Meet the people behind #gettingtheterracedone - part 2

Meet the CLT! This is the second of our portraits of CLT members who are #gettingtheterracedone.

"Hello, my name is Gary and I've been a member of Homebaked CLT for several years now.
I first got involved through Homebaked bakery; on match days I was their designated 'Chief Pie Taster' and even had my own 'VIP' table in the bakery! In 2018 I was asked if I would like to be part of the CLT's Design Team: I never expected to be part of the team as I was a bit unique, being the only person who wasn't a local resident - but I was here every week for 30 years as a season ticket holder. Being part of the CLT team lifted me - I really enjoyed the meetings & I felt a part of something. We did field trips to Granby & Manchester, which was a lovely experience & very informative. I was also able to help out with the container you can see behind me, which was supplied from Bridgehead (the company I work for).
All the ideas for the design and the colour scheme went through so many changes but we were told to brainstorm freely: 'Throw everything at us! What would you like to see?' We came up with some traditional and then some wacky stuff: we discussed the aesthetics, the ideal decor, Mediterranean tiles, solar panelling, maybe an independent art exhibition space, a calm space allocated to help folk’s mental health - everything really. I could visualise it.
It was so collaborative - even if you don’t think of yourself as someone who was creative, if you're in the right environment with the right people, no prior knowledge is needed. It was so welcoming & there was lots of laughter! I'm so glad to be a part of it. I always think of Homebaked as a family: you just want to keep coming back. It's my 'happy space'!"