Each year a community based project is identified as a vehicle for 11 to 14 year olds to learn new skills, build their self confidence and esteem and at the same time contribute to the community in which they live.

This year Belper School students from years 7, 8 and 9, restored areas of allotment garden to the rear of the Strutts Centre and also freshened up the room used by the Dandelion Clock Day Nursery. Everything from painting walls to erecting fence panels was enthusiastically taken on by a very determined group of young people, keen to turn around the sometimes negative image of young people in the media.

As in previous years, the week concluded with a community BBQ in celebration of the work carried out. This event was planned and run by the young people themselves and was attended by parents, local residents and others.

We would like to thank the Strutts Trustees for allowing us to host the scheme at the Centre and our thanks also go to all those who contributed their money and time to the week; a particular thank you should go to the Baptist Church who gave a very sizeable donation to enable this year’s scheme to go ahead.

Finally, the team would like to say a great big thank you to the young Dreamschemers themselves – you should be very proud of what you achieved over the week and we hope and pray that you continue to value your community and find your place in it.

The Basic Idea has been going for two years now and has helped over 100 families get through tight financial circumstances.  Right at the moment we are short of one very simple thing – delivery boxes!

This is the sort I mean…

Most offices have piles of these everywhere, so we’d be very grateful if you could drop by with one or two from time to time… the food store is open from 3:00 pm till 4:30 pm on the fourth Sunday of each month (excluding this April as it happens).  Simply go down the side of Boots the Chemist and ring the Basic Idea bell by the white side door next to Hacketts Bar – we may take a few moments to open up, so please be patient.

If you can supply us a couple then JUST THE BOTTOMS – NO LIDS PLEASE thanks

If you want to know more about the project, go to ‘THE BASIC IDEA’ page.

You may also be interested to know that Hope for Belper are looking at working with the Police and the Town Council to provide some practical help and a listening ear on the streets on a Friday night through the national Street Pastors initiative.

Research is at an early stage, but if you would like to know more then go to ‘Street Pastors’ - alternatively, if things start to move positively on this project we will put further info on the projects page through the year.

We were fortunate to be able to use the Salvation Army kitchen again and also to have the loan of many large catering pump flasks.

Around 800 cups of steaming hot chocolate were served on a very cold night to some very appreciative people. It was great to see some new faces helping out this year including the Belper Baptist Church Youth Group and their leaders.

There were some good opportunities for conversations whilst people were stood having there hot chocolate and we felt it was a great way to spend a couple of hours at the beginning of the festive season!

Caroline Stoddart

Residents from Riverside English Churches Housing were invited, with some coming from the local hostel in Belper and some from Heanor.

It was a great afternoon with Christmas dinner and entertainment. About 20 people a mixture from the Riverside Group and four of the churches in Belper enjoyed the afternoon together.

Thanks go to all the volunteers who helped to make this happen.

Tim and Mandy Moore

• Opening of the Playgroup playground by Councillors Alan and Jackie Cox.

• Left to right: Ethen, Jack, Emily and Charlie figure it out

• Opening of the garden at Ada Belfield – Councillor Jackie Cox wielding the sheers!

• Mica, Matthew and Hannah getting a bird’s eye view

• Megan and Chloe get to know Les at Ada Belfield

• Smile please for the press!

The scheme how now ended for another year, but thankfully Tim Gossling of Derby ChurchNet was there to capture the whole thing on video for us. Here’s how we got on.

It’s already been making headlines in the Belper News which carried this article in its most recent edition.

Tots and elderly folk will benefit from a summer holiday scheme aimed at helping kids to get involved with their community.

Twenty youngsters aged between 11 and 14 will spend a week working to improve facilities at Green Lane Playgroup and Ada Bellfied House in Belper as part of the Dreamscheme.

The initiative, which is being run by Hope for Belper, will also see the young people chatting to elderly people at the Field Lane home to learn about the history of the town.

The Dreamscheme is now in its third year. Last year a group of children cleared and redesigned the garden at the Sure Start Children’s Centre, on Alder Road, as part of the project.

Helen Greenwood, one of the organisers, said: “It’s fantastic working with the young people. Every year they’ve exceeded our expectations.

The projects have become a little bit more complex as we have realised just how much they can do.”

This year the group, which is from the Belper area, will be working on the garden areas at the two venues. They will also hold a tea party for the residents of Ada Bellfield and the families who use the playgroup.

At the end of the week, as a reward for their hard work, the group will go on a trip to a venue of their choosing. They have gone to Alton Towers theme park in Staffordshire for the past two years.

But it is not only the reward which the children get out of the week-long exercise, which is running from Monday, August 16 until Friday, August 20. Helen said: “I think they get a lot out of it.

They learn new skills, they work together, and they leave a lasting impression on the community.”

This year’s project is unique in its efforts to combine local history with the physical aspects of the week.

Volunteers from the Strutt’s Mill will be joining the young workers at the beginning of the week to help them talk to the elderly residents of Ada Bellfied House. It is hoped they will produce a booklet or something similar at the end of the week.

Helen said: “Hopefully it will bring out some memories from some of the older people and the young people will learn something about Belper and get something really positive from it.”

Hope for Belper is a group which links churches in the area for the benefit of the community.

The third Hope-sponsored Ritz cinema event saw a full house! The special showing of Emma Thompson’s ‘Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang’ on Saturday 8 May proved a big hit with local children from across Belper.

For some this was thier first cinema outing trip. We were able to bless them with a great selection of delicious homemade cakes and goodies.

As always God had the day in hand and as the last child walked out of the cinema they had the very last cake. Perfect!

Many thanks to all the volunteers (pictured) who supported both on the day and in preparing a selection of lovely homemade cakes for our guests.

Claire Tapping