Collyhurst

Improving parks and public spaces

In the first year of the Big Local programme, the partnership prioritised ensuring green spaces in Collyhurst were welcoming and safe for all residents. 

This involved contributing towards a major redevelopment of Collyhurst Park in collaboration with Manchester City Council. Residents had always seen the park as an important focal point in the area, but over time the play equipment for children had been removed, leaving an open field. Big Local funding was used to develop a new play area for children, an adult gym, and a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA). Consultation with children in local primary schools was used to inform the specific play equipment installed, including a zip wire. This was complemented by new apple trees and flowers planted by local volunteers. The partnership reflected how the play park was popular with local children, while parents and carers were able to meet up and socialise while their children had fun. 

The partnership also supported and developed several local growing spaces. Big Local funding was invested in an existing plot at the local church, providing new poly-tunnels and equipment for volunteers to continue their work. A new growing site was developed at a community centre with the support of Groundwork Greater Manchester, one of the partnership’s early collaborators. Volunteers played a key role in preparing the ground for fruit and vegetables, with the produce from both spaces being distributed through existing local food projects. 

The partnership returned to the early success of the growing projects for their final Big Local plan, consulting with residents on their interest in a new growing space at the centrally located Southchurch Parade. As Big Local came to an end, this new community garden became a focus of Collyhurst Community Enterprises, set up to continue the legacy of Big Local in the area.

Connecting the community through walking routes and a footbridge

Another early project of the Collyhurst Big Local partnership was to develop and publish a series of five walking routes that collectively could take users on a loop of the whole area. Artwork by local primary school children was incorporated into the routes. The routes aimed to serve different purposes – for example, one route was created as a fitness trail, while another connected two community venues. The walking routes were promoted through weekly walks, organised by St George’s Community Centre.

The partnership felt they improved connectivity, but were aware that it was sometimes challenging for residents to walk from Collyhurst to a local green space – Smedley Dip – due to a lack of safe crossing points over the River Irk. With support from Groundwork Greater Manchester, Big Local funding was invested in a new pedestrian bridge, which opened in 2019.

The new Irk Valley Bridge improved access to local schools and public facilities for people in and around Collyhurst. The partnership felt it made a positive visible change to the local environment, and the local authority agreed to take on the maintenance of the bridge going forward.

Enabling residents to access employment and business support

The Collyhurst Big Local partnership was keen to improve the economic prosperity of the area. They hoped to draw on their proximity to Manchester city centre by connecting residents with employment and training opportunities. Big Local funding was invested in YES Manchester, a newly established employment support service that originally operated in a different part of the city. This funding enabled YES Manchester to open premises on Southchurch Parade, the main shopping precinct in the Collyhurst area, providing a free, holistic approach to supporting residents into work, education, and training. The service also offered a computer suite to all residents and a food pantry where residents could get a £30 food shop for £4. Within 10 months of opening, over 5,000 people had visited the service.

Alongside support from YES Manchester, residents could also engage with UnLtd (a foundation for social entrepreneurs) to kickstart new business ideas. This was part of the partnership’s ambition to fill empty retail units on Southchurch Parade. Through the support of YES Manchester and UnLtd, new local enterprises included a furniture upcycling shop and Kylie’s Kitchen – a popular café and place to meet that remained open beyond the end of Big Local.

Supporting financial well-being

In the early days of Collyhurst Big Local, residents reported feeling that low incomes and badly managed debt were among the top factors contributing to poor quality of life. Inspired by networking with other Big Local areas, the partnership used Big Local funding to pilot a money education project, which confirmed the need for a debt advice service for residents. From here, Gateway M40 – an independent debt and money advice charity – was established by a local vicar who chaired the Collyhurst Big Local partnership at the time.

Gateway M40 was led by four qualified debt advisors, two of which were residents who started as volunteers for the project. Support was available in-person or over the phone, and relationships with local stakeholders (like housing associations and social services) led to many referrals. The partnership reflected on the importance of building trust with residents to deliver this service, as many people reported feeling shame around seeking help and advice.

In its first two years of delivery, the project enabled £4m in debt to be written off or managed, and increased combined personal incomes by over £1m through new or corrected benefit claims. In reports to the partnership, Gateway M40 also described improvements to residents’ mental health following support. As the Big Local programme came to an end, Gateway M40 expanded its funding base and was able to deliver debt and welfare advice to those living across the broader north Manchester area.

Investing in a local youth organisation to support young residents

Supporting young people in the area was another important goal for Collyhurst Big Local. Big Local funding was directed towards YPAC, a Manchester-based youth and play work charity, for establishing a new youth work team to engage young people in Collyhurst.

Much of the work of the team was focused on detached youth work, which involves engaging young people in the places they already meet and spend time. They built trusted relationships with young people and, in particular, identified and engaged young people at risk of involvement in anti-social behaviour or criminal activity, or who were struggling at school. From this point, different opportunities were provided for the young people, depending on their needs. A weekly youth club session was set up at St George’s Community Centre to enable the youth work team to provide some young residents with intensive support, while other young people got involved in social enterprise projects. These were delivered in collaboration with UnLtd, who were introduced to YPAC by the Collyhurst Big Local partnership.

Over a year, YPAC engaged over 280 young people. By using the Big Local funding to set up a local team of youth workers, YPAC was able to access match funding from other sources to provide projects for young Collyhurst residents. This included sessions supporting young women who lived or socialised in the area and a project called Peace with the Opps. Match funded by Awards for All, Peace with the Opps brought a small group of young people from Collyhurst together with young people from a nearby estate outside of the Big Local area. Aiming to build bridges and generate positive relationships, the group met over a period of eight months, engaging in team-building activities, a residential trip, and designing a football tournament for other young people locally.