Beechwood, Ballantyne and Bidston Village
Key points
- The partnership reinvigorated the Little Centre (a local hub), which built community spirit by delivering a playgroup, community activities and training courses.
- Residents’ wellbeing needs were addressed by providing food and helping with heating costs, while offering support around mental health and debt management.
- The physical environment was improved with the partnership’s award-winning ‘in-Bloom’ projects, intergenerational community allotments and a new playground.
About the Big Local area
The Beechwood, Ballantyne and Bidston Village (BBBV) Big Local area was located near Birkenhead on the Wirral and home to 4,345 residents in 2021 (ONS, 2022a). This strip of land between the M53 motorway and Bidston Hill comprised three distinct areas: the Beechwood and Ballantyne estates and the more affluent Bidston village. Historical tensions existed between the constituent parts, while poor transport links isolated the area from the surrounding region, which residents reflected contributed to a sense of insularity and self-reliance.
The area had a relatively young population, with a greater proportion of residents under the age of 16 than the wider North West (ONS, 2022b). It was among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in the country (MHCLG, 2019). Nonetheless, the partnership reflected that there was a rich history of community activity. Community assets included primary schools, churches, the Little Centre, Tranmere Rovers FC and a skatepark, but there was little access to public green spaces.
How the Big Local area approached delivery
From its inception in 2014, the resident-led partnership built on the area’s existing community activity and previous consultations. After taking time to reach out across residents and identify community needs, the partnership aimed to focus on collective action and mobilising community assets to tackle poverty and deliver positive change.
The Beechwood, Ballantyne and Bidston Village Big Local partnership quickly realised that its initial working group structure duplicated work, and they streamlined this through a single partnership meeting. To ensure adequate representation, they established co-chairs from Beechwood and Ballantyne estates, and three councillors shared a single vote to prevent disproportionate influence. The partnership also included active residents, community organisations, schools and faith groups.
Residents who were members of the partnership developed trust with residents through their commitment to taking action to improve the area. While tensions sometimes arose across local groups, the partnership managed these through communication and transparent decision-making.
A Big Local partnership was a group made up of at least eight people that guided the overall direction of delivery in a Big Local area.
To supplement members’ skills, a worker was employed to coordinate activities and maximise collaboration with partners. For example, funding for children’s holiday meals was accessed by ‘piggy-backing’ on the council’s playgroup, while young people were able to use a small green space as a result of councillors’ assistance. Groups with specialist expertise were also commissioned to deliver some initiatives, such as skills development training and sports activities.
Rather than setting up a new organisation to continue their work after Big Local, the partnership decided to build on existing community assets and collaboration, to create a network of residents and groups committed to identifying and addressing local needs. They improved the physical landscape to deliver lasting benefits and visible reminders of the community’s achievements.
What the Big Local area did
Community assets and spaces
Providing an essential community hub
Following a community consultation in 2017, the Beechwood, Ballantyne and Bidston Village partnership rejuvenated the Little Centre in Beechwood. Big Local funding was used for the role of a centre manager, who organised community activities supported by active volunteers.
It was also used for public Wi-Fi, a well-used soft play area, a community larder and help for those in crisis. They provided training courses and family activities, and the centre hosted a council-run playgroup. The range of activities meant that residents who called in for one reason could access support for other issues during the same visit. The partnership reflected that the space played a key role in bringing the community together.
Since the centre was less accessible to residents from the Ballantyne estate the partnership wanted to get the disused Ballantyne Centre up and running too. They explored the feasibility of bringing the Centre back into use. Big Local funding was used for legal investigations into the Centre’s ownership and a survey of its condition, which laid the groundwork for development after Big Local.
Greening and improving outdoor space
In 2016 the partnership’s multi-award winning ‘in Bloom’ project began working with children, adults, schools, councillors and housing providers to create a cleaner, greener environment in the Beechwood, Ballantyne and Bidston Village Big Local area. Conducting communal clean-ups, planting, and creating the Ballantyne allotments was felt to have boosted community cohesion. Primary schools created a permanent display of decorated pebbles in the themes ‘Hope’ and ‘A Bright New Start’, and a wider community project created a memorial of painted hearts for lost loved ones.
