Bringing young people together and improving village life in West Cumbria

When one of our older residents told me, ​‘Oh, that play park!’, I thought: ​‘What is she going to say?’ But, she said: ​‘Christine, it’s absolutely lovely listening to the children playing.’ 

That’s been the general feedback from the majority of people about the play park that our Big Local created. They absolutely love it. It has a playground, gym equipment and picnic benches. I go past at least twice a day and can see it’s made a difference in our community. Right up until it gets dark, there are children and families there.

Residents told us that they wanted to upgrade the old play park because it was getting tatty and worn. But the county and borough councils weren’t replacing playgrounds. 

It has taken nearly 10 years to set up the play park and I have been involved since the beginning. It’s been quite stressful jumping through all the hoops we’ve needed to go through. Like getting the lease for the park, going to the solicitors to get everything signed and securing match funding. But when I look at it now, I think it’s a lasting legacy for the village. 

Distington is made up of two social housing estates and the play park is on one of them. When children from the other estate came to the old playground, they used to get told: ​‘You shouldn’t be up here. This isn’t your part of the village.’ 

But children are coming from both parts of the village to the play park now and this isn’t happening so much. 

I am born and bred in Distington. It’s a nice, happy community. People know and talk to each other, though it’s not without its problems. There’s only one shop to meet the needs of the village, a fish and chip place, a community centre and a rugby club. There’s not much parking available. We are classed as an area with a high level of deprivation. We also have a problem with drugs. 

But the youth crime rate is quite low in Distington. I certainly think that the youth centre, which has received funding from Distington Big Local, keeps young people away from crime and anti-social behaviour. Not every young person wants to come to the centre, but when they do, it keeps them off the streets. Funding has paid to keep the centre warm and inviting, and for trips to the zoo and other places. 

I have run the youth centre for 22 years, first as a volunteer and now as a paid member of staff. I have done voluntary work since I was 19, when I set up a weekly disco to keep young people off the streets. I also help raise funds for West Cumbria Hospice at Home. I worked in administration in a garage for 25 years, so the volunteering was always something different. 

I heard about Big Local through being on the parish council, which I joined 12 years ago and now chair. I became a member of the Big Local partnership because I thought: ​‘We’re never going to get this chance again to make a difference in the community.’ 

I’d been involved in another National Lottery project to help five local groups, including the youth centre, become sustainable. I really wanted to make the community a better place through Distington Big Local. 

We learned lessons from buying some derelict land which was owned by the Royal British Legion. Residents asked us to buy it because they didn’t want it to be sold to developers, and we had plans to turn it into community-owned older people’s housing. 

We had consultations about the housing development but at the eleventh hour, in 2020, people thought: ​‘This isn’t what we want.’ 

I had stepped back from the partnership two years earlier because of my husband’s health. But I woke up one morning and thought: ​‘I can’t let this set back get in the way. We can still do the land up, set up the play park and help community groups.’ 

So, I got in touch with a few people and four months later we formed a new partnership, replacing members who’d resigned, and releasing a statement on our website. 

Now, we have a planning application in to turn the land into 18 allotments. Our paid worker, Danielle, is talking to and visiting residents, and the reception has been quite good so far. 

We have learned the importance of consulting with residents, keeping them informed and asking the question ​‘what do you want?’. We did that with the play park, talking to residents who had concerns. 

I’m probably most proud of the play park, which cost £109,000, including £27,500 in match funding from the Copeland Community Fund. But when you look at what else Distington Big Local has achieved since 2012, it’s quite phenomenal.

Since 2022, we’ve given out £14,710 in community and transport grants, which have paid for things that might not get funding. For example, we funded the Evergreens, an over 50s group, to publish a book about members’ childhoods and memories. Another grant paid for our rugby club to take a group of younger supporters to a match in Leeds. 

When we first consulted with the community, they said they were concerned about the general appearance of the village. Older residents asked for help with odd jobs and cutting their grass. So we employed a handyman, called Ronnie, who completed various jobs, which helped to create a sense of pride in the village. 

We’ve had challenges but I’m proud of how residents have stuck with it, come up with ideas and been able to do so much. 

I think a lot of people, like me, probably did not realise they could do the things they’ve done through Big Local. Being involved has given them more confidence. Many have gone on to get jobs because of that confidence – for two years, we ran a job club, helping people with CVs and their job search. 

We’re due to close Distington Big Local around April 2025. A trust has been set up to take forward work on the land. I’ll continue to be involved with the play park because the parish council manages the lease and maintains it. 

We are planning a final celebration event to bring the community together and share what has been achieved. It will be a chance to look back and be grateful for the opportunities we’ve had through Distington Big Local because it has helped us to do things we would have never been able to achieve.