Great Yarmouth`s Coastal Communities Plan

Great Yarmouth’s Coastal Communities Plan
Version 1, January 2016
Contents
Shout and Pride’s Coastal Communities Team Plan
1, Overall Purpose
2, Neighbourhood Context
3, Theory of Change
4, Testing the Plan (Pipe Dream: Project Blog)
5, Implementation Plan
6, Contact Details
1: Overall Purpose
Shout and Pride’s Coastal Communities Team Plan
Initial Aims
Great Yarmouth’s Coastal Communities Team (CCT) was formed in 2015 to help accelerate and
complement work already being advanced by successful community-led programmes in the area,
including work being undertaken Comeunity Neighbourhood Board and the Neighbourhoods That
Work approach. Both of these programmes are built upon the essential understanding that the
resilience of communities, the efficiency of public services and the growth potential of the local
economy are fundamentally co-dependent.
The CCT team was developed to respond to the priorities and needs of the Comeunity
Neighbourhood area, with a particular focus on harnessing the skills and assets of small community
groups and businesses, so that they felt confident working together to drive forward a more diverse,
sustainable and inclusive sports, culture and arts offer, with an important sub-focus being to
stimulate a safe shoulder and evening economy offer.
This sub-focus was applied to the King Street and St Peter’s Road area of the neighbourhood. Both
roads act as connectors between the town centre and seafront, and open-up opportunities for
visitors and residents alike to explore alternative offers provided by independent coffee shops and
restaurants. Nevertheless, the team identified that there was more work to do to support
connection between these areas, and set itself the task of running test events during January. This
month was chosen as it represented one of most challenging times of the year, with some
businesses temporarily closing or reducing their opening hours in anticipation of low demand.
In addition to the challenges felt by local businesses during this month, community and voluntary
groups provided evidence of increased demand for crisis-based services, with many people suffering
the impacts caused by post-Christmas debt and a feeling of isolation, which can lead to worsening
mental and physical wellbeing. Having identified two key challenges in the area, the team decided to
explore options for breaking this annual cycle by bringing together community groups and
businesses in ways that were creative, sustainable and transferable all year round.
Accountability and Membership
The application to the Coastal Communities Team Programme was made by Great Yarmouth
Borough Council, supported by the Comeunity Neighbourhood Board Programme. As the plan has
developed, CCT members have agreed to form two groups, one focusing on arts, culture and sport
and given the working name SHOUT. The other group will focus on environmental priorities in the
area, and has merged with an existing working group of the Comeunity Neighbourhood Programme
called PRIDE. Both groups will hold combined meetings throughout the year given the strong
relationship between the two themes.
At present, there have been no formal changes made to the membership of the core CCT group, but
nominations are now underway for membership of the SHOUT and PRIDE groups in response to the
high level of interest shown by participants in the January test events. This process is expected to be
completed during February to coincide with a final version of this plan, to be published at the end of
March 2016. Thereafter, the existing CCT will cease to exist, as its core overarching functions are
taken on by the two new groups, with both having a direct relationship with the local Comeunity
Neighbourhood Board. This board comprises a minimum of 50% local residents working alongside
representatives from VCSE, private and public sector organisations and commissioners.
2: Neighbourhood Context
Shout and Pride’s Coastal Communities Team Plan
Challenges and Opportunities in Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth is at a critical phase in its development. Official data suggests that the Borough has
come through the most recent economic downturn with reasons to be optimistic. The Borough hosts
one of the best performing enterprise zones in the country. It is investing, and attracting external
investment into, the development of economic growth sites including Beacon Park and the South
Denes Industrial Estate, making the most of being a supply based for the offshore gas and renewable
industry in the southern basin of the North Sea, supported by a 24 hour port operation.
As well as being home to a 400 company strong marine energy supply chain, Great Yarmouth retains
its position as one of the leading holiday resorts in the country, ranked third in size, and a status and
industry that brings more than £4m day visits and nearly £5m overnight stays each year. Most recent
estimates suggest that those visits, and the tourism industry as a whole, are worth in excess of
£530m per year to the local economy.
Despite all of these developments, Great Yarmouth continues to face a number of enduring
challenges that are not being addressed alone by traditional interpretations of improved economic
performance. According to the latest Index of Multiple Deprivation data, the Borough is ranked
29/327 local authorities in England for overall deprivations, meaning that from a statistical
perspective it lies in the bottom 10% nationally. A further analysis of the data reveals that 16 out of
61 neighbourhoods in the Borough are in the bottom 10% nationally for overall deprivations, with 5
neighbourhoods in the bottom 1%. By these measurements, there has been a worsening of relative
deprivation since the last Index of Multiple Deprivation were produced in 2010, when three
neighbourhoods were in the bottom 1% and 13 were in the bottom 10%.
These challenges are especially pertinent to urban wards within the Borough. These wards account
for 56% of all working age residents in Great Yarmouth, but they are also home to 81% of all JSA
claimants, discounting other benefits that relate to people who are furthest away from the labour
market and claiming disability related benefits. Furthermore, the Borough is ranked 1/327 areas for
education and skills according to the 2015 published data, with only 15% of the population having
skills recognised to be at NVQ 4 or above, compared to 36% nationally. There is also evidence that
not enough of the growth potential is being realised locally, with earnings by residence averaging
£448.80 per week against average earnings by workplace at £517.50, suggesting that a significant
amount of economic growth is not being held or recycled by local communities.
Neighbourhood Focus
The most challenging income, employment and other deprivation measurements are to be found in
the Nelson and Central and Northgate ward areas of Great Yarmouth. Both wards experience the
highest JSA claimant counts in the Borough, which in December 2015 represented 6.6% of the
working age population, more than double the average for the Borough (3.1%) and significantly
higher than the national average (1.5%). In addition, the wards also comprise 9/16 neighbourhoods
in Great Yarmouth that are ranked in the bottom 10% nationally for overall deprivations.
Table 1 provides a list of the six neighbourhoods (Lower Super Output Areas) that make up the
principle focus of this plan. Their areas include King Street, St Peter’s Road and the town centre,
along with roads and streets that act as main connectors to the seafront and the South Quayside.
Table 1: Six Main Lower Super Output Areas Relating to the CCT Area
Notes: Rank figures are out of 32,844 areas nationally, where 1st represents the most deprived.
