Anyone following Kevin McCloud And The Big Town Plan can’t fail to be inspired by the transformation taking place in the former mining community. As a model for urban regeneration, it’s created a huge buzz both here and abroad. But at a grassroots level, it’s also shown that people have a right to make decisions about their neighbourhood and that if they believe, they can win.
By Caroline Bloor
Over the last fifteen years the Government has been keen for communities to ‘take ownership’ of shared spaces such as parks, play areas, town centres and waterfronts. As a result, there are far more opportunities now for ordinary people to get involved in improving their local environment than ever before. The question is: have you got the energy to make things happen in your area? And if so, where do you start?
Start talking! Whatever it is you want to change, speak to neighbours and community group leaders and find out who shares your views. If there is some consensus on the need for change, form a community group. 'You don’t need many people - it’s amazing what you can do providing you are in tune with what the community needs,' says Alison Drake, chair of Castleford Heritage Trust.
'Think about what you want to achieve, because you are going to have to explain what you’re about ad infinitum and you need to be able to say we’re x and we want this,' says Linda Mycroft, tutor at the Northern College which offers courses in community development.
Write a formal constitution and get it officially agreed by the group at the outset. Set out your group’s rules about what you want to achieve, who does what and what happens with any money, etc. Get the constitution officially agreed by everyone in the group. 'It’s easier for the council to support things if there is an active community group who have the support of local residents,' says Yvette Cooper, MP for Castleford.
All projects go through difficult phases; issues will be easier to resolve if everyone’s signed up to the message at the beginning. 'Three quarters of the time things go wrong, it’s because of in-fighting,' says Linda Mycroft. 'It’s almost inevitable but don’t let it be. Sort out arguments between yourselves.'
Tip: You can get help setting out your constitution from a ‘community facilitator’ or ‘community development worker’. Ask at your local library or one-stop shop who to contact. Community facilitators will advise you on the technicalities of campaigning and link you to other resources but don’t rely on them to lead or motivate you.
Choose a leader. This needs to be someone with boundless energy and drive - someone who’s resilient in the face of criticism. 'You need sheer dogged determination, a huge amount of charm, integrity and, predominately, to be passionate about your town,' says Renato Benedetti of McDowell+Benedetti, designers of Castleford’s new footbridge.
'They also need to be able to keep an eye on the ball and have a larger vision,' says David Barrie, Channel 4’s project executive for Castleford.
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