I LOVE The Mill

13 Nov 2016

The Mill is a youth centre in Bramhall village for 11-18 year-olds which began as a Millennium Project of Churches Together in Bramhall and Woodford, opening its doors in September 2000.

We went in to meet the people behind the hard work, and what a pleasure it was!

Julie Sweeting is the administrator there and has lived in Bramhall for 26 years with husband Mark, from Bramhall Business Services, who is also a Trustee of The Mill. She attends St. Michael’s Church which is where her involvement with The Mill started. Julie enjoys going out to some of our favourites including Romulus and Amans. Julie was born and raised in Reddish so has always been in and around the Stockport area. Julie and her husband fully embrace the Bramhall community! Just what we like to hear! The pair now have two kids – Sammie aged 23 who works at Stables Kitchen and Daniel who is 20 and studying physiotherapy at Leeds Beckett University.

The Mill Julie

Andy Brownlee was also with us when we met. Andy is one of the youth workers at The Mill, working 24 hours a week there as he has done for four and a half years. Originally from Northern Ireland, Andy moved over the water to go to University in Aberdeen and after that got a job down here in Bramhall and moved to Burnage where he still lives. His friend and colleague, Michael Bradley, moved over from California to Heaton Chapel and now also works 24 hours a week at The Mill. Staff members from all over the globe – not many places can offer that! Michael is a qualified music producer and produces music in The Mill itself, as they have their own music studio! There’s absolutely no chance of kids getting bored in there!

Michael - The Mill
At The Mill, there are of course some volunteers that help out with the looking after and safeguarding of the children. At the moment there are about 15 volunteers on the books. Some of them will work a couple of days a week, some a couple of hours a week, some a couple of hours a month and some just on standby for if and when they’re needed. They’re a great bunch of people who have devoted their valuable time to this great cause and it makes such a difference. If you’re reading this thinking you’d like to do some volunteer work, get in touch with Julie, as they’re always on the lookout for some more dedicated people who want to make a difference like so many already have. The Mill

So, you want to hear more about The Mill itself? Firstly, the name. It is named so because it was set up as a Millennium project. It was set up to provide a safe place for young people to go to at a time when there was little else in the village to entertain them. The Mill is funded from a variety of sources including donations from churches and local groups. You may have seen them in the past at craft fairs or table top sales and will do in the future too, so keep an eye out and help raise some money!

One thing that The Mill is keen to promote more is regular giving through ‘Friends of The Mill.’ This is essentially where local businesses and individuals set up a standing order on a monthly basis to help maintain what is already there and move them towards becoming self-sufficient. The Mill can also claim gift aid from this money. If you or your business can spare a small amount of money each month for a fantastic cause which looks after kids and teaches them life essentials in fun and innovative ways, get in touch with the team.

The Mill is open from 15:30-17:00 for after school sessions in the week and 13:00-15:00 during half term. There are also sessions on Saturday afternoons and Saturday evenings. You can expect to find kids from Cheadle Hulme High and Bramhall High School together with year 6 pupils from all of the Bramhall primary schools partaking in sessions. All of this adds up to about 150 young people attending sessions PER WEEK! Wow – that’s a lot of kids to look after! What a great job Julie, Andy, Michael and everyone else are doing!

“We’re a safe place for kids to come along. There’s always an adult that they can come to… quite often it’s the first step to independence for the them.”

With cheap drinks, cheap sweets, games consoles, pool tables, air hockey tables, a music studio and so much more, where better for your child to be while you’re out at the shops or finishing off at work?

The Mill is a great place doing great things and that’s why, for the last 16 years, kids have liked it so much, they LOVE The Mill!