LSOA Description
Overall Deprivation
Rank
Income
Deprivation Rank
Employment
Deprivation Rank
Education, Skills and
Training Rank
Barrier to Services
Rank
Area’s Relationship to CCT
Geographic Focus
Great Yarmouth
006C
20
140
63
136
15,138
Nelson Ward including King
Street, St Peter’s Road, York
Road and St George’s Road.
Great Yarmouth
006D
91
92
107
4
11,807
Nelson Ward including
Tollhouse Street and South
Quay.
Great Yarmouth
005C
98
606
88
77
11,453
Central and Northgate Ward
including North Quay and the
Town Centre
Great Yarmouth
005D
168
1,598
234
242
16,429
Central and Northgate
including Regent Road and
Princes Road.
Great Yarmouth
006E
293
1,351
515
864
16,064
Nelson Ward including St
Peter’s Road, South Quay and
Nelson Road South.
Great Yarmouth
006B
332
1,525
466
444
16,911
Nelson Ward including King
Street, South Quay, Deneside
and Crown Road.
Despite the challenges captured by datasets, there are considerable strengths and assets within the CCT area and the wider surrounding area. Table 2
draws out some of these key strengths, identified by the CCT and to be further developed as part of the short and medium term objectives of this plan.
These include access to services in the CCT area, demonstrated by a lower level of deprivation in the barriers to services domain, highlighted in table 1.
Table 2: Summary of Key Strengths and Relationship to CCT Priorities
Identified Strengths
Supporting Evidence
Relevance to CCT Priorities
Voluntary and Community Sector
Great Yarmouth has robust network of voluntary,
community and social enterprise organisations that
have a track record of working collaboratively,
supported by an established network of infrastructure
support. Many of these organisations are located in
the CCT area, providing access to a range of local
services including services operating on King Street
from an advice services hub.
Survey Work
Since 2010, Great Yarmouth Borough Council and the
Great Yarmouth Voluntary Sector Partnership have
undertaken annual surveys of the local voluntary,
community and social enterprise sector. The most
recent survey completed by 65 groups revealed a high
level of partnership working, and the emergence of
new partnerships with more than 30% of groups
showing more joint-working with the private sector.
High Relevance.
A key objective of the CCT was is to open up
opportunities for small community, voluntary and
social enterprise groups to work collaboratively with
small businesses, together driving forward new ideas
for creating a sustainable shoulder and evening
economy, supported by environmental improvements
that help people to navigate their way safely and easily
between related activities.
Community Development Work
The Comeunity Neighbourhood programme is well
recognised and regarded within the CCT, as a point of
contact for new and emerging groups. The programme
coordinates a range of activity within the area,
providing patch-based community development
workers, along with a network of Community
Connectors, recruited from the local neighbourhood.
The programme is guided by a community-led board.
Growth of Community Groups
In the last year alone, the Comeunity programme and
its partners have helped to establish more than 20 new
community groups, stimulating community and social
enterprise activity in the area and leading to Great
Yarmouth being awarded Social Enterprise Place status
towards the end of 2015. The programme was
instrumental in the design and implementation of the
local Neighbourhoods That Work approach.
High Relevance.
The priorities and actions of the Comeunity
Neighbourhood programme enabled the CCT to further
analyse its overarching aims and to test them against a
broad range of local priorities. Key priorities identified
by Comeunity showed a high correlation to the CCT
objectives, including more activities for young people,
improvements to the local environment, and more
engagement with local employers.
Partnership Working in Action
By aligning with the work of the Comeunity
Neighbourhood programme, the CCT was able to
ensure that the proposed events to test the
appropriateness of its plan matched and responded to
established work and priorities. This provided the CCT
with more opportunities to develop complementary
activity and to develop the critical mass needed to
showcase the potential of new approaches and to
maximise involvement from target groups, in particular
young people and local businesses.
A Successful Test Event
rd
On January 23 , the CCT combined with the Comeunity
Neighbourhood Programme to host a series of
interrelated events over an 11 hour period, led by a
local group of extreme sports enthusiasts who wanted
to carry out an engaging consultation on their plans for
a new skate park in the area. The consultation involved
more than 100 people designing a new facility and
businesses changing their offer for the evening by
hosting entertainment chosen by community groups,
drawing audiences from Norwich and Lowestoft.
High Relevance
Throughout the day’s event, the CCT and the
Comeunity programme worked together to capture
evidence and interest for new approaches to harness
the creativity and passions of local people. By the end
of the night, more than 80 people had signed up to
support the plans going forward, and a new life for the
CCT was agreed. This introduced a groups dedicated to
supporting the arts, culture and sports offer, with a
new name SHOUT, and a logo designed by event
participant and local resident, Sam Harrons.
Complementary Local and Regional Strategies
The objectives of the CCT align to a number of local and regional group’s strategies. To ensure that
all activity is complementary, the CCT (Shout and Pride Groups) will work to maintain and develop
relationships with these groups and strategies in order to meet its short and medium term
objectives. The accountability arrangements with the Comeunity Board and Programme, which
comprises representatives from a broad cross section of local people, service providers and
commissioners, provides the Pride and Shout groups with opportunities to open-up and develop
new and important partnerships.
Table 3: Summary of Key Relationships and Partnership Structures
This list is not exhaustive, and will be further developed during the development of the final plan, end
of March and then updated as new and emerging partnerships are agreed.
Areas of Potential Alignment
Achieved By
The priorities of local communities including work
already underway to support community groups and
businesses to work more collaboratively, and to
improve the shoulder and evening economy offer and
the related environment.
•
The need identified to support the creation of new
and supported job opportunities for people who find
it difficult to compete in the mainstream economy
and who face more complicated life challenges.
•
Alignment to the local Neighbourhoods That
Work approach, which supports patch-based
community development and employability
support and training.
The development of a local community economic
framework, with its focus on supporting new and
emerging community enterprises to start-up and to
access training and investment support.
•
Informing the training packages attached to
community economic development work so that
it is responsive to groups that want to collaborate
to drive forward the shoulder and evening
economy.
The CCT plan represents a community-led approach
to driving forward sustainable economic development
and growth that directly responds to the needs and
priorities of local people.
•
Making available evidence of impact made by the
CCT and the SHOUT and PRIDE groups to New
Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, helping to
inform more community-led approaches to the
design and delivery of ESF and ERDF projects.
