The dawn of a New Year often brings renewed energy, new projects and different opportunities, and this seems certainly the case for the Rylands.
In this issue we want to mention some of the amazing activities we have on our doorstep and celebrate the breadth and diversity to be found in the Rylands community. The Rylands has a unique character with it’s residents ensuring it is no poor relation to Beeston. This was in clear evidence on the recent Light Night when the community came together to parade, and celebrate the lighting up of the canal and lock area that’s so unique to the Rylands.
Beeston Rylands Community Association (BRCA) continue to support diverse projects, and are working with a locally based theatre group with Parkinson’s called Parky Players to put on their first two performances of “SHAKE IT UP”, an original piece of comedy theatre.
The Parky Players received funding from Arts Council England, and with the help of a director, script writer and musical director they have created the brand new piece of theatre. The two performances at the Beeston Rylands Community Centre were sold out in January 2022, with many local people attending and enjoying the entertainment, food and raffle.
Lifts were provided for those elderly residents unable to make their own way to the performance. The Parky Players continue to rehearse in the community space, allowing them to fulfil their mission to raise awareness of Parkinson’s, and to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe in August 2022.
Our more established Rylands community groups also continue to go from strength to strength, largely due to the efforts and commitment of local volunteers. A good example is 2nd Beeston Sea Scouts, a unique scout group that offers a wide range of adventurous activities for young people (boys and girls) aged 6 – 18 on a weekly basis at Lilac Grove HQ in Beeston. They also have exclusive use of a River Base, Barton Island, which is where they spend most of, if not all of spring/summer running water activities for members of the group. They don’t just limit things to water activities, they run a broad range of other activities too, including arts and crafts, team challenges, cooking, survival skills, and loads of camping!
A slightly less adventurous, but just as important resource for our young people is BRCA’s youth club on Monday evenings. This club continues to provide a safe space for our young people to express themselves and have fun and friendship, and numbers attending is increasing. Then there’s Friday Club that continues to provide food and company for our over 60’s residents, plus other clubs and social activities that help our residents get through the week.
The community spaces we enjoy in the Rylands such as the Leyton Crecent (BRCA) Community Centre, Trent Vale Sports Association and The CanalSide Heritage Centre provide the space to bring these much needed social, arts, sports and cultural activities to the Rylands. The latest community group to choose to base itself in one of these is one of these venues is the 6th Beeston Guides, meeting at Beeston Rylands Community Centre on Leyton Crescent on Tuesday evenings.
2022 will bring even more community space with the building of the new social club as part of the new housing development. This space will be a social club, community fish and chip shop and hireable space all run by and for the benefit of Rylanders .
It seems apt to use the Parky Players’ mantra of the three A’s when describing the Rylands in 2022 and beyond: Acceptance, Adaptation and Ambition. Accepting the past and history of the place, adapting to meet the evolving needs of the residents, and ambition to create more, bigger, better things for all in the future.
For more information about the various projects and initiatives contact details are below.
If you feel you’ve been missed out, and would like to tell us about your part in the Rylands community, please email us: janetmbarnes@ntlworld.com
Sea scouts – enquiries@2ndbeeston.org.uk
BRCA – acemillington@gmail.com
6th Beeston Guides – 6thbeestonguides@gmail.com
JS & NR