It has been a long but amazing journey to transform a derelict site, a hot spot for anti social behaviour, drugs and crime. A site not used by the local community, as it was too dangerous to go there
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and even if you did, the site was littered with unused furniture, rubbisH bags and litter so people had no where to play. The Skate Park was vandalised with grafitti and because the drainage system was not working, the bottom ditch was always full with water, up to 8 ft plus high after it had rained! a real danger for children and young people. Skaters would not attend as groups of young people, between 30 - 40 at a time used to hang about there, so was deemed as a no go area. The POD was also burnt out and left a wreck as it had never been opened for use.
Our Community CIC, first got involved in October 2010 and since then have been working tirelessly with various depa rtments of Birmingham City Council, WM Police, Elected members, local residents groups/ forums, housing associations, the youth service and local residents/ young people, to put together a programme to develop the site and bring it back in to use.
The hard work has paid off, with over 40 local resident/ volunteers coming out to paint and put the finishing touches to a project initiated by Our Community CIC, with the community, for the community. The offcial opening was carried out by local resident Margaret, an active person who always wanted to see a local space for young people and was very happy when we finally managed to achieve that vision.
The hard work has already started to sustain the programme, with youth activities already running 5 evenings per week and from September2012, the following;
- Girls youth provision/ activities
- Bordesley Green Forum Coffee Mornings
- ESF Youth Development Programme
- Ashram Debt advice, AIG, Employment Support, CV, Jobs/ Training
- Your Venture Employment support for young people by young people
- Womens Support Group
- Bordesley Green Detached Project - Birmingham Youth Service
- Bordesley Green Youth Forum
- Used as a community space for small meetings/ gatherings
We are also working on developing a relationship with various skate parks around the city, with regular exchange visits and future competitions on the agenda. Already, we have groups who are regularly coming to use the park from far and wide of Birmingham and the UK.
Watch this space!
