COMMUNITY project leaders from Cheshire West have been talking about the importance of Cheshire West Crowd - a crowdfunding initiative - as the scheme nears its March deadline.

The Cheshire West Crowd, a Spacehive webpage, provides the opportunity for groups to put forward community-led projects and attract funding to make the borough more vibrant, resilient and connected.

The Cheshire West Crowd autumn 2022 round is the biggest yet, with 44 community projects currently running crowdfunding campaigns and more than £425,000 in funding pledged by Cheshire West and Chester Council.

That means nearly £1.4 million has been raised for local projects from almost 4,800 backers since the initiative was first launched.

Ellesmere Port Local and Family History Society (EPLFHS) is fundraising to create an animation video that will showcase the town’s history.

Celia Webber, Chair of EPLFHS, said: "We’ve had wonderful support so far and every penny of it will help with promoting Ellesmere Port.

"The funding we’ve received from the Council is a real incentive for others to get involved in a project that could make a real difference to the town."

Incredible Edible Handbridge is another project on a crowdfunding journey, with plans to launch a new Arches Wildlife and Wellbeing Garden.

Lisa Rossetti, Secretary of Incredible Edible Handbridge, added: "We’re absolutely delighted to have our community project supported and funded by the Council.

"We can’t wait to get started with transforming the patch into a lovely, thriving green space for our Handbridge community to enjoy."

Down Syndrome Cheshire is generating funds through the Cheshire West Crowd for a new sensory room.

Lawrence Caygill, CEO of Down Syndrome Cheshire, commented: "We’re over the moon that we’ll be able to provide a sensory room for babies and children with Down syndrome in Cheshire, supporting their physical, communication and social development.

"The pledge from the Council has been instrumental in getting our crowdfunding campaign over the line and providing funding for this-much needed resource, which will make a massive difference to the lives of children living with Down syndrome and their parents and carers."

While some projects have successfully reached their crowdfunding targets, others are calling on some extra support so they can become a reality.

All projects will need to reach their crowdfunding targets on the Cheshire West Crowd by Wednesday 22 March 2023. A full list of projects can be found on the Cheshire West Crowd website.