Woodlands Speaks - Adwick-le-Street, Woodlands Estate
Key points
- The partnership and a team of volunteers ran the Woodlands Library, providing a popular space where residents accessed activities, services, and employment support.
- A new skate park was created in the centre of the village, following extensive consultation with young residents.
- A large community grants programme supported new and existing community groups and organisations, providing more opportunities for residents.
About the Big Local area
Woodlands Speaks Big Local was a large area covering Woodlands, a village on the northwest outskirts of Doncaster that was home to 7,646 residents in 2021 (ONS, 2022a). A former mining community, the boundary included four housing estates, the majority of which were originally council or colliery owned. A busy dual carriageway through the middle of the village created a physical division between communities on each side, with separate amenities.
The cost of travel between Woodlands and Doncaster had led to residents feeling detached from the city as the main employment centre, as well as from newer distribution and warehousing centres located at the nearby A1 junction. Youth unemployment was at 11 per cent (compared to Yorkshire and the Humber overall at just over six per cent) (DWP, 2024a; 2024b). Residents that were economically inactive due to sickness or ill health was higher than the regional average, at seven per cent (ONS, 2022b).
The Big Local area included several community assets: church halls, community centres, a secondary school, three primary schools, a shopping precinct, parks, playing fields, and a library.
How the Big Local area approached delivery
The Woodlands Speaks Big Local partnership formed in 2012, bringing together members of several local voluntary groups, including local tenant’s associations and a church group. Following training by expert community participation consultants, partnership members attended local events as researchers to understand what was important to the community. The community wanted Woodlands to become cleaner and more attractive, and for residents to have access to employment, training, and other opportunities to achieve their goals. They also wanted more activities and support for young people, and for a more active community that was motivated by pride in the village and its heritage.
Early on, the partnership set up the Woodlands Speaks Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) with members of the partnership becoming trustees. The CIO was intended to become the partnership’s legacy, to source and award funding in the area, and sustain activities and facilities developed during the Big Local programme. Becoming a CIO enabled the partnership to take on the lease for the local library, and manage the Big Local funding as their own Locally Trusted Organisation (LTO).
In addition to the volunteers on the partnership and CIO, the partnership recruited and trained a small team of people to support projects, the community library, and the hub. At times, the partnership found getting wider community input and attracting volunteers difficult, particularly to join the partnership. While the partnership sometimes found it difficult to maintain a resident-led group of eight members, a core group of residents was involved throughout the Big Local programme.
As well as volunteers, the partnership was supported by paid worker roles who helped with administration and delivered specific projects in the Big Local plan. The partnership reflected that their community manager was particularly key to delivery, helping them strengthen relationships with partners and residents, manage projects, and support volunteers.
The partnership’s approach involved regularly reflecting on what was or wasn’t working, demonstrating the ongoing benefits of their work to residents, and having realistic plans about how activity could continue beyond Big Local funding. From the beginning, they also promoted opportunities for the community to have their say through the website, the community hub at the library, and a questionnaire.
The partnership also responded to feedback and new learning. For example, some residents assumed that projects funded by Big Local were run by Doncaster Council. In response, the partnership worked hard to strengthen their visibility and embed their identity as the voice of the local community, largely through publicity and signage of funded projects.
Towards the end of the programme, the partnership reflected on their achievements and legacy. They highlighted that Big Local funding, alongside worker and volunteer support, had created lasting positive changes in the community. They felt this was achieved by improving and creating community spaces for future generations to enjoy; supporting residents into employment and training; and funding groups and organisations who would continue to support the community. The CIO continued after the end of Big Local.
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.
A locally trusted organisation (LTO) was the organisation chosen by people in a Big Local area or the partnership to administer and account for funding, and/or deliver activities or services on behalf of a partnership. Areas might have worked with more than one locally trusted organisation depending on the plan and the skills and resources required.
Many Big Local partnerships funded workers to support the delivery of Big Local. They were paid individuals, as opposed to those who volunteered their time. They were different from Big Local reps and advisors, who were appointed and paid by Local Trust.
A Big Local Plan set out what changes the partnership planned to make, how they planned to deliver on this and how funds were to be allocated. It was written for themselves, their community and Local Trust, as a guide and action plan.
What the Big Local area did
Community assets and spaces
Taking on the local library lease to create a community hub
The Woodlands Speaks partnership felt it was important to create a focal point for the whole village, that could also act as a hub for the activities and the support services needed by residents. Early in the Big Local programme, Doncaster Council made an open request to community groups concerning the future of Woodlands Library, which was in the middle of the village. The council provided the lease on a peppercorn rent which the newly created Woodland Speaks Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) took on, alongside the management of the site. This enabled the community to have more of a say in the library’s use, and saved the space from potential closure.
The library was redecorated and refurbished with new furniture, a kitchen, external gates, and signage. A few years later, further work was done to redesign and maintain the surrounding garden areas. A team of volunteers received training and were supported by a paid staff member to run the library. At one point, 16 volunteers were running the library, with a partnership member becoming the hub’s administration manager after training in IT and safeguarding.
