Inspiring change together

To celebrate Get Online Week from 20 to 26 October, Connecting Cheshire are working with local community organisations to run free digital drop-in events in Frodsham and Winsford.

Get Online Week is a national campaign run by Good Things Foundation, and it’s all about helping people feel more confident using the internet. It’s been going since 2007 and every year thousands of people across the UK take part.

With everything from banking to benefits now online, not having access or the skills to get online can make life much harder.

What to expect at the drop-ins

• Help getting started with devices and Wi-Fi
• Learn a new digital skill
• Advice on staying safe online

Event times and locations

Get Online Winsford
Date: 21 October 2025
Time: 10.30am – 1.30pm
Location: Winsford Youth and Community Forum, Nixon Drive, Winsford, Cheshire CW7 2HG

Get Online Frodsham
Date: 23 October 2025
Time: 10.00am – 12.00pm
Location: St Laurence’s Parish Hall, Church Street, Frodsham, WA6 6PN

For more digital information and for details about upcoming events, visit:

Digital Inclusion Events - Digital Cheshire

Getting around using public transport can not only save you money but is good for the environment too. Check out the deals on offer across our borough and beyond.

Avanti West Coast’s Superfare ticket extended to Chester

The Superfare ticket offers low-cost journeys to and from London.

The new fare costing £21 for a single journey, is available on direct Avanti West Coast trains between the two cities. It can be purchased at least 7 days in advance and up to 56 days before travel.

The ticket enables customers to book a journey for a specific date at a cheaper fare with the choice of a morning, afternoon, or evening slot.

Find out more

itravel now departing on Saturdays

itravel on-demand rural bus service covers a wide area including Helsby, Frodsham, Delamere and Acton Bridge, as well as some other villages where no commercial services are available.

It is simple, easy and cost effective to use. Just register to use the service, book your journey and you’re off. The many simple, convenient and varied ways of booking make it easier to connect you to people and places.

Monday to Friday 7am to 7pm (excluding Bank Holidays), and Saturdays between 9am and 5pm. You can book online, using the mobile phone app (available to download from the App Store or Google Play, or by telephone – 0330 678 1545.

Booking details

Chester Park and Ride

Travelling into Chester for work or leisure? Park and Ride operates from Upton, Boughton Heath and Wrexham Road. Free parking, with discounts for groups now available. Buses operate three separate circular routes direct into the city, then back to your car park.

PR1 – Wrexham Road Park and Ride: Grosvenor Road (for Racecourse and Law Courts) – Bus Interchange – Foregate Street stop AA (for shops and visitor attractions) – Pepper Street (for the River Dee and Boat Trips) – Grosvenor Road - Wrexham Road Park & Ride

PR2 – Boughton Heath Park and Ride: Boughton Waitrose (for Business Quarter) - The Bars – Bus Interchange – Foregate Street stop AA (for shops and visitor attractions) – Boughton Waitrose - Boughton Heath Park & Ride

PR3 – Upton (Zoo) Park and Ride: Liverpool Road (Countess Hospital) – Liverpool Road Abbotts Grange (for university) – Bus Interchange – Foregate Street stop BB (for shops and visitor attractions) – Liverpool Road Abbotts Grange – Liverpool Road (Countess Hospital) - Upton (Zoo) Park & Ride

Find out more

Get around for £3 until 2027

Single bus fares to be capped at £3 until March 2027, ensuring services remain affordable and supporting travel in rural areas and towns.

Cheshire West and Chester Council has worked with operators to encourage as many as possible to participate, although some services will not be eligible.

Journeys starting in Wales are not eligible for the scheme, however local concessions have been introduced by some operators.

Find our more

The Council is working with cycle trainers Bikeright to offer residents access to adult and family cycle training across the borough. The training will be tailored to suit your needs, whether you are a complete beginner or want to learn some more advance skills on your bike. Courses are available on a one-to-one basis with an instructor at a time and location that suits you. For family training, up to a maximum of six people can receive the training within your group.

Find out more and sign up

Tax-Free Childcare to help parents to save on their childcare bills

With Tax-Free Childcare, families arranging childcare for the start and end of the school day can get financial support of up to £2,000 a year per child, or £4,000 if their child is disabled, towards the cost. Parents can use the scheme to pay for childcare for children aged 11 or under, or up to 16 if the child has a disability.

