow longer dwell times inWinsford Town Centre and provides better connections across the wider area including rail sta- tions for onward travel. "By working closely with D&G Bus, we've identified a practical and cost-effective way to maintain and enhance a circular bus ser- vice for Winsford while delivering additional benefits for passengers. This approach makes better use of existing resources, provides improved links to rail services and neighbouring towns, and represents good value for money. "We're committed to supporting sustainable and accessible pub- lic transport, and this 12-month trial will help us understand how residents use the enhanced service while ensuring Winsford remains connected to the wider bus network." The service will deliver a number of wider benefits, including better integration with the existing bus network, easier-to-understand time- tables and improved connections through Service 37 and the wider D&G Bus network. No part of this publicationmay be used or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. Every effort is made to ensure that the articles and advertisements that are carried are authentic, however the publisher accepts no responsibility for claims made. © Investors in Publishing Ltd 2026. This newspaper is publishedmonthly by Investors in Publishing, Publishing House, 3 Bridgebank Industrial Estate,Taylor Street, Horwich, Bolton BL6 7PD. 01204 478812 EDITOR Mike Hulme mike@independentnewspapers.co.uk CONTACT JayneMeadowcroft 01204 478812 or 07703 045189 jayne@independentnewspapers.co.uk ADVERTISING Robin Atkins 07767 840274 robin@cheshireindependent.co.uk CONTACT US New circular bus service set to start Amanda Hunt, Coun Suzy Firkin and Friends for Leisure project worker MichelleWilson Davies (Image: Friends for Leisure) Mayor chooses disabled charity