The CCT plan has recognised the potential for local
businesses and community groups to work
collaboratively on planning events that stimulate the
evening economy, and hold more money locally. This
has been demonstrated through a successful test
event.
•
The CCT acknowledges the limited capacity of
small businesses to respond and commit to
multiple requests to help plan and contribute to
the delivery of events. As such, its engagement
work with businesses will be aligned with plans
for a local responsible employer network, set to
launch in spring / summer 2016.
For community groups and community enterprises to
scale-up their ideas, they need seed investment and
opportunities to access local procurement
opportunities that do not unintentionally disqualify
smaller suppliers.
•
The CCT will contribute evidence of impact of
planned events to help inform the development
of the above referenced community economic
development framework, so that the cost
benefits of smaller-scale commissioning can be
analysed for wider social and economic impacts.
•
Partnership arrangements with the Comeunity
Programme in place with alignment between the
CCT and the Pride group.
Relationships established with the Town Centre
Manager, opening up the potential to align
events programmes supported by the BID.
3: Activities and Impact
Shout and Pride’s Coastal Communities Team Plan
The core objectives and impacts of the CCT have been developed using logic models. A summary of
the theory of change that underpins the CCT plan is outlined below, along with the main points
captured from SMART, Options and Risk appraisals.
Existing Conditions
The CCT area includes the Nelson, and Central and Northgate Wards. The Nelson Ward is home to King Street
and St Peter’s Road, and the Central and Northgate Ward provides some of the main artilleries to and from the
town centre and seafront. These wards experience some of the highest levels of multiple deprivations in the
country, with 16 Lower Super Output Areas in the bottom 10% nationally for overall deprivations. Despite this,
the area has a vibrant voluntary, community and social enterprise sector, with a track record of partnership
working, supported by established asset-based community development work and the local Comeunity
Neighbourhood Programme. The area is increasingly cited as an emerging cultural quarter, with a recently
opened gallery, refurbished theatre, outdoor performance area and a park that is home to a popular arts
festival.
Summary of Aims and Objectives
The CCT, represented by the newly formed SHOUT group and the existing PRIDE group, aim to support local
communities to drive forward sustainable economic growth by fostering new partnerships with businesses and
by stimulating a more diverse, creative and safe shoulder and evening economy offer.
Rationale Underpinning Aims and Objectives
The CCT has been supported by research and analysis conducted with more than 300 local residents and
voluntary and community groups.
•
•
•
•
The consistency of research undertaken by the CCT with the wider aims of the local Comeunity
Neighbourhood Programme, with priorities around engagement with businesses, more safe and diverse
activities for young people, and environmental improvements all strongly recognised along with
community groups and representatives with ideas to take forward.
CCT research included workshops, focus groups and questionnaires undertaken with more than 100
rd
people at a test event on the 23 January, research and engagement with local residents who are long
term unemployed, and follow-up lines of enquiry with local voluntary groups who had responded to the
most recent VCSE survey.
Scoping visits were also undertaken around the neighbourhood comprising members of the CCT,
community representatives and service providers to capture a) potential gaps in the shoulder and evening
economy and b) the role played by the local environment in hindering or harnessing attempts to fulfil
ambitions for the area to become a recognised cultural quarter.
Workshops and one to one sessions were also held with practitioners from local service providers to
understand what impacts were felt by vulnerable residents during the post-Christmas months, which
revealed higher levels of debt and loneliness.
Inputs
The formation of the CCT has benefited from a £10,000 investment from the Coastal Communities Team
Programme. This has enabled the programme to undertake additional research and analysis, to identify
existing work and develop complementary arrangements, and to hold test events so that the plan’s activities
and proposed outcomes can be SMART, Options and Risk appraised.
By aligning resources with existing programmes, the facilitation of the CCT (SHOUT and PRIDE) groups is
unlikely to require additional resource, but capturing the match funding supplied is recognised as an important
outcome.
For more significant and sustainable outcomes to be achieved, such as the support required for new and
emerging community enterprises, and to stimulate further events to test the plan, the CCT acknowledges that
some investment will be required either through grant programmes including European Social and Regional
Development Funds, and through match and sponsorship arrangements with local businesses.
The need to further explore the resources required and the cost benefits to be achieved by the approach are
included in the short term objectives in section 5.
Key Activities
a. To facilitate the CCT to move forward with support to two groups, the newly formed SHOUT group
(evening and shoulder economy events) and the existing PRIDE group (environmental projects to support
a cleaner and safer area).
b. To support the PRIDE group to build upon scoping work already undertaken in the area and to focus work
on developing navigation guides, to help people move between venues and activities and to discover less
promoted areas of King Street, St Peter’s Road and surrounding areas.
c. To further support the PRIDE group to support community-led projects and enterprises that want to bring
back to life green spaces, and to design solutions to soften the landscape of the area including rows and
alleyways.
d. To support the SHOUT group to realise its ambitions for taking forward a programme of events that bring
together community priorities and events with themed shoulder and evening economy offers, helping to
plug the leaks that results from money and talent draining out of the local economy.
e. To support the SHOUT group to explore models that promote partnership working, including developing
collectives and informal co-operatives, and which increase the opportunities to engage with local
businesses including piloting a quarterly events guide.
Key Outcomes
a. Communities have more opportunities to design and deliver projects that make a direct contribution to
social, economic and environmental well-being.
b. Increased footfall in King Street and St Peter’s Road, with greater connections made by visitors and
residents alike between the local offer and the town centre, seafront and quayside.
c. More opportunities for communities to take ownership of local assets, leading to reductions in neglected
areas, more attractive connector routes between key sites, and increased wellbeing.
d. Increased levels of leisure spend made and reinvested within the local economy, with a more diverse
range of activities provided all year round.
e. More sustainable opportunities for local communities and businesses to work together and to create
connections that open up mentoring and supply chain opportunities for new and emerging community
enterprises.
CCT Group
Key Impact
Longer term: Commissioning and Procurement strategies take into account
the wider social, economic and environmental impacts made by smaller
scale activity and review their strategies accordingly.
Medium term: The navigation guide becomes self-financing and becomes a
business plan template for new and emerging community groups.
Longer term: The shoulder and evening economy develops to be all year
round, with communities forming collectives to provide the critical mass
needed to coordinate events in partnership with local businesses.
Medium term: The events guide becomes self-financing and becomes a
business plan templated for new and emerging community groups.
