Guiding

Guiding started in Rainford in 1925 and ran until 1947 when there was a break until 1963.

It was originally part of North District, then North West District, becoming a District in its own right in September 1976.

Rainford Congregational Church was its first meeting place in 1963. Guiding was encouraged by Minister Arthur Huyton, who had strong links with Peter Street Institute – which was the first Unit of Guiding in St Helens.

In the early seventies Guiders, parents and friends banded together with the aim of raising money for our own meeting place and, with land from Lord Derby being made available to us, this was finally achieved. Lord Derby opened our new headquarters on the 25 July 1974.

Girlguiding Merseyside

History of Guiding in Rainford Document

Rainford Community First Responder Group

Rainford Community First Responders are volunteer members from within their community who act in support of the North West Ambulance Service by providing a time critical response to patients within their local areas. They are appropriately trained to nationally agreed standards for competency, and respond quickly through the 999 system, to certain life threatening medical emergencies. They are trained to deliver basic life support and defibrillation to patients in cardiac arrest, and also attend a range of other emergencies, such as respiratory arrests, breathing problems, allergic reactions, diabetic emergencies, strokes, fitting and convulsions, abdominal and chest pains, heart attacks, severe haemorrhages and other unconscious patients, where they can deliver first aid and oxygen therapy to the patient, and treat conditions, which if left untreated could deteriorate rapidly, and subsequently lead onto a cardiac arrest.

Statistics have shown that in cases of a cardiac arrest, early delivery of basic life support and use of a defibrillator, can dramatically improve the pre-hospital survival rate. If an equipped First Responder is already in attendance when a cardiac arrest takes place, that survival rate has the potential to rise even more so.

In November, 2008 Rainford’s own group of First Responders became operational, and the area is now covered from 8am until midnight most days of the week by a dedicated team of volunteers, the majority of whom have other full time occupations. Their presence has, quite literally, saved several lives.

The area covered by the group encompasses Rainford, Crawford, Crank and Kings Moss, and is bounded by the A580 East Lancashire Road, M58 and the Kirkby, Billinge and Upholland boundaries. Within the area reside a population of approximately 10,000. When a 999 call is made by a resident, providing that the emergency is of a type that a First Responder is trained to deal with, central ambulance control notifies the on-call members of the group and the ambulance crew simultaneously. Usually it is the local First Responder who arrives first at the scene, and provides that essential care in those first critical minutes of the emergency.

Rainford Horticultural Society

Started in 1977, after meetings with St.Helens Council, allotments started on the field behind the new Church of England primary school, this however was only temporary as the land was scheduled for an extension to the school. Eventually the site was moved to Rainford Junction on the site of the old Railway sidings. Quickly, the Society gained gardening enthusiasts from the village, and soon after began to hold social events with interesting speakers. The meetings went from strength to strength after being moved from behind the Golden Lion to Rainford North End Club. Currently the society holds in the region of 140 members, and the majority of them attend the meetings on a regular basis. The meetings are held on the fourth Monday of every month from September to May. Each month there is an auction of members’ surplus plants and on other months there are speakers on topics of horticulture. Non members are welcome to attend meetings and the yearly outings to gardening events.

1st Rainford Scout Group

Founded in 1961, the first few meetings were held in the Village Hall, soon after a den was acquired at church farm. A Cub Pack was then formed in the spring the following year. A group and parent committee was formed, which raised the necessary funds to provide the fast-expanding group. Sir Douglas Glover, our local Member of Parliament at the time, opened these excellent premises and the group continued to go from strength to strength. Originally from 24 scouts and 2 leaders, there are now 2 Beaver Colonies, 2 Cub Packs and 1 Scout group and a Scout unit, with the age ranges of 6 - 8, 8 - 10 ½, 10 ½- 15½ and 15½ - 20 respectively. It is a full Scouting programme of awards, badges, camps, outings and competitions with contributions to community projects. Details of weekly meetings are found here

