From Longton and Proud CIC – Community Group of the Year nominee

From Longton and Proud CIC – Community Group of the Year nominee

What began as a desire to help others during the COVID-19 pandemic has grown into a volunteer-led organisation that continues to make a real difference to people across Longton every day.

When families were struggling, neighbours helped neighbours. Volunteers came together to provide support, share resources and ensure vulnerable residents did not feel alone. While many of those emergency efforts ended when the pandemic passed, the spirit behind them remained.

That spirit became From Longton and Proud CIC. Officially incorporated in March 2024, the organisation continues to operate without formal funding and is powered entirely by volunteers, donations and community support. Much of its activity is centred around Longton Exchange Shopping Centre.

At the heart of the organisation is The Little Longton Book Exchange, a welcoming community space where books are shared, friendships are formed and conversations begin. For many visitors it is not simply a place to collect a book; it is somewhere they feel welcome, valued and connected.

The CIC also supports families through The Little Longton Uniform Exchange, which provides free school uniform to local families, provides Winter Warmers support during colder months, hosts weekly coffee mornings, community jigsaw tables and volunteer training opportunities and helps create spaces where people can come together, build confidence and tackle loneliness.

The organisation has also supported wider community projects including funding activities for Staffordshire Lobby Week and providing outdoor games used during Longton Exchange’s Fun Fridays, helping ensure local families can access free activities and experiences.

From Longton and Proud CIC has been nominated in the Community Group of the Year category of the Your Heroes Awards by Roz Ryan.

She said: “Some organisations are created through funding programmes, business plans and formal strategies. From Longton and Proud CIC was created through kindness. Every project is delivered because local people care deeply about their town and the people who live within it.

“What makes From Longton and Proud CIC truly remarkable is not the size of its budget or the scale of its organisation. It is the fact that it exists because people care.

“Every book donated, every volunteer hour given and every conversation shared reflects a community looking after its own. In a world where many people feel disconnected, From Longton and Proud CIC continues to prove that small acts of kindness can have a lasting impact.

“Through compassion, dedication and an unwavering belief in community, it has helped create a stronger, more connected and more hopeful Longton. That is why From Longton and Proud CIC deserves recognition as a true community hero.”