Swimathon fundraiser for Macclesfield community art projects
By Alex Greensmith
2nd Apr 2024 | Local News
Four people spent a Sunday swimming to raise money for an arts project in Macclesfield.
Macclesfield Community ArtSpace has now been running for over a decade. Its aim is to provide art and craft activities and community events to the people of Macclesfield.
To keep their funding going, a swimathon was held at Macclesfield Leisure Centre.
£350 has been fundraised so far for ArtSpace.
Patty Callaghan, of Macc ArtSpace told Nub News more:
"It was a great day, organised as always by Macclesfield Castle Rotary Club," she said.
"We had a team of 4 – me, Andy, Ruth and Simon and we called ourselves A Bigger Splash, after a painting by David Hockney.
"Between us, we managed to swim 203 lengths in our 45 minute slot – we were well chuffed with ourselves!
"Our fundraising page is still open if anyone would like to donate.
"Thank you to everyone for their support."
The JustGiving page closes in a few days - so click THIS LINK - to get your donations in.
"Macclesfield Community ArtSpace run regular drop-in sessions for groups and individuals and also work with the Town Council to put on Community events throughout the year, such as the Lantern Parade and the Lunar New Year celebrations," explained Patty.
"We are paid by the Town Council for these events and we also charge for some of the workshops and courses we run at Artspace HQ.
"However, it's important that everyone in Macc can access what we do, so we offer a number of free activities, such as our monthly Family Drop-ins.
"Events like the Swimathon and sales of craftwork and donated goods help us to fund these and we also seek out grants for specific projects.
"Our fundraising helps to pay for our ongoing free sessions. We have weekly drop-in sessions that are open to anyone, as well as a Family Drop-in session on the first Saturday of every month.
"We rent space in a large former mill which is a fantastic resource but monthly rent and heating costs are one of our biggest expenses so regular fundraising events like this are a big help. It means we can stay open and be there for people looking to try something new or do something fun with their friends or family.
"Macc Artspace brings people together and gives them a chance to try something new, learn a skill, revisit something they used to do but have lost along the way. We're about community and sociability as well, so it's a place to have a brew and a chat. Our big community events give people a chance to contribute to large-scale artworks such as the dragon we made for this year's Lunar New Year Parade."
Elsewhere in the world of Macc Artspace, they are holding a children's watercolour session this month, and will soon refurbish their smaller crafts room.
Some of their next work you can see in town are for May's Party in the Pews Festival.
You can also volunteer for them. One of their newest volunteers is from Macclesfield's Ukrainian community, who will be hosting a workshop teaching traditional Ukrainian painting techniques.
The charity also provides regular sewing and crochet workshops.
"It's great to have an opportunity like this, to tell people where the money goes, how much good it does and how grateful we are for the continuing support," concluded Patty.
"We're lucky enough to have donations of materials and equipment, as well as money, and this is so much appreciated. The refurbishment will allow us to store and organise everything better so we can run more activities and have an even bigger impact.
"I've been volunteering at ArtSpace for most of its existence and it's had a lot of ups and downs in that time.
"We're on the up at the moment – loads going on, lots of people discovering us for the first time and bringing their friends and family. It's a great place to try new things, do something practical, share your skills and enthusiasm. One thing we do struggle with is finding trustees, who are essential for running Artspace as an organisation and keeping us on track.
"If anyone reading this thinks they might want to help with that, please get in touch. Our trustees enjoy getting stuck in with a bit of gluing and painting as well! And there's always a kettle on the go for a brew."
Macclesfield: You can find more about ArtSpace via their website.
Want to help out? Why not get in touch on Facebook, where various contact details are listed.
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