Communities
Groundwork Solent is committed to supporting neighbourhoods viewed as disadvantaged. We work work closely with other organisations and community groups to improve the local environment and ensure that people are involved in decisions that affect them.
We help people improve the appearance of their streets, parks and housing estates and encourage greater cohesion within neighbourhoods by helping residents of different ages, cultures and backgrounds to get to know one another and take responsibility for their surroundings. When communities get involved in making their neighbourhood a better place to live, improvements are more likely to last
Examples of our work include
Garden Assistance Project
Groundwork Solent has been working with Swaythling Housing Society to help disadvantaged tenants to look after gardens and allotments, maintaining a high quality environment for people living in social housing.
This pilot project has been running since mid 2006, and in the first two phases of the project tenants from around twenty properties in Southampton had assistance with their gardens. This assistance ranged from simple tasks, such as weeding, to complete removal of brambles and trees.
The third phase of the project involved clearance of heavily overgrown allotments. Ten allotments were cleared in Swaythling and two allotments were cleared in Stoneham, making them once again available for use by residents.
The long term aim is to establish a permanent garden assistance scheme for use by residents of Swaythling Housing Society properties. A mobile task force would carry out basic tasks for the vulnerable and elderly and for other residents who do not have resources or ability to carry out grounds maintenance and gardening themselves. This scheme could then be used by other providers of social housing as a means of improving the welfare of some of their most vulnerable residents.
Daedalus Community Consultation
The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) has acquired an 82.4 hectare area of land at the former HMS Daedalus airfield in Gosport, Hampshire, with the vision of creating a vibrant, mixed-use community development that will provide huge benefits to existing residents and businesses. The Daedalus site is at a strategic location on the Gosport peninsula and is one of the largest brownfield sites available for regeneration in the Solent area, providing a significant opportunity to promote economic prosperity, encourage investment and create job opportunities.
SEEDA has appointed a team of specialist advisors to assist in the preparation and delivery of a masterplan for the site. Groundwork Solent was appointed in January 2007 to facilitate a high quality, carefully planned programme of consultation, engaging with residents, community groups, schools and businesses.
Groundwork Solent is leading the consortium of organisations delivering the community consultation, which includes Groundwork UK South East region (for GIS mapping) and Civic Regeneration Ltd (for business consultation).
This first phase of the community consultation aimed to gather local feelings and perceptions towards the development of the site on a broad range of topics. A variety of tools were used to gather this information including a freepost questionnaire, on line questionnaire, street surveys, as well as consulting with local community groups, businesses and working with schools to gather the views of young people. The information collated has been used to inform further study and investigation in a series of community and strategic workshops held as part of Phase 2 of the consultation. Approximately 500 local residents also attended a Drop in Event in July 2007 where they were able to discuss their concerns and aspirations for the development of the site. From the first two phases of consultation, the master planners, Terrance O’Rourke, have prepared some initial design options. As part of phase 3, these designs were presented to the public in a special two day exhibition in Lee-on-Solent with over 800 people in attendance. Groundwork Solent is now using the views and opinions expressed at the exhibition to help the masterplanners complete a final design for the site.
For more information on the project, please visit the the Daedalus website
Itchen Navigation Heritage Trail
The Itchen Navigation, which was established in the 17th Century as an important trading link between Winchester and the sea, ceased to be in use in 1869. Since that time it has fallen into disrepair, and both the physical structures and the wildlife habitats are in need of sympathetic conservation works to restore them to a favourable condition. In light of this, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust’s Itchen Navigation project aims to improve this renowned chalk river system and celebrate its wildlife, history and value to local people.
Groundwork Solent was appointed to undertake consultation for this project targeted specifically at young people aged 13 – 25 years old, paying particular attention to Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups across Southampton, Eastleigh and Winchester to determine the types of new activities they would like to see and how they would like to get involved in the restoration of the Itchen Navigation. By targeting and involving under-represented groups in this way, the restoration will truly reflect the needs and aspirations of all those affected by the project.
In total, Groundwork contacted 73 youth organisations, BME organisations, colleges and universities during the 3 month project. Young people were also consulted through existing youth groups, youth forums, further education and sixth form colleges, universities, and public events.
As a result of the evidence gathered and the different groups consulted, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust were successful in securing a further grant of £1.6 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund to continue the project.
4 Portland Buildings
Stoke Road Gosport
Hampshire PO12 1JH
T 023 9261 7020
F 023 9242 0418
E gosport@groundwork.org.uk