Table 4: Are the activities SMART?
SMART assessment informed by findings from test event, 23 January 2016.
Specific
Assessment: Yes
The thematic focus of the plan is clear, although the risk of the focus
becoming too broad was resolved by agreeing the specific remits of
the SHOUT and PRIDE groups. The geographic focus of the group is
also clear, however, the relationship between events in the area and
impact on town centre and other attractions needs greater analysis, to
be considered as part of future events planning.
Measurable
Assessment: Yes
The test event held on the 23rd January helped the CCT to recognise
some key indicators for measurement, supported by local multiplier
questionnaires. These will be used to track and assess the impact on
spending habits and re-investment locally. This type of data has
already been reported by participating groups and businesses
following the test event.
Achievable
Assessment: Yes
The test event was the first to merge a community consultation with a
themed shoulder and evening economy event, bringing together what
have previously been seen as three separate offers. Feedback from
more than 100 attendees indicates strong approval and support for
this approach. Furthermore, the PRIDE group has already begun to
support community-led projects to design and implement a green
spaces project, with consultations, design and liaison with key
stakeholders already undertaken.
Realistic
Assessment: Yes
The test event was driven by local residents through a collective of
extreme sports activists. Nevertheless, the provision of support from
the CCT and the community development worker from Comeunity was
essential, and the time to bring together community engagement and
evening economy events should not be under-estimated and need to
be factored into the running costs of the CCT going forward.
Timely
Assessment: Yes
The award made by the Coastal Communities Programme to stimulate
a plan was clear, and introducing a test event for the January period
was agreed well in advance by CCT participants. This allowed for a
sufficient lead-in period ahead of planned events, providing time for
necessary risk assessments and to secure appropriate venues. The
time needed to support an event has been factored into the
implementation plan to ensure that it remains timely.
Alternative Options Considered
Alternative Option 1: To hold together the existing CCT so that it has the dual focus of designing and
implementing environmental improvements and activities to support a more diverse shoulder and
evening economy offer. Advantages Considered: Both groups are community-led and have
established partnership arrangements with the local Comeunity Neighbourhood Programme. Both
have ambitions to support community groups to undertake activities to drive forward more
sustainable approaches. Disadvantages Considered: The broad focus may impact on engagement
from people who initially only have an interest in one of the two areas, and following the event, the
high number of interested participants would result in a very large group that might be difficult to
facilitate within a manageable agenda. Preferred Option: To create a SHOUT group and a PRIDE
group, with clear communications between the two and to schedule joint meetings at agreed
intervals. The support of the Comeunity Programme ensures join-up in-between these combined
meetings.
Alternative Option 2: To push back the test event scheduled for January to a later date so that the
initial CCT plan could be formalised to meet the 31 January 2015 deadline in plenty of time.
Advantages Considered: This would remove the pressure of coordinating three events across an
eleven hour period in the most challenging month of the year, allowing more time to focus on the
detail of the plan. Disadvantages Considered: Producing a plan without operational testing was
considered by participants to be a traditional and unhelpful separation of strategy and operations,
and wouldn’t allow for an accurate SMART analysis to be conducted. Preferred Option: To pursue
the test event during January, ensuring that robust analysis was conducted on the day with review
sessions scheduled for the week leading up to the production of the plan in time for the 31 January
deadline.
Alternative Option 3: To merge the CCT with the existing Comeunity Board, so that nominated
representatives from the CCT take forward the plan, enabling it to become part of the Comeunity
Work plan going forward. Advantages Considered: The Comeunity Board is well established, with a
minimum of 50% local resident membership, and with priorities and work streams closely aligned to
the CCT objectives. Disadvantages Considered: The Comeunity Board is facilitated by a
Neighbourhood Manager, but there was insufficient evidence within the time available to assess the
capacity for non-paid members (volunteers) to take on additional work, especially work that requires
an intense operational as well as strategic focus. Preferred Option: To explore reporting and
accountability arrangements with the Comeunity Board and Programme but with SHOUT and PRIDE
as operational and strategic working groups. The resources needed to undertake CCT activity was
taken into account including the time and resource needed to coordinate events, along with a jointdesire to support community enterprises to start-up, grow and maintain their identity.
Appraisal of High Risks
These risks do not include the operational risk assessments undertaken in preparation for holding a
test event and that will be needed to support future activity on this scale.
Risk 1: That community groups and small businesses in the CCT area are not ready to undertake
partnership activities, or do not have the time or resource to support. This impact is reduced by
aligning CCT activity to other employer engagement activity, including plans to launch a responsible
employer’s network as part of the local Neighbourhoods That Work approach. Despite this, the
likelihood is assessed as medium because of the pressures felt by small businesses and the CC T will
monitor this risk as on-going.
Risk 2: That the ambitions of community groups and local businesses are incompatible and that
social, economic and environmental improvements are not recognised within a broader definition of
economic growth. This impact is reduced by Great Yarmouth’s development of a community
economic development strategy, which recognises that for a truly sustainable economy, support into
work is only one part of the jigsaw, with access to efficient services, decent housing and a varied
leisure offer all determining why people choose to stay or leave an area, and whether or not local
investments are held and re-invested in a sustainable way. As a result of this broader agenda, and
the findings from the test event, this risk is assessed as low.
Risk 3: That navigation and events guides cannot flourish independent of grant investment, resulting
in some of the core activities of the CCT always requiring the same, if not higher, amounts of
investment made by the Coastal Communities Team Programme. This impact is reduced by research
undertaken by CCT participants of similar models elsewhere in the country, and by creative thinking
about how to link these guides to the wider engagement and involvement work undertaken by
community development workers, whereby unfilled pages will be used as a tool for increasing
involvement rather than leading to apathy and the fizzling out of momemtum and ideas. As a result
of this national and local research work, this risk is assessed as low, although a business plan for
both of these guides has been embedded within the short and medium term aims of the plan.
Pipe Dream: Project Blog
Tom Richards- Senior Community Development Worker (Comeunity)
Photo taken by Ollie Mawbs
“To take away a place so important to positive social
development is unjust. We should look after the
youth, not take away what they love.”
Laurence Kite, Norwich, United Kingdom
History:
On the 5th of November 2001 The Park Warehouse, Great Yarmouth’s first and only indoor skate
park, formed as a private limited company. The owners of the business were a local couple who had
run a pop-up skate park in Norwich and whose children were avid skateboarders. They began
construction of the space in a local warehouse unit at the southern end of the town on the edge of
the Barrack Estate, an area consisting of predominantly council housing stock.
