Other Case Studies - RotherhamCase Study - Rotherham  Damaged park became haven for communityRawmarsh Park in Rotherham was a crime hotspot strewn with litter, graffiti and abandoned vehicles. But turning vandals into park guardians has taken just two years – a success story that stems from creating the new post of Urban Park Development Ranger. When Paul Spriggs got the job as an Urban Park Development Ranger in Rotherham, it was a new position. Two years on he has developed a partnership network involving some 35 agencies and, above all, the young people that had previously caused damage to Rawmarsh Park. Up to 80 youths could be found drinking alcohol, driving cars in and out at speed and some driving motorcycles through the park at weekends and in the evenings. The park suffered from graffiti, litter and abandoned vehicles.
Ultimately, the goal was to make the park a highly used and valued space giving the local community a sense of ownership. One of the first projects Paul spent time setting up during his first 12 months was a Junior Ranger programme on a small scale. Getting challenging kids involved is often difficult, despite Paul’s background in working with young offenders and a degree in Recreation Management.
The work of Rangers such as Paul is an important part of the Council's approach to delivering on its core priorities within urban parks, and there is a commitment within relevant Service Plans to consolidate and expand their influence. Rangers act as catalysts for the development of healthier lifestyles, safer communities, learning opportunities and community involvement, thereby increasing the value of the borough's green spaces. Kids policing the parkBut once they signed up to the programme, Paul noticed that many of the young people were keen to do something worthwhile. Initially the schools identified and referred a number of young people to the project, but Paul can now rely on word of mouth to get kids involved. The Junior Ranger programme has expanded and now involves children that don’t come from an anti-social background. Paul is keen on empowering the kids to take ownership of the park by guiding them on how to improve it. The Junior Rangers, who are under the age of 16, get involved in everything from planting bulbs to painting and litter-picking, which is a giant step forward from the days dominated by anti-social activities only two years before.
As the schoolchildren take ownership of the park, there is an increased sense of pride and they naturally want to police it. ‘GRA-FIX’ strategyTwo years ago the picture was far from rosy. Paul developed a multi-agency strategy he called the ‘GRA-FIX’ aimed at tackling the problem of graffiti and anti-social damage. He recorded the damage on a daily basis, and visited local schools to check the pictures against a visual database of graffiti ‘tags’ he had set up as part of the strategy. A confidential hotline was installed in a local school for young people to submit information. Once culprits were identified, they were invited to a meeting along with parents, the police and council representatives. The strategy proved to be a success. Talking to Paul, his determination to succeed is obvious – he is driven by a purpose to improve the park. £350K in fundingThe high levels of community consultation, coupled with the progress the park was making, helped secure £350,000 in 2005 from the Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder programme. The effort Paul has put into making people understand the value of parks has paid off. The less damage caused by anti-social behaviour in the park, the more seriously his work has been taken. Paul thinks that parks have been undervalued in the community for too long.
Money has been spent on paths, fences and CCTV. Paul does not think that there should be sole reliance on CCTV, and prefers to put emphasis on a proactive rather than reactive approach.
CCTV often serves to help people feel comfortable in the first place, rather than to sort out problems afterwards. Inviting community groups backHaving spent his first year planning and dealing with anti-social behaviour through hands-on initiatives, the next step was to invite community groups back into the park. Many groups now use the park to run their own events. Paul had expected it to take three years to reach this stage, so was particularly pleased to have reached the target and be able to move on in only two years. Initially, Paul’s post was funded by Big Lottery funding, but as the council saw the value in his project work it was mainstreamed into a permanent post. Paul stresses the importance of reviewing his projects quarterly and annually, especially as they are new. For more information, please contact Paul Spriggs at paul.spriggs@rotherham.gov.uk |
