Hello Stokies,
Guess what? The sun's out, the birds are singing, and it feels like summer has landed in our brilliant ST postcodes!
And guess what else? A lot is happening this month, starting with a chance to celebrate some incredible people in our community.
Meet Dr Lynne Sedgmore, CBE
Chair of Glastonbury Town Deal, and former Crackley Bank Primary School pupil, Dr Lynne Sedgmore CBE, DocProf, MSc, BA, PGCE, donates additional funds to the the Mansel Sedgmore Annual Award, established in 1998 in memory of her father and gives young people the opportunity of a lifetime to visit Glastonbury.
Lynne, a freelance coach, leadership developer, consultant, author, poet, and Priestess of Avalon and Enneagram teacher spent most of her full-time professional career of 36 years teaching and leading in the UK Further Education sector, beginning in Stoke-on-Trent College. She is currently Chair of the Glastonbury Town Deal, leading an investment of £23.6 million to regenerate the town, involving 10 grassroots projects.
Inspired by the Made In Stoke National Conference recently held at University of Staffordshire, Lynne has donated additional funds to support students’ participation in school trips and creative activities. The award, given to a pupil who has shown significant progress, overcome challenges, or made notable contributions, includes a trophy and a cash prize. In addition, since reconnecting with the city through Made in Stoke, Lynne has now funded a group of young people to visit Glastonbury in August, these are young people who ordinarily would not have this opportunity, one of the young people said
“I cannot believe I am going to Glastonbury, this is an amazing gift and I can’t wait to meet Lynne and say thank you"
Lynne is also gifting her time to provide coaching sessions and is committed to supporting the city in any way which she can. Lynne explains why giving back to her home city means so much…
“I first discovered Made In Stoke thanks to my sister Susan McGuire who shared a link to their website, knowing it would pique my interest. She was spot on! Despite living away from Stoke since 1974, the connection to my hometown remains stronger than ever. Both my brother Andrew, and my sister Sue, still live in Stoke, as did my parents. I have been back frequently to visit my family, as well as seeing old friends and supporting my primary school, Crackley Bank CP. And yes I do love oatcakes and Wrights pies, and I look at the bottom of china, every time. Stoke holds countless fond memories for me. I grew up on the Crackley estate in Newcastle, which was a wonderful place to be a child, full of community spirit. As a teenager, I spent many evenings at the Torch in Tunstall, and my first love was from Shelton. I met my first husband at Keele University, and we married in Chesterton. My educational journey began at Clayton Hall school, then continued at Madeley College for teacher training, before embarking on my first teaching role at Cauldon College. My daughter also attended school in Stoke and had the honor of being the first person to enter the new Hanley Museum when it opened. My second husband, John Capper, whom I met in Croydon in the 1990s, is from Tunstall. Stoke means a lot to both of us, and we share a love for Pottery Throwdown. I';ve lived in various places and I still feel there is a very special wonderful warmth from Stokie people. It was a delight to visit Stoke with a team from Glastonbury and to see the amazing creativity and regeneration happening across the city. I felt huge pride in witnessing the exciting new phase my beloved town is currently going through. It has given me so much, and in return I want to give back."
The Biggest Tea Party Ever is Brewing…
We've teamed up with the Council, the Chamber of Commerce, the YMCA, Made in Stoke, VAST, and loads of other fantastic local organisations to try and break a world record on 8th July at 11 a.m.
We want everyone involved — whether you're in a residential home, a dementia care home, a school, or just fancy doing it in your back garden.
All it takes is a picture of you enjoying a cuppa (English Breakfast, of course) and a slice of cake to become part of something historic.
And of course, our amazing kids are invited too! Schools and colleges can get involved with squash and crisps. While the world record will be for tea drinkers only, the celebration is for absolutely everyone.
Let's raise a cuppa, break some records, and show the world how fantastic life is in the potteries!
"We want everyone to be a part of this incredible day," says Dwain McDonald, Executive Lead at Made in Stoke. "Let's come together, drink tea, eat cake, and make history in the Potteries!"
🙌 Get Involved
There’s never been a better time to join the Made in Stoke movement. Whether it’s volunteering, mentoring, or supporting community projects, there’s a role for everyone.
Big love,