Plans were finalised for a predominantly ramp and rail oriented park and construction began, with
the owners and contractors building wooden ramps (a preference in many indoor parks due to
comparatively low capital and assembly cost). The park opened with a vast amount of support from
local skaters, and with promotion through international skateboarding magazine Sidewalk (who
deemed the park amongst the best in the UK), people would travel from across the country to skate
at the venue. Hosting events like the Vans Tour (one of the world’s largest skate shoe and apparel
manufacturer) would solidify the park’s place in UK extreme sports history.
Between 2004 and 2005 the park undertook a transition when the owners made the decision to sell
the business due to ill health. From that point onwards, according to local users the park would run
less events and professional demonstrations, and reportedly the general condition of the facility
began to decline. Local skaters have described nails and screws protruding from the ramps, and
some of the metal grind ledges were dented making them difficult to use. One user described that
“the only reason any of the ramps were still rideable is because of the quality of Roger’s [one of the
original owners] construction”. In the latter half of 2015 the park closed its doors.
Source: The Park Warehouse Facebook Page
The community responds:
In response to the closure of the park local skateboarder Jake Filmer launched an online petition to
“save or rebuild the Great Yarmouth indoor skate park”; giving a personal insight into the decline the
park has suffered over recent years, and why an indoor park Is still desperately wanted and needed
by people who skate, scoot, bike and blade across the UK. Within 4 days the petition received in
excess of 3000 signatures from across the country, with supporters expressing fond memories of the
park, as well as further backing from parents and professionals listing the many benefits this kind of
resource can bring.
“We've got amazing memories of this place, which was so much more
than just a skatepark. An incredible community of skaters made The
Park a friendly, supportive and inspiring place to be. That spirit won't be
extinguished easily...viva la yarko!” Alex Smalley, Newquay, UK.
The petition quickly gained local press coverage, at which point I messaged Jake to convey my
support from what he was trying to achieve. We arranged to meet for coffee and a chat about his
ambitions for the campaign.
Building a connection:
The first time Jake and I met we spoke for about an hour and a half, covering a range of topics
including his job (he worked a Christmas temp retail job in Norwich, which he didn’t particularly
enjoy and wasn’t well paid), his history with skateboarding, his family, his partner and the local area.
Jake’s stories suggested that he had a large and strong network of friends in Great Yarmouth and
Norwich. He was also an experienced and skilled skateboarder, with a good knowledge of ramps,
tricks and had a strong sense of identity, regarding himself as a skater above all else.
Despite the press coverage and demonstrable support for the petition, neither Jake nor other local
park users had a clear idea as to why the space had closed. He had heard a rumour that the business
owner had planned to turn The Park Warehouse into a trampoline park, but this hadn’t been
confirmed. There was clearly a lot of emotion, nostalgia, and support for the existing facility, which
Jake spoke of with great fondness. I advised that I would be happy to support him with his ambitions
to build a new park or to save the old one. I asked Jake if he had a choice, would he prefer to save
the old facility, or build a new one. He recognised that saving the existing park would be challenging
if the business had either been sold or if work was being done to convert the facility into something
else, however building a new park from the ground up could be even more challenging. I asked Jake
what he would like to do in future. He paused and said “This [running a skate park] would be the
dream”.
Research fact sheet:
Facts
The Park Warehouse social media page was last
active on 29th September 2015, when the
administrator posted “Closed till further notice”
On the 21st July 2015 The Park Warehouse
posted- “As you may have already heard we're
selling up, if you're interested in owning your
own indoor skatepark please drop us a private
message (serious enquiries only)”.
The building where The Park Warehouse is based
is currently owned by Scroby Fayre Ltd
Jake and I co-drafted an invitation to discuss
whether The Park Warehouse Ltd or any of its
assets were still for sale. This received no
response.
Rumours
The venue will be converted into a trampoline
park.
The venue has come under compulsory purchase
by Great Yarmouth Borough Council.
A requirement when the current owners
purchased The Park Warehouse was that the
venue had to remain as a skate park for a
particular period of time. That time had now
come to an end.
The Park Warehouse Ltd is currently owned by a
company director who owns more than one
leisure business in Great Yarmouth.
Neither the landlord or company director would
respond to letters, emails or phone calls from
me or Jake requesting for further information
about The Park Warehouse Ltd or its assets.
Planning the work:
Following a period of research and frequent attempts to communicate with the landlord or director
while receiving no reply, Jake and I agreed that time would be better spent focusing on developing a
new park. We met for tea and after some general chat Jake asked “how does setting up something
like this work?” I advised that a useful technique for project planning is to begin at the end and work
backwards. We undertook the exercise below, where Jake shouted out all the tasks he could think of
(highlighted in green). In black I have since added additional tasks that I think might be necessary to
make the park a reality, which may be discovered naturally as experience build or which I may advise
at the appropriate time. Some plans such as how the upfront capital and operational costs will be
resourced, how the park will be run, who will build it and location are still subject to change and may
require a number of additional tasks to be completed in advance. For example, a crowd-sourcing
campaign will require a different approach to a grant funding application.
Park ready to open
Form systems to make sure that the park is secure, safe and can generate income
Hire/gather team to run park
Construction complete
Construction begins
Blueprints finalised
Decide contractor
Get quotes/go to tender
Secure building
Find suitable building
Gather the funding required
Begin funding campaign for building, plans, construction and staff (if required)
Gather a core group of people (may form social enterprise/coop/collective) with a broad range of
skills and disciplines
Combine common ideas to form a park that the majority want
Gather ideas from the community- what do people want/need from a skate park?
Form an initial team/working group to plan and undertake work
Source:
Great Yarmouth Mercury
Forming the team:
The Drug Store and Smash Skates are popular skate retailers based in Norwich and Lowestoft
By now I had met Jake 5 or 6 times and we were in regular Facebook communication; mostly
discussing his ideas, ambitions and next steps. My immediate goal was to help Jake identify the
contacts (ideally from his existing network) that might be able to benefit the project with support
and stability. At this stage Jake was the only person involved in the campaign (aside from the
supporters of the petition) which created an overreliance on him to carry out tasks and decisions
could not be made democratically. Initially Jake shared a concern around involving new people, as
he anticipated that they may not fully commit or follow through with the necessary tasks. Reframing
the idea of building a team, I asked Jake what skills will be needed when running the park. As he
spoke about marketing, he remembered a friend with significant experience in marketing, an
interest in skateboarding and a substantial social network. Jake decided he would get in touch.
