Dyke House

Reducing resident expenditure and building confidence

Big Local funding provided the Dyke House Big Local partnership an opportunity to expand on some of the existing approaches to meeting residents’ needs at The Annexe.

One example was the Bags of Help scheme, which provided residents the opportunity to access a bag of non-perishable food, cleaning, or hygiene items through volunteering an hour of their time in the community. People were often signposted here after accessing employment support, and the partnership felt that access to food and hygiene products was critical in supporting residents to feel confident on their path to employment. 

The Annexe became known as a place where residents could access free food and a cup of tea. Any resident attending for any reason was offered free refreshments, to make them feel welcome, help start a conversation, and reduce any shame that people may have felt about needing support. Across one summer, The Annexe provided over 2,000 meals – including 1,215 lunches and 680 breakfast packs. Feedback gathered towards the end of Big Local demonstrated how communal eating provided important social support structures, while cooked meals supported residents with their nutrition, particularly for those where cooking at home was more challenging. 

Alongside food provision was a broader support offer by paid staff at The Annexe. This included sessions to build residents’ essential skills, like cooking on a budget or managing the home. More ad hoc support was also on offer to individuals facing acute need. Staff supported young residents living independently for the first time, and other residents to apply for housing or contact their local GP. This support helped residents to feel confident contacting key agencies and institutions.

Community trust in The Annexe and its staff was crucial to the varied support, enabling them to offer services to meet day-to-day needs. For example, a warm room (where people could leave washing to dry if they could not afford to turn on their heating) and communal slow cookers (so residents could cook their evening meals without using their own electricity). 

Providing one-to-one employment support

Supporting residents to find employment was also a consistent priority for the Dyke House Big Local partnership, however they were aware that with limited local employment opportunities this could be challenging.

Big Local funding was used for resident training, IT facilities, and an Employment Advisor at The Annexe. The advisor provided one-to-one support with CVs, job searches, training access, and use of the IT facilities. 

From the early days, the partnership noted how the support often had to go beyond its initial remit of employment and training, with the advisor helping residents with their wellbeing as a first priority. This included signposting to other activities at The Annexe (like volunteering opportunities to help reduce social isolation) or services outside of the Big Local area (such as Citizens Advice to support with debt consolidation). As Universal Credit rolled out, the partnership noted that support needs got even more complex, with residents seeking to appeal sanctions or build IT skills so they could access the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) new online system. 

Over 13 months, the Employment Advisor supported nearly 350 individuals, with over 180 of those on a drop-in basis. The partnership credited the advisor as key to the success of the support, particularly due to their trusted relationships with residents and collaborative approach with the local Jobcentre Plus. 

As Big Local came to a close, volunteers continued to support residents with CVs and job applications, while the local housing association attended fortnightly to provide more focused support around employment.

Supporting recreational opportunities for young residents

A youth club for children aged 11 to 18 had been delivered at The Annexe prior to the start of Big Local. The Dyke House Big Local partnership felt that continuing this group was very important, as many partnership members had attended as teenagers. Big Local funding was allocated to the youth club throughout Big Local. While this mainly covered staffing costs, it also enabled removal of the 20p attendance fee, reducing a potential barrier for entry. 

Activities included arts and crafts, darts, pool, cooking, and use of games consoles and The Annexe’s IT facilities. Canoeing and climbing trips provided an opportunity for many club members to leave the Hartlepool area for the first time. Attendees reported that they enjoyed having space to meet new people and hang out with friends. 

Many young people also engaged in volunteering opportunities through the youth club. Alongside litter-picking, they also supported Wharton Trust with seasonal deliveries of Christmas cards or potted sunflowers. The partnership reflected this was important in building young people’s skills and confidence, supporting intergenerational relationships, and encouraging residents to be more open-minded in their perceptions of young residents.

Investing in housing to meet local need

Community consultation frequently flagged resident concerns about unused and boarded up houses in the area. Further research by the Locally Trusted Organisation (LTO) – Wharton Trust – found broader issues around behaviour of private landlords. The Dyke House Big Local partnership felt these challenges impacted local crime levels and affected community cohesion, by contributing to transience among residents. 

The partnership developed a housing project. Big Local funding was used to buy and renovate local houses, which were leased via Wharton Trust. A local organisation provided renovations through a project aimed at building residents’ skills to enter the construction industry, while a volunteer-run men’s mental health group supported with painting and decorating.

While the Covid-19 pandemic and collaborative renovations led to some delays, four houses were purchased, renovated, and leased to residents at below market rates. Wharton Trust accessed further funding, which enabled them to expand the project to more houses. 

Building local pride through litter-picking and planting

Consultation with the Dyke House community frequently flagged issues of litter, vandalism, and dog-fouling in public spaces. To combat this, the partnership purchased litter-picking equipment and began a schedule of frequent litter-picks. They hoped that visible litter-picks would discourage residents from dropping litter, and people were encouraged to get involved in exchange for tickets to community events.

Over time, this evolved into #MakeDykeHouseBeautiful. Skips were hired to boost community clean-up events and deal with fly-tipping, while the partnership launched a poster campaign to combat dog-fouling. Alongside this, over 25,000 bulbs and bee-friendly flowers were planted. The partnership targeted areas known for littering and fly-tipping, hoping to discourage such activity in the future. 

Volunteers were essential – many got involved to improve the local environment, while others wanted to give back to the community. It became a referral opportunity through the employment support at The Annexe, with volunteering as an early step on the road to employment. The partnership reflected on how something as simple as a litter-pick could start to generate a sense of achievement and purpose in residents, giving them a greater sense of ownership.

After a few years of delivery, the partnership renamed the project to #KeepDykeHouseBeautiful. They felt this better reflected how residents already felt that Dyke House was a great place to live. Residents fed back to the partnership how the project made an immediate improvement to the community and made people feel prouder of their local area.

Organising regular events and activities for community connection

As part of their priority around community connectedness, the Dyke House Big Local partnership ran a programme of frequent events and activities for residents to have fun and come together. 

Large events were held seasonally. At Christmas there were Santa Walks for children, festive trips, Christmas lunches, and a Christmas Light Switch On event. Summer events included face painting, animal encounters, and live music. Volunteers supported these events, enabling them to be trained in First Aid and Food Hygiene. The events also became an opportunity for the partnership to consult the community and gather feedback.

Regular seaside trips and creative activities were a key part of the partnership’s approach to reducing Dyke House residents’ expenditure. These activities helped residents, particularly young families, to have fun in a way that would otherwise have been too expensive. 

As Big Local came to a close, the partnership ensured this offer could be continued, with Easter, Summer, Halloween, and Christmas events planned throughout 2026. 

Bringing residents together

The Big Local partnership developed Get Dyke House Active to support residents to improve their physical fitness and create opportunities for community connectedness. Alongside setting up walking and running groups, residents led sports and games on local streets and alleyways. This aimed to support the community to get fitter through fun, and encourage streets to be reclaimed for enjoyment.

Community football sessions were popular as they ran in parallel with activities for younger children, so whole families could get involved. The partnership reflected that while the Covid-19 pandemic impacted delivery of Get Dyke House Active, it had enabled some residents to take a more proactive approach to supporting their physical health. 

Following the Covid-19 pandemic, the partnership refocused on bringing people together in community activities at The Annexe. Community meals, exercise classes, and social groups were all highlighted by residents as supporting their wellbeing by reducing social isolation. An over 50s club and a women’s group were particularly popular, with many attendees going on to volunteer at The Annexe.