During September 2024, our Engagement and Communities Officers held a Community Pop Up around the Howarth, Hamer and Worden Road area of Ashton, asking tenants what they think could be done to improve the open green space on Howarth Road.
This green space had been attracting anti-social behaviour, it wasn't being kept in good condition and a big problem was that bonfires were causing damage to the grass.
Tenants told us that they wanted to see the following:
- Getting the fence repainted
- Organising a litter picking activity
- Planting bulbs/plants around the space to improve the appearance
- Replace the railing that had been previously removed
What happened with this information?
As a result, we organised a Community Improvement Day and invited local residents to get involved.
On the day, our Engagement and Communications and Environmental Services teams joined forces with local adults and children to start planting, painting and litter picking.
The aim of the Community Improvement Day was to improve the green space for those living there and get more insight into the issues being faced and what tenants and CGA can work on together.
The outcome of the project
In total, we collected five bags of litter just from the open green space!
The fence got a fresh lick of paint and flowers/bulbs were planted around the edge of the space.
We also completed a consultation with local residents to further understand the issues in the area. Another issue raised was dog fouling, so the Engagement and Communities Officers made a trip back a few weeks later to do a Responsible Pet Owner leaflet drop.
Getting local young people involved in the project and improving their community will also hopefully encourage them to respect the area and learn to look after it. Concerns were raised on the day that the plants wouldn't last very long due to the anti-social behaviour issues, but we're pleased to say that they were still there safe and sound on a revisit the following week.
Check back soon for more outcomes from this community improvement project!
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