LOCAL PEOPLE GREEN SPACES
A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MODEL
The purpose of this blog is to explore the engagement of communities in the development and management of activities within green and open spaces within their neighbourhoods.
1.
Some
parameter definitions.
Development –
encouraging individuals within communities adjacent, or nearby, green or open
spaces, to become involved in the development of activities that engages other
community members to be more active in the green and open space.
Management –
in the co-production of maintenance and activities, linked to development,
utilising the skill and interest of participants. It does not entail the
transfer of overall management responsibility from the council, but may entail
communities taking responsibility for specific projects.
2.
Development
of activities
The majority of our open spaces
within Sparkbrook are used as they were intended to be used, on an informal
recreational basis as meeting spaces, play spaces and, when weather permits,
just spaces for sitting and relaxing in.
Within the informal activity is an
element of organisation - people walk around the parks, arrange to play
football or cricket, and there is an embryonic trend whereby community groups
run more formal, organised activities.
‘Friends of’ organisations have
arranged social and cultural activities, or family events, to encourage
greater, and different, use of the space. The overall aim of all these
activities is to foster greater utilisation and appreciation of the space and
its diversity.
There is the potential to develop
community engagement through structured and semi-structured leisure and
recreational activities, providing a focal point for existing, local, community
groups, residents associations, ‘Friends of’ parks groups, and encouraging
other individuals to become involved in activities.
Building on the current engagement of
local people in green and open spaces, these developments can be divided into
three distinct, yet interlinked categories.
·
Exercise
·
Horticulture
·
Cultural - celebratory, fun and artistic
3.
Exercise
Building on, and not wishing to formalise,
current activities, local groups should be encouraged to explore how they can
become involved in developing the green and open spaces as areas for formal and
informal exercise.
Examples could include exploring the
development of walking groups, for all ages and abilities, cycling (co-existing
with and not dominating other users) and other forms of outdoor exercise. Routes
and activities could also be developed in partnership with groups, as well as
offering training to individuals, from specific elements of the community, to
become champions of exercise.
NB
- While community champions are a necessity if local people are to be engaged,
there needs to be formal structural agreements, liability cover and training
for people who are willing to develop such activities. Community Sports Leaders
qualification, or equivalent, could be explored with community groups being
provided with appropriate cover in developing such activities.
Other examples would be supporting
local team games, enriching, rather than developing, the growing local, formal,
activity that takes place within the parks. The organisations which organise
these activities have grown up independently, and therefore require the Council,
or other partnership bodies, to act as supporters and allies, rather than as organisers.
Discussion needs to take place concerning the support that such groups require
to continue. The pace of development should be lead and guided by the group and
their requirements, and not by a formalisation process that fits the Council
and other Governing body processes.
4.
Horticulture
The maintenance of the infrastructure
(grass, trees, swings, paths, current benches and bins, other furniture) should
remain the responsibility of the Council. Some of this responsibility is under
long term contract with Quadron, and other responsibilities are undertaken on
an apparently ad hoc basis with no perceivable, or shared, strategic
maintenance plans. In the current financial climate this is not going to
improve and, while overall responsibility and liability for facilities should
remain with the Council, local groups could play a greater part in the
development of facilities and resources.
There are a significant number of
houses within the ward that have very small gardens / back yards, and there is
indication that some people would take advantage of gardening projects that
utilised space within public parks. Developing gardening activities as a co-production
activity with Friends organisations, or other community groups or fora, could
augment the more strenuous activity proposed under the ‘Exercise’ heading, as
well as providing structured community engagement in the open and green spaces.
Tree bush and fence planting,
building and maintaining planters or flower beds can become a constructive
activity, through which members of the community can be engaged through the
appropriate community group.
In such development, it would be
essential to engage not only Council officers, but also the maintenance
contractors. This will ensure that any developments are undertaken with the
agreement and knowledge of all parties, while appreciating the impact on the
maintenance contract. (The majority of funding bodies that would provide
funding for such activities insist that the owner of the land or asset has
agreed to the development).
5.
Cultural
This is the largest category as it
includes:
·
Family fun – picnics, play, swings
and slides,
·
Events – cultural celebrations,
performances, fun days and community events.
This is potentially the most
expensive category, both from a capital and from a one off event
perspective.
Events provide organisations with the
opportunity to develop activities that attracts as wide a range of the local
community as possible, activities that may lead to greater participation in
‘formal’ activity.
Capital equipment, swings, climbing
frames, etc. encourage families to come to parks. In the current economic
environment the maintenance and replacement / improvement of this equipment
must remain with the Council but budgets are tight. Picnic tables, benches also
attract people into parks – the development, maintenance and replacement of
this equipment is also in jeopardy, given the Council’s financial constraints.
6.
Potential
Community Partners
In developing this draft model in the
Sparkbrook Ward the following partners
can be targeted – this is not an exclusive list and can be added to as green
spaces and organisations are identified.
i.
Parks Balsall Heath Park
Farm Park
Pickwick Park
Park by Nelson Mandela
Memorial Park – Taunton Road
ii.
‘Friends
of Parks’ Balsall
Heath Park
Farm Park
iii.
Fora Balsall Heath
Forum
Sparkhill Forum
Sparkhill North Forum
iv.
Residents
Associations
v.
Schools
7.
Action
Points
a) Complete
section # identifying Potential Community partners; call meeting - hosted by
Local Councillor, if not Councillor then who?
b) Identify
Potential public sector / departmental
partners.
Access
to budgets / project funding or support.
c) Identify
Green spaces within ward
d) Develop
individual green space plan that can be accommodated into a ward / district
process. Focusing on the three categories above.
e) Identify
development process and group activities and finance programme for activity
-
Ted Ryan is currently chair of the Friends of Balsall
Heath Park and has worked for over 30 years on community lead projects. He has
recently managed a capital and capacity building project on behalf of the
Friends of SARA Park
Ted Ryan June 2013
