How we are fixing it
How we are fixing it.
For decades, the government has invested hundreds of millions into regeneration and building shiny youth clubs (with high fences) all over inner city areas. These don’t work…
“In the mid 1980’s we pumped £18 million into housing in Wythenshawe. Physical regeneration; we installed double glazing and fitted central heating in every house. We started basically with slums. When we finished we had slums with central heating.” — Richard Leese – Manchester City Council Leader (Regeneration Summer School, GMB College. 2000).
In 1996 we decided enough was enough. Brought together by a maverick idea base on a campaign to save a landmark building at the heart of the Benchill estate, we built something we knew would reach those in the community that really needed change, United Estates of Wythenshawe- and it worked:
“I would like to see the United Estates as a model for the future of youth and community work in this country”. — David Cameron PM.
This is how we did it.
- Identified and brought together the locally recognised community (street) leaders.
- Worked in partnership with the real problematic ‘hard to reach’ youth from the estate.
- Together began to re-direct the energy found in street gang culture to help build and develop UK’s first Inner City Culture Centre.
- Re-defined the term, ‘Gang’. Transforming street gang culture into pockets of positive community enterprise. (‘Gangs’ of gardeners; of painters, of window cleaners)
- Actively campaigning to educate all people about inner city communities, culture and issues contained therein via a series of homegrown platforms allowing local people to express themselves freely- Mums Mart, Manchester Urban Collective, Music for Cities, Street Peace, Community Grocer.