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At the beginning of 2009 Luis Dias from Catch 22 and Simon Smith from the Avon Wildlife Trust worked with a group of young people on a large area of ground within their local community that was covered in 5 feet of brambles, car tyres, shopping trolleys and other waste. The group worked hard during the colder months to clear the land for spring and within weeks had the site ready for planting.
In a short time the young people were already enjoying the fruits of the labour and were taking home produce for their families that they had grown themselves. The group also has plans to set up a stall at the local famers market with a view to selling their produce in order to buy seeds for next years crop.
The young people enjoy the high energy activities such as bramble bashing and digging but are also learning that they need to slow down and understand that some things, such as growing vegetables, aren’t instant.
Towards the end of the season the young people built a wildlife pond on the site to encourage insects, reptiles and amphibians into the space to act as a form of natural pest control.
Plans are also on the cards for further clearance work, a seating area and a earthen oven where they will be able to cook their own produce on site, allowing them to have delicious and healthy meals with a zero carbon footprint.
Simon Smith, Community Action Officer for the Avon Wild Life Trust said, “ They have proven to me time and again that if given the chance and the trust and a sense of ownership then they are able to achieve brilliant things.”
Barnet Action 4 Youth (Catch 22) Yr1 Case Study
Before: This neglected wall is situated in a kick about area at the back of Grahame Park Estate and was highlighted by the young people and Barnet Homes as a site that would benefit from some TLC. Barnet Homes paid for the wall to be rendered and painted white to give the young people a blank canvas to work upon.
During: community artists worked alongside the young people over a 2 week period in the summer of 2008. The actual painting of the mural was completed in 4 days.
After: "The young people on the Community Space Challenge programme have designed and painted a vibrant colourful mural that they can be proud of and is a legacy to their involvement in the community. Residents and young children playing there can see and enjoy the mural." (Tina Ward, Area Housing Manager. Barnet Homes.)
Thomas (15yrs) explains the mural:
"First of all the design of the tree came from a young girl named Emma, she came up with the idea of having the trunk and branches made from bodies we came up with the idea that it would represent the whole group working together and working as a team to produce and make this massive project a success. The next bit of the design was the path we designed, with the path as stars and in 3D, which symbolised the next step into our future, and the stars were the stepping-stones leading us the way. We decided to base the buildings around the area we had created the mural in Grahame park, and because Grahame park has loads of buildings and shops so that’s where the buildings came into our mural. The faces on the right hand side only came to us at the last minute, we though the mural didn’t really have anything to with the people who created it so we added faces that represent our characteristics, like mine was like a cheeky monkey face because sometimes I can be quite cheeky. The sky we done light blue and silver because we wanted the colour blue to give the message always keep a clear mind and the silver to say there is always a silver lining no matter what."
Haggerston YIP (Catch 22): Make a Difference. Yr2 Case Study
At the end of July, 2009 young people engaged through the Haggerston YIP began work on cleaning up and beautifying a garden in front of the Fellows Court Community Centre in Hackney.
The highly visible garden has suffered with litter due to being opposite a local corner shop and as main thoroughfare for a lot of people living on the nearby estate. The young people worked hard to clean and weed the garden and to prepare it for planting.
Hannah Luik, Haggerston YIP’s Project Worker explains “Whatever the weather, the CSC participants have been working for a number of hours each week to clear the rubbish, rejuvenate the soil, plant colourful plants and flowers, lay bark on the ground and paint the fence. They have not been afraid to get ‘stuck in’ and make a positive difference to their local area”. “Their hard work has paid off and the young people as well as other residents in the area are benefiting from a bright and colourful community garden which can be enjoyed for years to come.”
Jackie Carter, Fellows Court Community Centre Manager; "The garden project for local youngsters led by Hannah Luik as part of Community Space Challenge, has been a huge success. An area which was once a dumping ground for litter has been transformed into a fantastic space which can be, and is admired by the local community."
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