Crank Womens' Institute

It was in 1922 that the people of Crank decided to form a branch af the Womens' Institute, and on a winters day on the First of February of that year a gathering of the clan met in the Crank Recreation Hut and set down the foundations of the present day flourishing organisation. Mrs Col. Guy Pilkington of the famous glass firm was our first president, followed by equally capable ladies, Mesdames Mrs Makin, Mrs Foster, Mrs Warham, Mrs Kerfoot, right up to our present president, Mrs Hunter. As a successful WI. we are currently engaged in the organisation of educational classes such as cooking, dressmaking, embroidery, upholstery etc., backed up sometimes with the assistance of a hired speaker, or film show. We have a strong, enthusiastic bowling team, and have a much contested yearly internal competition where members compete for the various trophies, like the Pilkington Cup and the Baseter and Gaskell Cup. There is also the Harriet Glover Competition Cup, awarded annually to the overall yearly winner of that year’s monthly competitions, in whichever category, which could cover anything from flower arrangements, greetings card design to cookery contests. There is a yearly show held for members who display crafts, cookery. dressmaking etc., all contesting strongly for the coveted Kerfoot Cup. Other activities include day trips to many of the beautiful villages, towns and countryside of our lovely county of Lancashire; visits to historic cities are also included. From the charity fund-raising aspect the activities are diverse with coffee mornings, hoe-downs, jumble sales etc., donations to the allocated charity are usually in excess of £500. The Walking Club has its own Walkers Cup which is presented to the entrant with the best attendance record. We also have the Luncheon Cup within our ranks, providing companionship and pleasure, as well as gastronomic satisfaction! Crank Gala, independent to the W.I., provides a means for us to hire a stall and promote our cooking and craft skills, proceeds from which are divided between the Crank Gala Commitee and our own funds. Quiz contests are popular with our members and are held on a regular basis. Members of the WI. have the opportunity to attend one of the many courses held by the Women’s Institute at Deenman College. There is a wide choice of courses giving plenty of scope for people wishing to increase their knowledge and skills. One important function within our ranks is the celebration of the yearly February anniversary of the formation of the Crank W.I. in1922. This celebration is in the form of an American Tea Party where all our members bring their own food to share in a buffet type presentation. Since 1922 we have come a long way, moving our ‘house’ twice, from our humble beginnings in the Old Recreation Hut, to the Rainford Village Hall in 1976, and from there to our present home, Rainford Parish Church Hall in 1980. Leslie Bromilow (2000)

Groups

Rainford band:

Rainford Band was established from the former Rainford Boys' Brigade Silver Band in 1976. At that date former BB members held a public meeting in the village hall to see if it was feasible to form a new band. The take-up from prospective members was very encouraging and so the new band came into being.

It was the inspirational captain of the 1st Rainford Boys' Brigade, Alf Webster, who was behind the setting up of the original BB band, and it was his officers - Tony Brown, David Roughley and Ken Wesley who drove the Rainford Band project forward.

Some 34 years later the Band can look back on some considerable successes. From an early solid foundation, it spent some years as a non-contesting band before eventually entering its first contest at Oldham's Queen Elizabeth Hall in 1979 where it played the test piece 'A Winter's Tale'.

Some talented musicians led the band in its early days. William Lyon, then MD of Skelmersdale Prize Band, was the first tutor, starting in the BB days, followed by William Horrocks, Albert Atherton, Ken Heaps and Geraint Jones.

But it was Colin Moore from Pemberton who led the band to its first contesting successes during a 21-year stint as the band's MD. Most notable was a second place at the National Brass Band finals in London in 1993.

Following Colin's departure, Steve Pendlebury and Brian Harper took the band for short periods before Malcolm Brownbill took the helm and was instrumental in inaugurating the successful Summer Pops concerts at White House Farm, Rainford, which have been held there every year since. Malcolm also took the band to a national qualifying contest at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool.

Brass teacher Lynda Nicholson then took the band to some notable contest successes and established a solid base for future development.

But it is under present MD Neil Samuel that the Band has achieved its greatest contesting successes (see results panel). Under Neil's guidance the Band now competes in the highest echelon of banding in the North West and is ranked 178th in the world rankings - not a bad achievement for a village band considering there are more than 500 brass bands in the North West of England alone!

As well as MDs the band can be thankful for some fantastic support from the community during the period of its existence. It raised thirty thousand pounds as its contribution towards the National Lottery - funded bandroom under the inspirational guidance of the then chairman Linda Mawdesley. This cash was mostly raised from the people of Rainford.

Past presidents, Eric Foster, David Wood and new president John Walker have all played a major role in the Band's continuing development and the band is now looking forward with confidence and enthusiasm to future successes.