Joining the CCT:
When I was first asked to join the Coastal Communities Team I was unsure of what the purpose of
the team would be, whether the ethics and aims of the work would gel with my own and how being
a part of the team could support what I was trying to achieve in my role. At the first meeting I was
impressed to see local residents and community representatives, business owners, colleagues from
the third sector, freelance professionals and GYBC colleagues. The team took a focused approach
looking at a specific area around King Street and St Peters Road. Topics discussed included the
environment and aesthetic, the night time economy, community activity and social enterprises.
Everyone in attendance had their say as to what the area does offer, can offer and should offer. To
me the feedback presented two clear findings:
1. The street’s aesthetic was off putting to both local residents and visitors alike; with litter, run
down shop fronts & signage and closed shops (both in terms of vacant units and shops that
only open for a brief window in the middle of the day).
2. There was a clear need for a coordinated offer to draw people into the area, whether this is
a range of restaurants and bars to visit or a specific cultural events package.
These two themes were taken forward as a priority for the team and sat well within the aims of my
own community development frameworks. Although I didn’t realise it straight away, the skate park
project lent itself to the second objective well, as any public engagement work would attract a
specific demographic, much in the way a themed evening event would. The activity produced by the
skate park team could later create a model for community organisations and businesses to adopt
and adapt.
Planning the consultation:
Having had no previous experience of running a consultation event Jake asked me how we go about
planning one. I said that it was more important to think about what you want to achieve. Jake came
up with:
Aim: People become excited about the possibility of having a
community run skate park, they can contribute their ideas and will
hopefully form links with the team to support the project in future.
Using this as a starting point Jake and I built, we focused on the first part of the aim- getting people
excited. We decided that this was going to hinge on creating a good atmosphere when speaking to
the public. Community consultations/outreach activities are often avoided, even when they are
creative or stimulating. Combined with the high octane, adrenaline fuelled extreme sports subject
matter any activity would have to complement or at least reference this. Jake suggested that music
would be able to provide any tone we needed. Punk and ska music is synonymous with skate
culture, and Jake recommended that a live punk or ska band might offer an additional incentive to
attract attendees. I suggested that it might be difficult to discuss the project given the typical volume
of a punk or ska concert, but an unplugged/acoustic session as homage to skate culture could set the
tone without affecting the networking and communication of thoughts.
I met with Sam and Jake to hone ideas for the second and third part of Jake’s aim, looking at how to
offer a platform so everyone can express their ideas in a way that suits them, and how to offer and
maintain links with people post event. Sam put forward the idea of having a “mini after party” where
people who attended the event would have the chance to bond and further discuss their thoughts.
Ideas that were taken forward regarding the consultation include:
Platform for ideas- Video game stations with design a park software; a draw your park competition;
vote for the tone (rating four styles of existing skate park); a name/brand generator; discussion
boards (with Community Connectors and volunteers capturing discussions).
Building and maintaining connections- Both Jake and Sam agreed that to achieve the objective of
creating a skate park of real community design and ownership that anyone with an interest should
be able to get involved with, irrespective of their ability. There are a number of tasks from
distributing flyers, to fundraising, to engaging with residents around the future site that will require
people power that needs to be harnessed at the consultation. A welcoming conversation and
collecting each entrant’s details will provide an instant mailing list when this support is needed.
Given the more specialised skill sets required for elements of the project such as maintaining
financial accounts, designing and implementing policies (particularly health and safety), HR and park
management, the team, volunteers and Community Connectors were briefed to take note of any
skills that could be of benefit at a later date. Skills maps were placed on all tables to stimulate
conversations around what assets people have that might benefit the project, also encouraging
people to write down what they could offer to the campaign.
Sam’s consultation plan
Planning the after party:
The first meeting which sought to finalise plans for the after party took place in Sam Avery’s (owner
of The Drug Store) living room. The space was welcoming and inviting as was Sam and his partner. It
provided the perfect atmosphere for planning a party and helped the group to bond in a relaxed
setting over tea and biscuits.
The team were supportive of showcasing local punk and ska bands and it was a clear advantage to
have fans, who may well attend skate parks, travel to see them perform. The Project Support
Volunteer Abie, who also attended the meeting, suggested that there was a theme emerging around
a local skate park, designed and run by local people, with local bands playing at the event. Local
people and businesses working together would become the key theme and inform the marketing
strategy and plans from here on in.
Sam H suggested a combination of a discounted “beer and burger” deal would serve as a further
selling point. He suggested contacting local brewer Lacons and the Portuguese restaurant near St
Georges Theatre to provide this (The Patio Café and Bar). St Georges Theatre and St Georges Café
were suggested as possible venues as it would be desirable to have a different location for the after
party, creating a clearly defined tonal shift between the events. The geographical closeness between
the venues would also maximise the chance of consultation attendees transitioning to the after
party.
The CCT, comprising of business owners, local residents, Great Yarmouth Borough Council officers
and third sector colleagues was an invaluable asset to offer advice and guidance from a bank of
substantial combined experience. Having an outside perspective to ground ideas, measure risks,
promote activity and link in support really complemented the creativity, enthusiasm and passion of
the park project team. Arguably, the coaching and professional development that the CCT offered to
Sam was of even greater value. As a young entrepreneur Sam utilised the support offered by Jacqui
Starling who, with an extensive career in capacity building support for Social Enterprises, gave
guidance to support Sam’s emerging businesses.
Marketing:
The demographic of the consultation was specific; extreme sports enthusiasts within 50 miles of
Great Yarmouth (based on an estimate of people who would most regularly use the park). With this
in mind, the team identified a number of possibilities to maximise the potential reach of the event:
•
•
•
Link in with skate retailers (the closest being Norwich and Lowestoft) to distribute flyers, and
promote through their networks
Create a Facebook event advertising the activity, encouraging people to share the
information
Undertake a targeted social media campaign which promotes activity to people with an
interest in skateboarding, roller blading, scooters or BMX within a 50 mile radius
•
•
•
•
Display flyers and posters in businesses in the King Street and St Peters Road area
Link with 10 schools in Norwich and Great Yarmouth to promote the event to young people,
both through word of mouth and fliers
Organised drop in’s at local outdoor skate facilities, promoting to people there
Update the online petition, promoting the consultation and after party activity. All
supporters who signed the petition receive an email notification inviting them to the event.
