At a community meeting in Great Horton, an area was highlighted as suffering from a high level of anti-social behaviour and lack of community cohesion amongst residents. We were already working with the local housing association, so we began detached youth work sessions in the neighbourhood to investigate how we could help.
After speaking to young people, residents from the community and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, we helped to plan a social action programme to enhance the community’s green spaces and to bring local people together. Despite the snow and freezing temperatures, tenants of all ages came along and threw themselves into working together to make a positive impact on their area. A further day was planned and we helped young people to prepare a presentation for Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to include some of their ideas in plans to regenerate the local green space. It was agreed that as well as turning the green into an accessible space for all to enjoy, there would be the addition of goal posts installed to create an area where young and older local people could play football and diffuse tension in the community.
The people who worked on the Great Horton project tell us that they have a real sense of ownership of the space they worked on and community relations continue to benefit from youth work input.
The community is feeling proud after a hard day’s work improving where they live!