North Ormesby

Acting on community safety

The biggest concern amongst North Ormesby residents in early consultations was community safety, particularly crime, anti-social behaviour, and fly-tipping. Recognising how community safety can affect quality of life and wellbeing, the partnership made this a key priority for its first plan. 

The partnership worked with the police and the local authority to install 68 CCTV cameras throughout the neighbourhood, and negotiated that the council would be responsible for managing, maintaining and monitoring the system. Later, a mobile CCTV camera was brought into operation, which could be deployed in ​‘hot spots’.

The CCTV cameras were considered a successful legacy, as there was a positive impact on residents’ feelings of safety. In 2017, a local housing association survey of residents found that 86 per cent of residents felt safe when outside, compared to 62 per cent in 2014. After dark, 42 per cent felt safe when outside, compared to 28 per cent in 2014. Overall feelings of satisfaction with the area and the authorities’ approach to anti-social behaviour and crime issues had also gone up. Three quarters of respondents to a Big Local survey said the CCTV cameras made them feel safer. However, safety continued to be a concern, and the partnership decided against moving forward with an open space project, after consultation revealed fears that it would become a site for anti-social behaviour.

Improving the community environment

Alongside safety concerns, early consultation also revealed that residents wanted to see improvements to the overall physical condition of the area, highlighting cleaner streets and reduced litter as important issues. Big Local funding was used to develop several projects aimed at brightening up the physical environment and improving the area’s image, as the partnership felt this would help encourage a sense of security and wellbeing. 

These initiatives included a ​‘facelift’ project which employed residents and local apprentices to improve around 160 properties through minor repairs, painting doorsteps and windowsills, and tidying back-alleys. In the ​‘Green and Gorgeous’ project, Big Local funding was invested in welcome signs, hanging baskets, and planters for the shopping parade and market square. These projects demonstrated the partnership’s commitment to listening to and acting on community concerns and helped set the stage for larger-scale asset work.

Investing in housing and a play area

Along with community safety and environmental initiatives, the North Ormesby partnership decided that Big Local funding should be invested in several community assets and spaces. 

One example was investing in affordable housing, where Big Local funding supported a community organisation to purchase and refurbish six properties to let. This was intended to establish a community stake in private rented housing in the area. A Community Land Trust was set up for this purpose, linked to a neighbourhood development organisation (and later transferred to another local voluntary organisation). The partnership engaged with key agencies to oversee the project (including the Community Land Trust, housing associations, and the local authority), and leveraged additional funding to bring the houses up to the higher ​‘Decent Homes’ standard. The homes were let and, although they were unlikely to provide a long-term revenue stream, they upgraded housing for the community. 

A further Big Local investment enabled the creation of the Pavilion Pines Play Area, which was opened and named by local children at a well-attended event in 2019. A plot of land in a state of disrepair was transformed into a community space and natural play area for younger children and families. The partnership engaged with contractors on consultation, design and works, and entered an agreement with the local council to maintain the site. While the project took a long time to come to fruition, the partnership saw it as a landmark initiative because very few houses in the area had gardens.

Establishing a youth development programme

An early priority for North Ormesby Big Local was to provide more activities for children and young people. A Youth Development Project was set up at the beginning of Big Local to run activities for 10 to 16 year olds, with a youth worker being employed through a local church-based group. 

The project focussed on reducing boredom and anti-social behaviour, by providing young people with opportunities to learn new skills, build confidence, and develop self-awareness. Initial engagement exceeded targets, with over 60 young people attending two sessions per week, and further Big Local funding was allocated for additional sessional youth workers. However, numbers began to decline over time, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. The project also struggled to reach some young people, which the partnership felt was because of the choice of venue. 

The project was recommissioned and a new provider appointed in 2020 – a charity with expertise in detached youth work (working with young people in settings of their choosing such as parks or around their neighbourhoods). The project began to engage new young people, especially boys. Residents in the Children and Young People’s theme group learned a lot through the change in focus and provider, particularly in managing contracts, evaluation and review, new project development, and commissioning a new provider.

Collaborating on popular community events

From the outset of Big Local, ​‘strengthening the community’ was one of North Ormesby partnership’s five priorities, with planned activities including a programme of events, a newsletter, and a small grants pot for local groups. 

The partnership reflected that the local population was becoming increasingly diverse and transient, and events were seen as a vital way of engaging with residents and bringing the community together. These events included Easter, Summer, Halloween and Christmas Family Fun Days; Pie and Peas Suppers for older residents; Big Get Together BBQs; and informal get-togethers like craft, bingo, and litter-picking sessions. 

The partnership often worked with other organisations, and the events proved to be very popular. For example, an event for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee attracted over 400 people, including 150 children. Although paused during the Covid-19 lockdowns, events and activities were quickly resumed and became a regular part of the community calendar. They enabled people from different generations to come together and meet others from the neighbourhood, helping to strengthen relationships and a sense of community belonging.

Addressing financial hardship, food poverty and the cost-of-living crisis

In the second half of the Big Local programme, the partnership began to shift its priorities. In recognition of new and pressing needs in North Ormesby, the partnership redirected resources in its final plan to address social and financial needs. 

The shift began before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, with ​‘Money Matters’ – a project designed to respond to the growing number of residents experiencing financial insecurity and debt. The partnership worked with Middlesbrough Citizens Advice, aiming to employ an expert money advisor to create and supervise a peer support network of trained residents acting as volunteer advisors. However, the project struggled to engage residents as volunteers, so the partnership worked with Citizens Advice to refocus on providing direct money advice through a paid advisor.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the partnership supported efforts to connect with residents experiencing social isolation or in vulnerable situations. This included digital connections for older or socially isolated people, such as help with getting online, a Digital Inclusion course, and providing 60 tablets to a primary school for online learning. The partnership also provided 90 Comfort and Wellbeing boxes to socially isolated residents. 

As concern about food poverty grew and the cost-of-living crisis developed, Big Local funding was invested in financial and practical community support. The partnership supported The White Feather Project (a local Community Interest Company providing food, clothing, and equipment at no- or low-cost), a local food bank and a voucher scheme to help residents with energy bills.