Community Links

Today I attended the British Urban Regeneration Association (BURA) Awards for Community Inspired Regeneration which were presented in the impressive setting of the House of Lords. I was delighted to have been asked to be on the judging panel and in the process visited some truly inspiring projects.

Regeneration, along with many sections of the UK economy, is struggling through the recession – so much gloomy talk of a shrinking sector preceded the event. However once we got to the presentation of the awards the work of the individuals and organisations we were celebrating shone as bright as the spring sunshine across the Thames.

Throughout the presentations a theme emerged of creative and innovative ideas which had come directly from local people wanting to make a positive difference to their neigbourhoods. People doing the best they could with the resouces they have: whether a small patch of land in inner city London like the Butterfield Community Orchard or a breathtakingly beautiful island off Scotland’s west coast, where the Garrison House has been skillfully restored as a significant local asset – or the former quarrys of the island of Portland, now run by the Living Quarry Trust as an extensive scuplture park.

The Chair of the Judging Panel Dan Sequerra was clear that “real regeneration comes through people living in communities” and that  “people, not buildings, should be recognised”. Whilst there is no guarantee that any specific community project will succeed in the long term, supporting innovative community projects is what will make a difference; “…we should risk investing in our communities,” he said.

This point was reiterated by DCLG minister Baroness Andrews in her presentation “you will only get the change you want” she said “if you trust people to do it for themselves”. People like those in the former Welsh coalfields who set up the Creation Development Trust with its visionary approach to developing a community, damaged by industrial decline and neglect, but now a model of success. Or the people living around the Quaggy River in south London who built up enormous technical expertise about flood alleviation and river management to propose a local solution to longstanding problems. Matthew Blumler of the Quaggy Waterways Action Group said their breakthrough came when the local authority allowed the community group to “redefine the problem”. 

The key to all of these successes is that people know what the local issues are and have developed projects which directly tackle them. Knowledge, rooted in first-hand  local experience,  has been put to use providing sustainable solutions. Catherine Powell chairperson of Parkview4U the UK’s first ”3G” park providing for all three generations succinctly described their success as “People Power and Partnerships”

But of all the inspiring winning projects the two that I found most heartening were those initiated by young people.

As part of the assesment process I visited Skegness on a particularly “bracing” day in December and was inspired by the fantastic X-Site Skatepark. The UK’s only indoor and outdoor purpose built wheeled sports facility is an excellent well-used asset which is contributing to the regeneration of the town by attracting visitors outside the traditional resort summer season. This impressive project is all the more remarkable given its origins.  The project began with local young skaters and BMXers meeting in the back room of a fish and chip shop – wanting to set up somewhere to follow their sport. Because of their resiliance and knowlege of what would work locally (and a bit of support they won along the way)  the  young skaters have persevered to realise the impressive and self sustaning project that now exists.

Similarly, a couple of years ago small group of seven teenagers (part of the Canal Boat Adventure Project in Runcorn) formed the Nessie Club – a club  for young people based on a canal boat.  Young people have developed the project and manage its operation. Their ideas are based on the needs of local young people and they work to compensate for lack of opportunities that their members experience. Whilst they have contributed significantly to regeneration for the whole community they have also been supportive of others beyond their own area with ongoing volunteer work in Ghana.

Both X-site skatepark and the Nessie club are run by keen and enthusiastic young teams whose bright ideas and energy are not only benefiting their peers  - but making a real and lasting impact regenerating their communities.

Despite the talk of economic gloom the judging process has shown me that there is no shortage of people, and particularly young people, who  feel empowered to take an active interest in their neighbourhoods, getting together with others to share local knowledge and a desire to make a positive difference. I for one feel confident in the continued progress in all of our communities… and truly inspired.

It’s this belief, that those who experience an issue are best placed to offer a solution, that has in part informed the linksUK decision to run a series of discussions across the country about the impact of a changing economy on our communities the Stronger Communities, Stronger Economy events are being held next week as part of our Chain Reaction project, visit the website and get involved.