Jan 24

Learning At The Laundrette! Cheshire College and Motherwell Join Forces For Community Learning

Motherwell Cheshire CIO has opened a brand-new laundrette at the New Images Youth and Community Centre in Winsford, which will be used as a space for community learning in collaboration with Cheshire College – South & West.

The community space is named ‘Edna’s Laundrette’ in honour of local woman Edna Fletcher, who worked at the New Images Community Centre for 38 years and has continued to volunteer there for a further 13 years.

The four washing machines, Edna, Ailsa, Ada and Eva (named after Edna Fletcher, former mayor of Winsford Ailsa Gaskill-Jones, social activist Ada Nield Chew, and former First Lady of Argentina Eva Perón) were also installed with the help of Plumbing staff and a former student from Cheshire College.

Edna’s Laundrette promises to be a vital resource for those in need, as household appliances are increasingly expensive to use. Service users can book to use the machines for free, but Motherwell’s founder Kate Blakemore has said that the space is designed to be so much more than a place to wash and dry clothes, inspiring the hashtag #NotJustALaundrette.

“People can definitely use the washers and tumbles but it’s more about what the space can provide, really,” Blakemore shared.

“Cheshire College has already been delivering community learning in this space and we want to capitalise on that. We want people to know that we’ll always have a course that’s running for the women we support. Edna’s Laundrette is a place where people can network, socialise, learn, and find a greater sense of community with each other.”

Cheshire College recently completed a Level 2 Domestic Abuse Awareness course at the centre in collaboration with Motherwell. The four-week programme was such a success that it is due to be repeated at the College’s Crewe Campus.

Other upcoming community learning sessions include Level 2 Understanding Behaviour That Challenges, Level 2 Understanding Autism, a Level 1 Award in Stress Awareness, and more. Interested parties can go to www.ccsw.ac.uk and click the relevant links to apply for a community learning course. Alternatively, they can contact the College and ask to speak to Admissions or a member of the Business Development Team.