Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Bradford Urban Discovery
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Bradford Urban Discovery
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Bradford Urban Discovery
Female
45% Male
53%
71 Events
Ave 2.5 hr / event
13
10
9
8 8 8
7 7
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
LOCATIONS
20
17
13
6
5 5
3
1 1
Oakenshaw Black Wibsey Brackenhill Great Poplar Raw Nook Reevy Mills Dealburn
Mountain Horton Grove Road
EVENTS
Autumn / Winter play sessions 21
Spring / Summer after school 20
Summer holiday play 9
Easter Open Days 6
October Half Term Play 5
National Citizenship Service 3
Outreach 2
Cubs 2
May Bank Holiday play 1
Fungus Walk 1
Apple Day 1
Wellbeing
• Wellbeing scores are generally quite high, with most questions scoring the equivalent of 7
out of 10.
• All but one of the children / young people who responded said they play on the space in
question at least once a week, often more.
• Most children play on the spaces 2-3 hours at a time.
Again, only 4 follow-up surveys have been collected but they do show a noticeable difference in
• Feeling calmer, which showed the highest increases.
• Liking new people, which also showed good increases across the board.
• Feeling significantly more cheerful for to 2 of the 4 children.
• Positive change is already evident across 12 of the 14 Stirling Children’s Wellbeing Scale
measures.
There is no universal model that works for this project – one size
doesn’t fit all.
The physical landscape and street furniture affects what is possible, practical or
safe to do with families, children and young people. For example, some spaces
are very close to roads and unfenced, or with gaps in fencing. Water needs
testing, draining or cleaning before it can be made safe for wildlife activities.
Getting to know political agendas and how to work with different council
departments who may have different ideas in mind for a space which is changing
its purpose can slow negotiations and community consultation down.
Exploring how budgets of different partners can or can’t be spent on takes time.
Understanding how to negotiate these conversations when coming from
different starting points, or when ideas become deadlocked because of cyclical
conversations or disagreements internally within other partners has been a
complex process which impacts on timing.
The demographics vary greatly between locations. In one area, much of the
population is Eastern European. Families are transient, there is little to no English
spoken or understood. Children are keen to play out close to home but getting
permission from parents for them to join in the project proves a major obstacle.
In another area, parents and families are relatively well educated and
economically secure, but children’s spare time is booked up with clubs. There is
no culture of letting children play out, explore or congregate independently.
Parents support the project’s activities in theory, but it’s a long journey to
change habits enough to see children making their own way to spaces for playing
out and exploring wildlife.
The Friends group at Wibsey needed help reapplying for the lease on
the site of their community garden. By helping them work through the
process and successfully secure the lease, the project co-ordinator has
nurtured Friends' ownership of the area which will, over time, help
lead new audiences through to the BUD site adjoining that area. At the
same time sowing seeds for long term guardianship of the site.
Families stay very close to the areas they know. Plans to take families
on walks to or around the project sites have been too ambitious for
Year 1, with participants being reluctant, or turning back part way. In
response a result, activities closer to home are happening, starting at
community venues people already know, and play/exploration will
slowly extend outwards as confidence builds.