For every £8 deposited in a Tax-Free Childcare account, the government tops it by £2 which means parents can receive up to £500 (or £1,000 if their child is disabled) every three months to use to pay for their childcare costs.

Once an account is opened, parents can deposit money and use it straight away or keep it in the account to use whenever it’s needed. Any unused money in the account can be withdrawn at any time.  

For more information about Tax-Free Childcare and how to register visit GOV.UK.

Reminder to extend Child Benefit for your teen

Parents of 16 to 19 year olds, who are staying in education or training, can extend their Child Benefit claim to guarantee payments in September.

Child Benefit will automatically stop on 31 August on or after a child’s 16^th birthday if it’s not extended.

You can apply to extend Child Benefit quickly and easily via the HMRC app or online on the Gov.UK website. You need to do this by 31 August

https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit-16-19

Child Benefit is currently worth £26.05 per week - or £1,354.60 a year - for the eldest or only child and £17.25 per week - or £897 a year - for each additional child. More than 870,000 parents extended their Child Benefit claim for their teen last year with the majority confirming online or via the HMRC app in minutes.

Child Benefit can continue to be paid for young people who are studying full time in non-advanced education as well as unpaid approved training courses. Visit GOV.UK to check full eligibility.

The Pensions Act 2014 set out the timescale for the increase in State Pension age from 66 years old to 67 years old and will first affect those born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961.

Anyone born between these dates should check their State Pension age to find out the earliest point at which they’ll be eligible for their State Pension.

It’s important for everyone to check their State Pension age. You can do this by using the State Pension age calculator on GOV.UK State Pension age calculator

The HAF Programme is funded nationally by the Department for Education and supports local organisations to provide free holiday provision to school aged children and young people from reception to year 11 (inclusive) on benefits-related free school meals (FSM) - helping them to access healthy food, take part in fun activities and meet new friends in a safe and fun environment.

There are also paid places available with some providers for those who do not meet the criteria, so that other children and young people can join in the fun too.

Full information is available on the dedicated Cheshire West and Chester pages of the HAF website.
Summer Holiday Activities and Food

Edsential Community Interest Company is working with several organisations, including schools, community, voluntary and faith sector organisations to organise 65 summer holiday activity clubs throughout the borough.

Each eligible child will be provided with a good quality nutritious meal, plus, they can look forward to a wide range of activities designed to be engaging and fun. From sports such as football, dodgeball and rounders to den building, baking, cooking classes and forest school activities.

Brio Leisure is offering a variety of activities for young people. Sports camps will be held at Neston Recreation Centre, catering for 4 to 12-year-olds. Additionally, fun and floats and craft sessions are available for young people aged 5 to 18 years with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) at Ellesmere Port Sports Village, Winsford Lifestyle Centre, and Northwich Memorial Court. For further details or enquiries, please email: info@brioleisure.org.

Young People Service will deliver a Future Focus summer scheme. The programme is aimed at young people aged 16-19 who are currently not in employment, education or training, or leaving Year 11 this summer and have not yet secured a post 16 placement for September. The range of activities will include confidence building and employment skills, team building and emotional and financial wellbeing.

Youth Zone for 11–16-year-olds (up to 25 for our SEND children and young people) will provide a summer programme including activity day trips, indoor and outdoor sports sessions, team building skills, Breakout Rooms and much more. For more information, email the Youth Service:
YoungPeoplesService@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

For more information about SEND specific activities, check out our website or if you have any queries, email: AimingHighForDisabledChildren@cheshirewest.gov.uk

To check if your child is eligible for Free School Meals, visit our website:
Free school meals | Cheshire West and Chester Council

If you have any questions about the HAF programme , please email:
HAF@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

A comprehensive list of other, non-HAF related, summer holiday activities across the borough is available on the Council’s website:
School holiday activities | Cheshire West and Chester Council

The government’s Household Support Fund is there to support households most in need, especially with energy costs, food, water bills and other related essential items. The current round provides funding until 31 March 2026.