Two years later the partnership worked with local groups and Onward Housing Association to transform a disused piece of land into a communal garden in the Ballantyne Centre grounds. Wooden planters and garden beds were quickly snapped up by schools and residents who wanted to grow their own food and vegetables. The partnership set up an intergenerational gardening club, which delivered training, ran holiday activities and installed bug hotels.
As a result, the area won public accolades like Best Village in the 2016 Northwest in Bloom awards and the Outstanding Neighbourhood award in 2021’s RHS Britain in Bloom.
Responding to residents’ desire for a local playground
After community consultations consistently identified a need for a playground, the partnership played a key role in making this happen. Thanks to a Big Local investment of £100,000 and a commitment from Wirral Borough Council to cover ongoing maintenance, the project was able to move forward. The playground opened towards the end of the programme, in 2025. A partnership member described this as a “massive achievement”, emphasising the significance of shared public space as well as safe outdoor activities for children.
Health and wellbeing
Promoting wellbeing through engaging social and leisure activities
Throughout the Big Local programme, the Beechwood, Ballantyne and Bidston Village partnership brought residents together through social activities. These included a men’s group and lunch groups for older people, a community cinema, discos, children’s activities, crafting sessions and bingo. The annual ice rink, circus and pantomime proved popular, and family fun days attracted hundreds. By increasing community engagement, these activities aimed to support community spirit and gave residents new experiences. The success of many of these activities came from targeting the sessions to the needs of specific groups.
Wellbeing initiatives were launched, including a healthy lifestyle project. Delivered in partnership with NHS Community Trust and Wirral Council, residents were given leisure passes enabling them to participate in activities at sports and recreation venues.
Responding to mental health challenges
The partnership promoted positive mental health through a self-care course about managing anxiety and depression. Big Local funding was used to bring in a worker from Involve NW, who offered weekly support at two local venues. This ‘community connector’ regularly had a caseload of about 30 residents. Those accessing this support reported a range of benefits, including improved sleep, feeling more able to get out of the house, new friendships, accessing specialist support from charities, and starting college, volunteering or gaining employment. This initiative was particularly successful because it took a bespoke approach, responding to residents’ individual situations and building on their strengths.
Responding to crisis and urgent need
Using local networks to tackle short and longer-term needs
From its early days, the partnership supported a food larder at the Little Centre. Staffed by volunteers and stocked by food donations, the larder supported about 80 families in Beechwood, Ballantyne and Bidston Village every week. Volunteers used social media and built relationships with partners, including the local chemist, to target help where it was needed. From 2018 the partnership offered help at Christmas, with support from Wirral Council and grant funding. One year, 200 children received boxes of chocolates, 75 families received hampers, and hundreds of residents received £25 vouchers.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the partnership drew on its experience and relationships to deliver increased support for those in greatest need. Accessing multiple sources of funding enabled them to provide discounted food, emergency hampers and hot meals, contributions to fuel costs, and afternoon tea and blankets for older residents.
Recognising the longer-term impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, in 2021 Big Local funding was used to bring in a Citizens Advice worker to offer help at community venues. The worker advised around 70 residents each quarter on managing debt and securing benefits.
How the Big Local area spent their funding
Each Big Local area received approximately £1.2 million (ranging from £1.199 mil to 1.209 mil) to spend over 10–15 years, depending on how much additional funding they accessed from Local Trust to address specific needs. For example, to bring people together at the start of the programme or to access training and support. This has been categorised for areas and at the programme level based on reports received from areas.
Partnerships chose their own priorities and categories for reporting, and were encouraged to use broad categories so they could use the funding flexibly. All areas spent a significant amount of money on ‘Big Local delivery costs’ such as workers’ salaries, stationery and IT equipment. You can find out more about programme level spend in this article. This is how Beechwood, Ballantyne and Bidston Big Local told Local Trust they used their Big Local funding.
References
Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) (2019) ‘English indices of deprivation 2019’. (Accessed 14 January 2024)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2022a) ‘UK Census 2021: All persons’. (Accessed 27 November 2024)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2022b) ‘UK Census 2021: Age structure of the population: Population aged under 16’. (Accessed 27 November 2024)