Townsend Residents Association

Townsend Residents Association’s plans were to see two playgrounds successfully installed, to raise money for a sports pitch and teenage hang out area, and to get a community house fully up and running. For this group the sky was the limit. They were committed to improving Townsend for the benefit of all local residents, and would not take no for an answer.

Townsend is a residential area in Stoke on Trent with a lot of young families and few facilities for young people. There are several regeneration schemes in the wider area, but Townsend itself has had little investment over the last few years. The Residents Association was set up in July 2002. It aims to: promote social activities and community spirit, monitor plans that affect the local area, and liaise with the council to represent residents’ interests. 

The children have no play or meeting areas; there are no facilities for the elder members of the community to help ease the feeling of isolation. There is a large number of young families and disabled people in the area, who struggle particularly because the footpaths do not have dropped kerbs. People did not feel safe going out at night as the street lighting is very poor and they also expressed a fear of groups of young people hanging around the streets, who were there because they had no where else to go.

The priority of the Residents Association was to get a playground built. In fact they wanted three playgrounds; a junior play area with swings and roundabouts, a more exciting adventure style playground for older children, and a sports pitch and hang out area for teenagers. In addition to all this, Townsend Residents Association was been given an empty property by the council, to be used as a community house. The house was in quite a bad state of disrepair when they got it, so volunteers from the area did a lot of work cleaning, painting and decorating to get it ready for the opening. 

The house opened in June, and included a teenage chill-out room, a computer drop-in centre, and the opportunity to just come in and have a cup of tea and a chat. Local residents spent a day working alongside volunteers from the Princes Foundation to clear the back garden, which was full of rubble. The day was a real success with 60 year olds working alongside teenagers. The Residents Association is in the process of creating a community garden, which will include some toddlers play equipment, picnic benches and a grassy area for sitting out.

The group first attended a Spaces by Design course. The Glass-House then provided information on fundraising, helped write an action plan, and drew up a design for the community garden based on what the residents told them they wanted. 

Townsend Residents Association was also awarded a Glass-House grant of £2600 to buy tools and materials for the community garden. Once the garden was set up, the tools were available for hire to local people.

Townsend Residents Association worked closely with the play workers at Stoke Council to regenerate the local park into a play area/ recreation area for all ages. Last summer they organised a fun day where the local children were consulted about what kind of play equipment they liked best. The first two playgrounds have been designed and drawn up by the council.

All the funding has been secured, including £50, 000 from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, and funding from the Single Regeneration Budget and Sure Start. The Residents Association is currently applying for funding for the teenager’s hang out and kick about area. They are working with the local secondary school, which own part of the site, so that both the school and the local community can use the sports pitch.

Townsend Resident community group won ‘Community Group of the Year 2003’ and Karen Bowen, one of the members, won ‘Citizen of the Year 2003’. The group has also been awarded 2 Quality Kite marks for community work and work with children and young people. 

The organisation now hosts 5 Community Champions and 2 Rotary Club awards. Townsend Community House is now open and proving to be tremendously popular with the community. At present the house attracts up to 40 young people a night and hosts a senior citizens group. They are also planning to start up a ‘mothers and toddlers’ group and a ‘teen-time’ youth forum.

“Our projects are going very well.  The play area goes to the planning committee on the 7th of July, and so as not to disrupt the play schemes we have planned for the school holidays, work will start at the beginning of the new school term, but will be completed by the October half term.” 

“We are very grateful to the Glass-House for the support we have received from them. They have helped us enormously with funding ideas, and the plan for the garden that they drew for us is beautiful and takes in all our ideas. The groundwork for the garden is now complete thanks to Princes Trust volunteers and community members. The grant from Glass-House means that we can now complete the garden and make it secure and safe for all ages, it promises to be a beautiful, welcoming, communal area which will be well used by all.”

Spaces

Community Group of the Year 2003 

Citizen of the Year 2003. 

2 Quality Kite marks for community work and work with children and young people. 

5 Community Champions and 2 Rotary Club awards. 

Townsend Community House now open