Family takes prize for lifestyle change

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A WARRINGTON family is celebrating after taking away the overall prize in Golden Gates Housing Trust’s Challenge4Change initiative.
The family won £500 towards the holiday of their choice after receiving the most public votes in an X Factor-style competition.
Since last September, the Williams family have been competing with other local families to make the biggest changes to their lives.
The competing families were selected from dozens of applicants and were challenged with making a number of significant lifestyle changes of their own choice. They were supported on their journey by members of staff from GGHT’s regeneration and employment initiatives teams who acted as their personal mentors to help them through the process.
The changes could be anything from improving health and wellbeing, getting into employment, managing their money better, improving their home or environment, getting online and using a computer, to spending more time together as a family.
The winning family committed to a number of changes throughout the challenge. These saw dad Michael lose weight and exercise more and mum, Charlotte attend college and complete a training course.
As a whole family they have also started making healthier meals, began to manage their budgets more effectively and have started doing more activities as a family.
With Charlotte completing college, she will now be the first person in her family to attend university, when in September she will start a primary teacher training course at Liverpool Hope University. Michael is also now training to become a scout leader at his local scout group where he hopes to lead an archery club.
Over the last six months the families have been documenting their progress on a series of YouTube videos and blog entries. Since January, members of the public have been able to vote online for the family they think has made the biggest change and who deserved to take away the overall prize.
The event concluded with a grand finale at the LiveWire Jubilee Hub, where the winning family was announced and received their prize. The project brought together a number of local partners including Livewire, Warrington Borough Council’s Wellbeing and Smoking Cessation Teams and Orford Hub, backing up the intensive support from GGHT’s Money Advice, Employment Initiatives and Regeneration teams.
GGHT chairman Roy Smith, said: “It’s been amazing to see and hear all about the challenges that the families took on and how they overcame any problems. This is exactly the kind of project that shows GGHT and partners’ commitment to our residents. With changes linked to welfare reforms and the continued increases in the cost of living continuing to have a major impact on our communities, we are committed to providing the support and resources that will help our residents most in need, and help them achieve a healthy, stable future.
“I’d like to thank everyone for taking part and giving up their time. I also want to congratulate the Williams family for their outstanding commitment throughout the initiative.”
Michael Williams said: “We are over the moon and thrilled to have won. Challenge4Change truly has inspired us to change our lives. We would like to thank everyone involved in the project and the other families in making the whole experience unforgettable.”
Victoria Jones, regeneration officer at GGHT who has been mentoring the Williams family since the start of the initiative, said: “I am very proud of the whole Williams family. I was with them from day one of this project and have seen them progress and flourish in making the changes to help them improve their lives.”
Picture: The Williams family collecting their prize from GGHT chairman Roy Smith (left) and chief executive officer Peter Mercer.


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Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.

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