Through Jake and Sam two skate retailers were linked into the project, The Drug Store in Norwich,
and Smash Skates in Lowestoft. Ash from Smash Skates was keen to get involved and had a good
existing relationship with both Sam and Jake. There was also a clear advantage to his business, with
Smash Skates being Great Yarmouth’s closest skate retailer, only 10 miles away. The Drug Store’s
owner Sam A had a good working relationship with Sam H, having collaborated on previous
marketing projects. Sam A was enthusiastic about the project not only in the economic sense, but
from a moral standpoint as well, having a firm belief that skate parks can bring about substantial
positive change to (particularly young) people. Sam A had previously led multiple campaigns to
develop new skate facilities across Norwich over a period of decades.
Between the team and me we undertook the marketing activity as planned. Initially we were able to
develop a sense of how many people knew of the events through social media engagement
statistics. The most valuable trackers however came from street level discussions with people at the
local outdoor skate facilities. Of the three parks visited and the 11 young people spoken to, all knew
of the consultation. When handing out one flier to a young person in his early teens he said “Yeah I
don’t need to take that. It’s all over Facebook”.
The Coastal Communities team was integral to supporting the marketing campaign, not only as a
way of raising awareness, but for building those first connections with the small businesses in the
surrounding area to where the event will be held. There was clearly a sense of gratitude from the
shop, bar and restaurant owners, which creates fertile ground for work in the future. One bar on
King Street was willing to host an after-after party and offered to put more staff on in needed. This
suggested a real desire to work more closely together.
Neighbourhoods that Work:
Throughout research phases, planning of the consultation and after party and as new members of
the team link into the campaign, Neighbourhoods that Work colleagues have provided support to
the project, and to the people involved in it:
Training Connector: To support the ambition of members of the team (particularly Jake and Sam)
working towards developing meaningful careers, the Training Connector has been instrumental in
creating opportunities for learning and skills development, linking with Enterprise GY (start-up
business and self-employment support) to offer an Introduction to Social Enterprise workshop,
which gave an insight into how to draft a business plan, building partnerships, financial projections
and the difference between different charitable structures. Sam H attended, describing it as
“fantastic”, a “real eye opener” and “I’ve learnt loads. It was really helpful”.
Community Connectors: In order to promote a welcoming, social and supportive atmosphere at
both the consultation and the after party, two Community Connectors attended each event. They
were instrumental in encouraging attendees to engage with the activities around the room, in
weaving people who came alone or who appeared nervous into more outgoing social groups and in
contributing to a positive and inclusive atmosphere at the after party (joining in with lone dancers).
The consultation:
Outputs and key
achievements
100+ attendees
100% engagement from attendees in at least 1 structured activity
5 local counsellors attended and expressed support for the project
Enough ideas generated to form an outline proposal of what the
community wants
85 people expressed that they would be willing to get involved in
supporting the project at a later stage
Attendees thanked the event organisers for their hard work on the
campaign
A Norwich based skate school (social enterprise) arranged a discussion
with the team to explore how the projects may collaborate/merge
Common ideas/themes
(consultation responses
are still being compiled
by the core team- hence
currently limited
findings)
A local freelance custom skateboard manufacturer arranged a discussion
around how the projects could complement/collaborate with his
business
Approximately 10 supporters who do not skate expressed a desire for a
multi-use space such as gig venue/sports hall/communal young person’s
space
A simplistic and uncluttered facility has been consistently requestedleaving enough space to minimise collisions
A resource which caters for different disciplines, including
skateboarders, bladers and riders features heavily in responses. Many
attendees will practice more than one form
The after party:
Outputs and key
achievements
40 -50 attendees at busiest point
Around 50% of attendees also attended consultation- demonstrable
value from coordinated activity
St Georges Theatre generating £600+ takings on night
Emerging links with local catering suppliers
Local businesses that were previously positioned as competition have
worked collaboratively- both achieved profit and both expressed a
desire to work more closely together in future
Coordinating community activity with evening event- providing
additional benefit to attendees
Staff expressing a need to do more of this activity
Bars, cafes and surrounding restaurants gained residual income
Many local and visitor attendees used venue for first time
Around 15 attendees participated as a direct result of promoters
discussing the event in the town centre on the evening. The vast
majority of these were people on their way home following a day’s
shopping, prolonging their economic contribution
Demonstrating potential for developing a natural shoulder economy
between the town centre and King Street
Quotes:
“I’ve had a cracking night. We need more stuff like this in
Yarmouth” – Event attendee
“Best night I’ve had in Yarmouth in ages. It’s awakened my
interest in music, this can’t be a one off” – Event attendee
“I can’t believe we’ve got punk in Yarko” – Event
attendee
“We need to do stuff like this more often” –Bar
Manager, St Georges Theatre
“We’d love to come back again” – Band member, Killamonjambo
Project outcomes:
Attendees:
Improved wellbeing through engaging in positive social activity
Improved community resilience by expanding social networks- forming
bonds with other local people with a matching interest
Developed sense of pride and self-esteem by contributing in a
community activity. Pride may be furthered if attendees recognise their
contribution in the completed park
Increased sense of local pride, with attendees expressing that “It feels
like things are starting to happen in Yarmouth”
Improved skills, assets and employability for attendees who contributed
to the post-event campaign: personal and professional development
through volunteering
Volunteer Team:
Changed perceptions of an area seen as a having a harsh landscape
characterised by deprivation and a perceived high crime rate.
Strong bonds formed between the teams core members, improving
resilience and access to support with information dissemination and
peer signposting
Improved employment opportunities through skills development,
training and notable achievement to describe on CV
Improved awareness of employment opportunities through networks of
connected businesses
Significantly increased pride and self-esteem- recognising own assets
and capabilities
Increased sense of identity as community leaders
Capacity to undertake project planning, project management and
marketing campaigns significantly improved.
What’s next?
