Proffitts CIC – Community Projects and Funding

”Civic Pride Rossendale, a charity based in the Rossendale Valley, in Lancashire, has been working in Trickett’s Memorial Ground in Waterfoot since 2016. A small team of volunteers has worked hard clearing weeds and planting shrubs, trees and perennials in an effort to bring this community space back to life. Proffitts, working with the local authority and ourselves, drew up a masterplan for tackling and improving the infrastructure in the grounds. Proffitts consulted with the public and other interested groups and then secured grants to enable the work to go ahead. The work was completed in September 2024 and has made an enormous difference, building upon, and enhancing what we had done. The paths have been improved, bases laid for picnic tables, a handrail on the steps, new steps up to the memorial stone, a memorial bench and information boards. Work has been carried out on the trees and on steps leading up to a side entrance. And then hundreds of new perennials planted. Rachael managed the project, paying attention to and acting on any concerns we had, and ensuring the work was carried out satisfactorily. A very big thank you to Proffitts.” Charlotte Hocking – Finance Officer, Civic Pride Rossendale – January 2025

”We are a small community group who manage and operate a Community Centre in Tanterton, Preston. We wanted to turn an unloved, difficult to maintain area attached to the Centre into a garden, our Garden Project, to benefit the local community and for them to enjoy. We engaged Proffitts to carry out the detail design and manage the construction phase for us as it was felt to be beyond our capacity. Rachael was their project lead. Rachael listened to us when we were in the early stages of preparing the brief particularly in respect of accessibility, planting and not least, cost. Ultimately she ensured delivery of our Garden Project on time and within our very tight budget constraints. We were kept well informed and involved by Rachael at all stages of the Project; from preparing the brief to receiving and assessing quotations from contractors, choosing the contractor, through on site construction to final valuation and invoicing. This took any potential stress out of the delivery process. We now have the garden that we envisioned when we first started fund raising some twelve months ago. It has been a pleasure working with Rachael and the team from Proffitts.” Alan Brookes – Trustee, Tanterton Village Centre – October 2024

”The restoration of Memorial Park has far surpassed my expectations, both in the quality of the improvements and the remarkable level of community interest and engagement throughout the project’s development. This initiative has fostered valuable partnerships between the Friends of Memorial Park, the local school, the Great Harwood Branch of the Royal British Legion, and the local Council’s Parks Service. As the Chair of the Friends of Memorial Park expressed, it has also helped to reignite a strong sense of community spirit within the town. The project’s success has been a key factor in the park earning the prestigious Green Flag Award for 2024-2025, setting a new standard for excellence that will serve as a benchmark in the years to come.” Mark Cassell-Pickup – Senior Parks Development Officer, Hyndburn Borough Council – September 2024.