Young people banish boredom in Bramley
Young people in Bramley are getting together to help banish boredom in their village. We’ve teamed up with Basingstoke and Deane’s Community Development worker and youth organisation Vinvolved to help them put their ideas into action.
So far over 80 youngsters have been involved with meetings and consultations. Ideas range from setting up a youth club and regular sports activities to building a skate park. We’ve started working together with a small group of young people and the youth club and sports activities are already taking shape.
If you’d like to set up a youth project in your neighbourhood, get in touch with your neighbourhood coordinator and find out how we can help.
Sculpture forges new links in Popley
Popley schoolchildren went hammer and tongs in July to start work forging a new sculpture for the £40m Popley Islands regeneration project.
Our commissioned artists - Anwick Forge - set up a mobile forge at Marnel Junior School so pupils could fashion the steel for an 'optical puzzle' art feature called 'Parallax'.
The sculpture is based on the quotation "No man is an island…", and forms part of a council-backed initiative to brighten up Popley - an area that's seen major investment in recent years.
Sentinel's Executive Director Val Bagnall said: "There's a big effort going into improving Popley, and while it's great we're a major part, we're very pleased to see local children rolling their sleeves up to help us revive community pride in the area."
The £40m regeneration of the area around the Maldive Road shops is the latest in a decade-long investment programme for Popley by Sentinel and follows on from the £15m regeneration of Longfellow Parade (off Shakespeare Road), plus around £3m spent on new windows, kitchens, bathrooms and boilers in Popley in the last year.
Community artist Anwick Forge said it was "a fantastic opportunity for local children to see how 'big art' is made", as well as having the chance to learn new skills and see a traditional craft like blacksmithing in action- something very few people get to experience these days.
Simon Taylor, Education Manager from local arts education charity The Making, is managing the project on our behalf and added: "We are ensuring that local residents are part of the whole design process, from helping to shortlist and interview the artists, to meeting them, hearing about their ideas and making their own contribution towards the finished product.
"The children had a really memorable day getting to grips with all the unusual tools and the exciting way Anwick Forge work with bits of metal!"
Meanwhile, the demolition of the outdated 1960s maisonettes is now complete, and everything is on track for the first new residents to move in next January.
The sculpture will be installed next April, with an official unveiling and community event planned for May 2011.
Poetry in motion
Active residents from the Popley Poets area of Basingstoke have formed the Shakespeare Road Community Association to tackle local issues and influence the way the community develops.
As the £15m regeneration of Longfellow Parade is due to finish this summer, we’ve been working with local people to see what else can be done to improve the neighbourhood. Although it’s early days at the Poets, it’s a really good time to get involved. If you’re interested, contact Richard Pilbeam, Community and Customer Involvement Coordinator on 0800 195 5515 (landline) or 0300 666 5515 (mobile) or email Richard.pilbeam@sentinelha.org.uk.
Making a difference in your neighbourhood
Improved car parking, landscaping and a tidy up of local allotments are among the improvements requested by village residents in Sherfield-on-Loddon and Bramley. In Bow Drive, Sherfield-on-Loddon, we've tidied up the garage area and improved the landscaping. And in Europa Close Bramley, we've increased the number of parking spaces to help ease congestion. If there's something you'd like to see improved in your neighbourhood, get in touch with your neighbourhood team.
Calling all Popley residents
The Popley Safer Neighbourhood Team need to know what you think police should be focusing on in the area. Every three months they get together to agree priorities and they need your help. "We set the team up, so that Popley residents can make a real difference to the way we deal with criminal behaviour in the area," explains PCSO Phil Rapley, "We'd really like more input from local people, even if they can't make the meeting, they can let me know what their concerns are so we can make sure we're focusing on what is most important to the people that live here." For more information or to share your views contact PCSO Phil Rapley on 0845 045 45 45.
Tackling the housing shortage
As housing waiting lists increase we're doing our bit to help people find a home, with an ambitious development programme. Since last December we've provided 30 new homes in German Road, Bramley, with the final 16 now occupied. In Popley, we've provided 96 new homes as part of the new Marnel Park development. The demolition of the 120 outdated maisonettes in Faroe Close and Maldive Road started in April.
Sneaky Peak
We'll be displaying revised drawings based on the preferred residents option at an event on Monday 30 November at Marnel Junior School in Popley from 3.30pm to 7.30pm. This is a chance to discuss any final comments and observations residents may have, before we put in a planning application for the 'hub' area in December. If you are unable to come along the drawings can be seen here prior to the consultation.
Please email any comments you may have to us at info@sentinelha.org.uk
Big Bramley Bash
Young people in Bramley helped us design the first local event put on especially for 10-18 year olds in the area. We asked local teens what they're most interested in and then teamed up the transport police, the NHS and other organisations who work with young people to offer free fun, information and advice to support them through their teenage years. The lucky winners of the free prize draw all came from Moat Close, congratulations to the Baker family, V Rolfe and Tyler Weston.
Supporting young talent
More than 100 young footballers in Basingstoke benefited from a new MFC Popley sponsorship deal with Sentinel. The three-year funding not only helped pay for new kits and equipment for the club, it also helped set up a new Power League tournament. Clubs from all over Basingstoke made the most of the great July weather and took part in the new tournament. MFC Popley was set up three years ago with a handful of youngsters from the various Popley estates. Since then, membership has soared, and the club's star players have attracted attention from professional clubs, such as Reading, Southampton, Chelsea and Portsmouth.
Fun in the sun
Our sponsorship helped The Clift Meadow Trust in Bramley bolster their funds by more than £5,000 during their St Georges day event in May. Trust Secretary Dusty Taylor said: "You can be assured that this will be put to good use for the benefit of the community".
