The Cambridge Road Estate (CRE) in Kingston is in its early stages of regeneration and has been identified as the most deprived neighbourhood in Kingston and one of the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England.
In the run up to the event we led weekly workshops in which young people acted as Cambridge Road Youth Consultants, becoming involved in the budgeting, programming, and management of the Youth Zone as well as the design of a t-shirt and a community questionnaire.
The Project
The Royal Borough of Kingston Council (RBK) and Countryside Partnerships wanted to engage with CRE residents and create a social value programme to identify and prioritise social value initiatives. Mobilise was contracted by Countryside and RBK to undertake a youth engagement social value project with the aim of creating more opportunities for young people who live on the estate.
Our Approach
Mobilise worked with young people on the estate to design and deliver a Youth Zone as part of the community fun day. In the run up to the event we led weekly workshops in which young people acted as Cambridge Road Youth Consultants, becoming involved in the budgeting, programming, and management of the Youth Zone as well as the design of a t-shirt and a community questionnaire.
Impact
As a result, the young people improved team working skills, confidence, self-esteem, interpersonal skills, motivation, and networking skills, all while enjoying the experience. Valuable learning was also extrapolated from their research; residents gave feedback on what they would like to see on the estate such as community and health facilities, youth services, and community activities. Findings were compiled in a comprehensive final report alongside a series of recommendations that support the council and Countryside to guide future social value projects.