The revamped library opened in 2014 and provided a range of opportunities for the community. It hosted community groups, helping residents access a range of activities and support like IT support, arts and crafts, exercise classes, and training. The council’s community engagement team and the local police held drop-ins, and statutory and local services provided support on issues like debt, financial, and housing advice. In 2020, over 1,000 people accessed the library each week.
The Woodlands Speaks partnership managed the library as a community space until late in the Big Local programme. Library use was impacted by the Covid-19 lockdowns and after the pandemic the council took back the lease at the partnership’s request, due to decreased attendance and high costs. The partnership worked with the council to ensure a smooth transition, and the library remained open to the community, providing access to services, activities, and events, and supported by volunteers.
Enhancing community spaces and improving Highfields Country Park
As well as improving the library and surrounding garden, Big Local funding was also used to enhance the local environment and buildings. This included improving churches and creating outdoor space for schools. One of the partnership’s first projects was working with other organisations to improve Highfields Country Park. The park was much loved by the community and featured in consultations with residents who wanted to make it a cleaner and safer place to visit. Rubbish was cleared, areas were returned to grass and wildflowers, and new pathways and seating were created.
As a result of their work, the partnership reflected that the local council had increased their investment in the park. In the years following the work, residents came together to form the Friends of Highfields Park Group, who picked up litter and helped maintain the park. The partnership considered the park part of their legacy in the area.
Towards the end of the Big Local programme the partnership supported Adwick Park Community and Sports Academies CIO who wanted to build a sports pavilion in Adwick Park. The charity secured £236,000 funding from external sources, with construction underway towards the end of Big Local. However, the project experienced setbacks and delays due to damage to the site, with work paused and fundraising for security cameras ongoing at the end of the programme.
Local economy
Supporting residents to overcome barriers and gain employment
When the Woodlands Speaks partnership took on the management of the library, they also hosted an employment service with qualified staff. Residents could also access funding to address specific barriers to employment. The Barriers to Employment Fund went towards qualifications, interview clothes, steel-capped boots for construction work, forklift truck licences, and transport to interviews.
The service ran for five years, and the partnership reflected that it had been successful due to its connections with the local Job Centre and other referring agencies. More than 300 residents were supported into employment by overcoming hurdles that had previously prevented them from accessing work opportunities. Counsellors were also based at the library to provide a one-to-one service, with at least 90 people accessing a counselling session across a two year period.
Community engagement
Supporting new and existing groups through community grants
Throughout the Big Local programme, the Woodlands Speaks partnership distributed grants to community groups and organisations to increase community activity. Big Local funding was available to new and existing groups, with the partnership investing time in promoting the grants scheme. They did this through door-to-door outreach and by simplifying their application process following feedback that it was too complicated. Their Community Manager also supported people with applications and to access other funding sources.
Requiring grantees to use the Woodlands Speaks Big Local logo also helped promote the partnership, raise their profile, and to acknowledge their work in the community. A positive relationship with a local housing developer – Keepmoat – helped the partnership to secure additional funding for community projects, enabling Big Local funding to go further and for more projects to be supported.
The Woodlands Speaks community grants funded over 60 projects, including equipment for sports clubs, foods banks, and knit and natters. The grants provided significant support for local groups, increased opportunities for residents, and improved engagement in the community.
Investing in young people
Creating a new skate park for young people
The partnership wanted to increase activity and support for young people in the Woodlands area, and to respond to concern from the community about anti-social behaviour in the housing estates and shopping area. Big Local funding was invested in projects for young people and a two-year long youth club.
However, consultations with residents and young people highlighted the idea of creating a skate park. Students from the local academy helped to develop the project, and the partnership hosted well-attended events exploring the idea (including events at the refurbished library). Just under £250,000 of Big Local funding was invested in the project and the partnership worked with other organisations to deliver the final design.
The chosen site for the skate park was Adwick Leisure Centre, which was managed by Doncaster Culture and Leisure Trust, and located in the middle of one of the housing estates, near the local school. Freestyle Skateparks designed and built the skate park, and the leisure centre took on responsibility for maintenance. The Woodlands-Adwick Skate Park opened in 2019 with a community opening event. Although initial issues with anti-social behaviour saw it close temporarily, it reopened soon after. The free-to-use skate park was well used by the community and partnership members felt it provided a safe space for young people that would benefit future generations. Towards the end of the Big Local programme, the skatepark was transferred to Doncaster Culture and Leisure Trust.
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 Woodlands Speaks Big Local told Local Trust they used their Big Local funding.
References
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (2024a) ‘Universal credit: Employment status by age’. Available at: gov.uk/government/statistics/dwp-benefits-statistics-november-2024 (Accessed 24 January 2025)
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (2024b) ‘Jobseekers allowance by age’. Available at: gov.uk/government/statistics/dwp-benefits-statistics-november-2024 (Accessed 24 January 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2022a) ‘UK Census: All persons’. Available at: ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/populationandhouseholdestimatesenglandandwalescensus2021 (Accessed 24 January 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2022b) ‘UK Census 2021: Economic activity status, England and Wales’. Available at: ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/economicactivitystatusenglandandwales/census2021#economic-activity-status (Accessed 24 January 2025)