Case Study - Tameside Libraries and New Charter Housing Trust

Literacy and activity scheme diverts kids from trouble

Businesses, residents and a local school had been complaining about nuisance caused by children from a homeless families unit in Ashton St Peters. However, Tameside Library and New Charter Housing Trust offered social and environmental activities which solved the problem.

Things had got so bad that one business, close to the unit that is owned by New Charter Housing Trust and is run by the Supported Housing Section in one of the most economically deprived areas of Greater Manchester, had decided to move elsewhere.

A lot of the problems arose simply because the children had little to occupy their time.

Tameside Library and New Charter Housing Trust came up with a project based on getting children interested in libraries and books, but that also extended into visits to art galleries and museums, and activities such as canoeing, horse-riding, swimming and cycling.

The project also includes activities around road safety, ‘stranger danger’ and even recycling. In fact, the project now has its own recycling centre in the playroom. Children made posters to inform residents about recycling and have started recycling schemes in their own flats within the unit.

Improved behaviour

"Since the project started there have been no complaints from the firm and it has remained on its original site. There is no crime reduction statistics, but the main data is the reduction of complaints from our neighbours, especially local businesses, which is practically at zero over a 3-year period." - Ian Schofield, New Charter Housing Trust Supported Housing Manager

Behaviour and school attendance have got much better, and improvements in literacy and numeracy have been recognised by parents, carers and teachers.

The Children’s Fund, which is funding the scheme until 2008, now uses the project as an example of best practice. It was also shortlisted for a UK Housing Award in 2005 as well as an Inspiring North West Culture Award in 2006.

The project draws on library link, children’s support and play workers to develop play and learning sessions for 5–13 year olds in group and individual sessions.

The project workers also have links to the health visitor and other agencies to encourage use of existing services and to improve the social skills and health of the children.

Library reward scheme

"We organised a programme of activities and events to improve the reading and information handling skills of the children at the library and the homeless unit. Books are provided for each child in the unit. The children all complete the summer reading challenge each year and have their own reward scheme." - Ruth Lomas, Library Young Peoples Services Coordinator

The project reports quarterly to the Children’s Fund. So far, 103 children have used the service and 82 have joined the library. There have been more than 2,800 individual sessions and nearly 300 group sessions.

In the first year (2003/04), the project cost £63K. But in years two and three, this dropped to around £35K. The project is now being funded until 2008, though funding will be reduced by a percentage each year. After 2008, it’s hoped that the success of the project will earn it funding from the mainstream New Charter budget.

"The main challenge faced by the project was that we had no examples to learn from. We fine-tuned the project as it went along, changing any procedures that didn’t work." - Ruth Lomas,

Funding issues

Funding was also an issue. It proved difficult to find alternative and ongoing funding to develop the project without it becoming a charity.

"We found that there were very few funders interested in paying for an existing project, no matter how successful. Also, it is time-consuming to write partnership bids for funding on top of normal, busy workloads." - Ian

Bids are also being prepared for extra funding to support both the existing project and its expansion for children under five and young people over 13. Extending the project would also allow for outreach work with children who have moved on from the unit or who are living in other temporary accommodation in the area.

For more information, please contact Ruth Lomas at ruth.lomas@tameside.gov.uk or Ian Schofield at ian.schofield@newcharter.co.uk