Cheshire West and Chester plan to spend the money in the following ways:

• food vouchers for families with children who get free school meals
• payments to Pensioners who receive Pension Credit
• payments to Pensioners on a low income who are not receiving Pension Credit and therefore no longer qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment support
• making financial support available to people via local charitable organisations
• helping low-income households with energy and food costs
• income maximisation software to support residents to claim all of their eligible entitlements.

The round of discretionary funding for 2025/26 is now open for applications and is available to a broad range of low-income households across the borough, including families with children of all ages, pensioners, unpaid carers, care leavers and disabled people. The discretionary scheme is only open to households which have an active claim for Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction.

More information including how to apply can be found using the link below.
https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/household-support-fund

As of early July, we have now contacted all eligible Pension Credit customers directly to advise how to claim this payment.

The Council had previously intended to issue payments to pensioners on a low income who are not receiving Pension Credit to replace lost Winter Fuel Payment support. However, following amendments to the Winter Fuel Payment by central government, this support is no longer required.

Therefore, in the autumn, we will be directly contacting all eligible low-income pensioners who are receiving Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction, to advise how to claim additional support. More details will be provided in future newsletters. Please note that pensioners who have previously claimed Household Support Fund payment since December 2024, where possible the Council will reuse previous payment details provided so an application may not be required.

Additional support and advice is available for anyone who is struggling to pay their bills, requires debt advice or who’s health has been affected by the rising cost of living.
http://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/cost-of-living

Warm Homes Grant funding is expected to be available until 31 March 2028 in west Cheshire for home insulation and renewables such as heat pumps and solar panels. The grant has been made possible by funding from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero.

Grants are available for homes which have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) that is Band D, E, F or G. You can check on the Energy Performance Certificate Register(External link) for your address. If your property doesn't have a certificate, we can help you to arrange one if you qualify for this scheme.

The amount of grant you can apply for varies depending on your property and the type of work that is needed. Homeowners are typically not expected to pay anything towards the scheme unless building repairs are needed before the insulation or renewables can be installed. In private rented properties, the landlord is expected to make a minimum 50 per cent contribution to the scheme after the first property.

Typical improvements to your home that may be carried out using the grant, include:

• solid wall insulation (internal or external)
• cavity wall insulation
• loft, room-in-roof and flat roof insulation
• under-floor insulation
• heat pump
• solar photovoltaic (PV) panels for electricity generation
• high heat retention electric storage heaters, where a heat pump isn't suitable
• heating controls.

The target is for the energy efficiency measures to improve your EPC rating by at least two bands - for example, if your home is Band E, it should reach Band C or above with the planned improvements.

To qualify, you must be a homeowner who is living in the property as their main residence, or a private tenant, and meet the income criteria listed below.

• You receive an income related benefit (for example, Universal Credit, Pension Credit Guarantee, Council Tax Support, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or Tax Credits), or
• Your total household income before tax, National Insurance and other deductions is no more than £36,000, or
• Your total household income before tax, National Insurance and other deductions is no more than £20,000 after your housing costs have been deducted (by housing costs, we mean mortgage payments, rent payments and Council Tax).

When we calculate your household income, we will ignore any disability benefits (such as Personal Independence Payment or Attendance Allowance) so this will not count towards your household income. If you think you may be eligible please contact: homeenergy@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk(External link)

A member of the Council’s Climate Change Team will contact you to confirm your eligibility (we will ask you to provide us with documents to confirm your income) and explain the next steps.

Your voice is important to us. If you or a member of your family/friends uses any of the services detailed below, then we’re keen to get your/their views as this will help us to make improvements to our services.

Starting Well
We would like to gather some initial ideas from people who use a Starting Well 0-19 service (up to 25 years old for those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and those who don’t, to understand what works well and what could be done better.

The Starting Well service delivers support to children, young people, their families and carers across Cheshire West and Chester. The service is based mainly in Children’s Centres but also delivers support in families and carers' homes, and in schools.

Closing date for responses – Friday, 9 May 2025

The form takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Complete the feedback form

Adult Social Care
We want to hear about your experience when receiving support from the Council’s Adult Social Care Service.

The survey is open to those people who are receiving support as well as their family members, carers and advocates. We’re keen to hear what you think is particularly good about the service you’ve received from Adult Social Care and where you think we could make improvements.

This is an open-ended feedback form so there is no closing date for responses.

The survey takes approximately 5 minutes to complete.

Complete the short survey