When we gave our Neighbourhoods team a big makeover in 2023 we did it with the aim of creating a new, bigger and better community-focused team. It meant creating new roles, hiring new staff and an appropriate name change to 'Communities team'.
A major reason for these changes was that customers told us we weren’t present enough in their community. So it’s great to be able to show just some of the community events the revamped team has organised.
We held two ‘picnic and litter pick’ days in Langley Mill, Derbyshire in response to customer concerns about antisocial behaviour. Lots of partners joined us to make the days a success, including Derbyshire Police, who worked with the young people to deter them from ASB.
We were also joined by coaches from Derby County Community Trust, Sporting Communities and their mobile youth van, and Councillor Alex Stevenson who kindly dropped off eight bins for customers to fill with rubbish which he then removed at the end of the day.
Later in the year we invited young people and their families from Ripley to get to know each other, learn more about local emergency services and consider how to reduce antisocial behaviour together.
Following feedback from the community, we teamed up with our friends at Derbyshire Fire and Rescue, Derbyshire Constabulary and Sporting Communities to help promote a broader sense of community in the area.
People of all ages attended (even some as young as 18 months!) and had the chance to explore a fire engine, throw a water rescue rope and play video games, all while learning about what community means and thinking about what's important to them in their area. We also did a thorough litter pick of the neighbourhood to help build pride in the community.
It was also thanks to the community of Ironville’s feedback that we could create a community garden in their village. Raspberries, spring onions and parsnips were just some of the crops planted on a large open green space on King William Street.
Four raised planters were built and primed with fruit and vegetable seeds, as well as paths and bushes cleared, and new flowers and shrubs planted.
Rhys Evans, a Futures customer said: “I think it’s good for us all to have something we can do. It’s improved the look of the space, and I think it’ll improve the community spirit as well if everyone gets involved. I grow my own vegetables anyway, but hopefully we can grow vegetables together and people can eat their own grown food.”
