Employee celebrated for 40 years service

AN employee has been treated to an exclusive champagne reception after working for Marks and Spencer for 40 years.

Padgate resident Patricia Bradshaw, aged 59, was treated to the reception in London as a thank you from the retailer for her four decades of dedication and enthusiastic customer service.

Patricia started working at the M&S store in Warrington in 1975 as a sales assistant where she was encouraged to develop her skills and passion for numbers and progressed her career up to administration manager.

In 1996 she moved to M&S Gemini and took up her current role of store service advisor.

She said: “I always wanted to work at M&S because of its reputation as one of the country’s top retailers.

“When I was in my last year at school we had a careers talk and I started to think about my future.

“I started to write letters to M&S asking for a job and I never gave up until I was eventually offered a permanent position working in the menswear department — and I haven’t looked back.”

Patricia was among 82 long-serving colleagues from across the UK invited to celebrate their combined 2,245 years of experience with the company this year.

“We’re a really friendly team here in Cheshire and it’s been such a pleasure to work with so many wonderful people over the years,” she said.

“M&S has cared for me through difficult situations and was really supportive when my husband passed away. It really is like being part of a family.

“I couldn’t think of a better place to work – I’m really passionate about it and even my daughter worked for M&S for five years.”

Warrington Guardian:

Patricia Bradshaw and husband Brian

Sign up for junior badminton tournament

A JUNIOR badminton tournament is being held at Orford Jubilee Neighbourhood Hub.

The fourth annual Restricted Junior Badminton Tournament is taking place on June 6 from 11am until 2pm.

Years six and eight will play at 11am, year 10 at noon and year 12 at 1pm — each year group includes the year below.

Players should arrive 10 minutes before their start time to warm up and to receive instructions and finishing times will depend on the number of entries received.

The tournament is free and to find out more, visit facebook.com/WarringtonBadminton.

Drop-in job club for teens

A JOB club for teens is being held.

The free drop-in session provided by Warrington Borough Council is for teenagers aged 16 to 19 and is taking place at Orford Park Library from 1pm until 3pm on June 9.

For more information call 572504.

Funfair offers free rides

FREE rides were on offer to children with additional needs, their families and carers when Silcock’s Funfair rolled into town.

The funfair spent several weeks in Orford Jubilee Park in May but offered the free rides at a special event on a Saturday morning.

Keith Maddock, neighbourhood and wellbeing director at LiveWire, said: “Arthur Silcock regularly holds the funfair here at Orford Jubilee Park; it is always a delight to see local families enjoying the park.

“Everyone that attended the free morning had a great time and they were able to enjoy the fair at their own pace when it was a little quieter.”

Arthur Silcock said: “I am glad to able to provide an enjoyable service to those in the local community.

“I am always trying to think of new ways to make the fun fair enjoyable and accessible for everyone. Plenty of people visited on the free morning and I am hoping to do this again next year.”

For more information on Silcocks, visit silcocksfunfairs.com.

On course for a happy life

A COURSE offering advice for a happy life is being held.

Odiyana Buddhist Centre is running the six-week course, entitled Advice for a Happy Life, on Wednesday nights at 7.30pm at Orford Community Hub on Festival Avenue from June 3 with the last session on July 8.

For more information visit meditationincheshire.org or call 01606 77034.

Construction employees to embark on charity cycle

STAFF from a Warrington-based construction group are taking part in a non-stop cycle relay from Land’s End to John o’ Groats in aid of Cancer Research.

The Galliford Try employees will split the 981-mile route into 14 stages of between 53 and 83 miles.

The cyclists from the company's office at Fearnhead will be riding the two stages from Runcorn to Slaidburn and then to Keswick totalling 134 miles.

Jon Hodgins, relay co-ordinator and engineering director for Galliford Try, said: “We’ve got offices close to pretty much all parts of the route from Devon to Inverness so it’s been relatively easy to find volunteers to cover all of it.

“Each team will pass to the next a water bottle containing messages from our chief executive that are not to be read until the end of the stage.

“Our yellow jerseys will be the hi-viz vests that the night riders will wear.”

The first group sets off from Lands End at 5am on June 11 and the riders on the final stage should finish at John o’ Groats in the evening of June 14.

“We’re aiming to raise around £50,000 in sponsorship from our supply chain and friends and family,” added Jon.

“Last year 24 of us cycled from our Matlock regional office to our HQ in Leicestershire and raised £15,000 for the Cancer Research and this year we thought we’d go further in more ways than one.”

To donate visit justgiving.com/Team-GT-LEJOG.

Warrington Guardian:

Flying the flags of Cornwall, Cheshire and Scotland in Warrington are, from left, Dean Armstrong, Rob Amson, Rob Lowe and Sean Haigh

Charity to help fix leaking roof

A LEAKING roof at Padgate Methodist Church Centre is to be replaced with the help of a charity.

Cheshire Community Foundation has awarded a grant of £2,664 so that a new sloping roof can be built over the toilet block after the design of the existing flat, concrete roof led to recurring water damage and meant the men's toilets had to be closed for a while.

The centre is a popular community venue, hosting toddler and embroidery groups, and sessions for badminton, art and flower arranging, and Warrington Male Voice Choir.

Cheshire Community Foundation chief executive Helen O'Donnell said: "Our role involves inspiring philanthropy and investing money in grass roots organisations.

"We help people who want to give back to the places in which they live and do business by connecting them to the community. We help them invest in that community in an intelligent and impactful way."

The foundation, which has an endowment of £4m allowing it to award grants in perpetuity, helps not-for-profit organisations such as charities, community groups and social enterprises.

To find out more call Cheshire Community Foundation on 01606 330607 or email grants@cheshirecommunityfoundation.org.uk.

Warrington Guardian:

Padgate Methodist Church Centre