I can say without hyperbole that it feels like the activity described in this document has sparked
some positive and hopefully lasting change. There is still a long way to go before skateboarders,
bladers and riders get to see an indoor skate park in Great Yarmouth, but with the community
driving the project forward the support is there to turn what started as a petition into a business
that is a major contributor to local social and economic development. Through the experiences and
learning of the people involved in the project, those local residents have become more resilient,
more entrepreneurial and more employable. Through the co-production of an evening event which
included a broad food and live music offer, shoppers and residents not only stayed out longer whilst
spending more money but many also revaluated their perception of a part of the town often
associated with deprivation. Seeing more of this kind of activity is an ambition of the skate park
project team.
5: Implementation Plan
Shout and Pride’s Coastal Communities Team Plan
Activity
Measured by
To facilitate the CCT to move
forward with support to two
groups, the newly formed
SHOUT group (evening and
shoulder economy events) and
the existing PRIDE group
(environmental projects to
support a cleaner and safer
area).
•
To support the PRIDE group to
build upon scoping work
already undertaken in the area
and to focus work on
developing navigation guides,
to help people move between
venues and activities and to
discover less promoted areas of
King Street, St Peter’s Road and
surrounding areas.
•
•
•
The number of members in
each group and retaining
the community-led focus,
set as a minimum of 50%
representation.
The number of joint
meetings held between the
two groups, initially set as a
minimum of three per
annum.
The publication of at least
one navigation guide,
covering key connector
sites between the CCT area
and the town centre,
seafront and quayside.
A successful and
coordinated launch
strategy for the guide to
coincide with the SHOUT’s
group event’s guide.
Timescales
•
•
•
•
Cost Implications
Nominations to the two
new groups to be made
and confirmed by the end
of February 2016, with
representative roles
agreed.
A minimum of three joint
meetings held by the end
of March 2017 with the
equivalent number of joint
reports made to the
Comeunity Board.
•
Paul Cheeseman, Great
Yarmouth Borough Council,
will co-facilitate with Tom
Richards, the Community
Development Worker for
Comeunity. This has been
agreed as complementary
support, but the match
resources will be assessed
and incorporated within
the inputs of the CCT logic
model by 31 March 2016.
First template of the guide
to be produced ahead of
Easter 2016, with launch
date one month ahead of
the main summer season,
to enable businesses to
stock and promote the
guide.
Coordinated launch nolater than 31 May 2016,
providing a six week lead in
before the summer
holidays.
•
An initial business case for
the guide to be presented
during March 2016, so that
it can be incorporated into
the final version of this
plan, scheduled for 31
March 2016.
Cost and promotions to
take into account the
sponsorship potential from
local businesses,
established within the
above referenced
timescale.
•
CCT Group Lead
To further support the PRIDE
group to support communityled projects and enterprises
that want to bring back to life
green spaces, and to design
solutions to soften the
landscape of the area including
rows and alleyways.
To support the SHOUT group to
realise its ambitions for taking
forward a programme of events
that bring together community
priorities and events with
themed shoulder and evening
economy offers, reducing
money drain from the local
economy.
To support the SHOUT group to
explore models that promote
partnership working, including
developing collectives and
informal co-operatives, and
which increase the
opportunities to engage with
local businesses including
piloting a quarterly events
guide.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Support provided to at
least one community group
to undertake and take on
the ownership of at least
one green space project.
To evaluate the impact of
this project on the local
community, with a focus on
how it has helped people
to navigate between the
CCT areas.
The number of themed
events successfully staged
with support from local
businesses.
Adoption of New
Economics measurements
to assess the impact of
these events of local
money supply, including
impact on local supply
chains.
The number of community
groups that emerge and
work collectively on related
thematic areas.
The opportunities for
community groups and
businesses to establish
informal or formal
collectives and cooperatives and the
alignment of their aims.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Community group’s designs
finalised spring 2016,
leading to a soft project
launch summer 2016.
Green space finally
adopted by the community
group summer / autumn
2016, with details of
participation opportunities
featured within the SHOUT
event’s guide.
A minimum of three events
to be held throughout the
year that is outside or on
the edge of main season
activity including pre and
post summer season.
At least one event to be
held in January 2017 to
reassess the findings from
the test events held 23
January 2016.
Initial assessment of
collective and informal cooperative models to be
completed by 31 March
2016.
Final support model to help
start-up, develop and
invest in new and emerging
community enterprises in
place by March 2017 with
the first investments made.
•
•
•
•
•
•
The group are being
supported within the
framework of support
offered by Comeunity;
however, they may need
technical support relating
to plans and up-keep.
Applications planned to
relevant external grant
providers including Awards
for All.
The test event required
seed investment, which is
recognised by the CCT as
being unsustainable.
As such, a full cost
evaluation of the test event
will be undertaken by 31
March 2016 to help inform
a budget and the levels of
match needed during the
next financial year.
The initial assessment of
the viability of collective
and informal co-operative
models has been secured
through the local
Neighbourhoods That Work
programme.
Thereafter, the cost of
providing advanced
support needs to be
assessed.
6: Contact Details
Shout and Pride’s Coastal Communities Team Plan
Paul Cheeseman
Employment and Skills Coordinator
Great Yarmouth Borough Council
E: [email protected]
Description: Paul’s areas of work include advancing Community Economic Development approaches
within the Borough, including supporting the local Neighbourhoods That Work approach. Of this plan
he says, ‘It has been inspirational to be involved in something that is not only evolving but moving
apace. At the point of submitting this plan, we are still evaluating with local residents the impact of
the test event. We are almost there, but the document will change in the coming days and weeks and
I am confident it will remain live. In terms of timescales, testing a plan in the same month that you
have to submit a first draft it is a tough ask, but it was the right thing to do and I am delighted by the
direction it is taking’.
Tom Richards
Senior Community Economic Development Worker
Comeunity Neighbourhood Programme
E: [email protected]
Description: Tom began working in Great Yarmouth two years ago as a Community Development
Worker. He was concerned about the drain of money out of the area, and decided to do something
about it by moving to live in the Comeunity area himself. Tom describes the test event for this plan as
one of best moments to date, ‘The CCT objectives were completely in line with what community
groups were telling me and then wow, along came the extreme sports enthusiasts group who were
motivated to campaign for a new resource. I didn’t make the connection straight away with the CCT
objectives, but once I saw the link, it was full steam ahead and I haven’t stopped being contacted
with expressions of support since. I only played a small part, the community groups did most of the
work, but this has momemtum and this plan will help’.