Keeping you up to date
What a jam-packed summer of activity we’ve had. Thank you to everyone who came along to the summer social on 27th July at Russell Howard Pavilion, where we shared the emerging ambitions, and what we think this means for you and the area. Based on the insight you’ve given us so far; we’ve developed four key themes to build upon.
These are:
Emerging ambition: renewed homes and streets where residents feel safe
What does this mean? Buckskin and South Ham’s strong community networks continue to grow and extend to new and to younger people, with welcoming community spaces and strengthening community leadership. 1 2 3 4
What does this mean? Buckskin and South Ham should be safe and welcoming neighbourhoods where all ages feel comfortable in their homes and streets.
Emerging ambition: a prosperous community with strong links to a growing economy
What does this mean? A prosperous community where people have access to good quality jobs and training opportunities, and there’s a thriving set of local businesses providing the services people need.
Emerging ambition: a sustainable, healthy and resilient neighbourhood
What does this mean? Buckskin and South Ham should be sustainable neighbourhoods that are resilient in a changing climate, supporting the health and well-being of all residents.
Emerging ambition: a proud and empowered community
It’s not too late to get involved and share your ideas and ambitions for the area.
The 5-minute survey is available until 8 September on our dedicated website: shapingthefuture.commonplace.is/ or scan the QR code with your smartphone.
What’s next
Sustainability and energy specialist
We’ve started working with the team from Expedition Engineering. They’re specialists in sustainability, energy and carbon emissions, and will help us to make sure that any future change creates a positive impact on those who live here, the green spaces, and the planet. The team are excited to get started, and there will be opportunities to get involved over the coming months to see how we can work in harmony with nature, whilst creating great places.
House survey findings
After a busy few months Ridge and Partners have completed a whopping 317 house surveys in Buckskin and South Ham across a broad mix of SNG homes. We’ll now be working with a team from Sero, who will develop a more detailed understanding of the energy efficiency of the properties. Together, we’ll look at the possibilities for making improvements that create healthier and more affordable homes.
Creating a better, more inclusive place
During recent engagement events, you gave us some feedback around access to spaces to meet, opportunities to learn and grow, and the loss you felt around the recent closure of some community facilities. To help with this, we’re pleased to say that we’ve brought a specialist team from Augarde & Partners to look at opportunities for leisure, community, and commercial facilities in the neighbourhoods. This will help to feed into the plans to shape the future of Buckskin and South Ham as well as look at what we can do sooner.
Augarde & Partners are researching what makes Basingstoke a unique and exciting place to live and how we can bring more energy into Buckskin and South Ham. This includes engaging with different organisations – such as businesses, community and cultural organisations, retail, leisure, and health providers.
Firstly, Augarde & Partners, and colleagues from Turner Works, are planning to run a project to develop a temporary art structure. They’re currently co-designing this with local people from the SHP Young Design Academy - so keep your eyes peeled for something exciting appearing soon! If you are interested in getting involved in building the structure and learning some skills get in touch with the team. Email: yourcommunity@sovereign.org.uk
You said, we’re doing…
Community Co-design Associates
The team of Community Codesign Associates (CDAs) completed their training, and they are now looking to the future and how they can use their knowledge and detailed understanding of the neighbourhoods to help shape future options for change.
The CDAs have explored local green spaces and suggested how they can be improved for a more resilient, sustainable, and healthy neighbourhood. They considered local connectivity, accessibility challenges and what makes a great local centre for all in the
community. Finally, they explored housing, and provided feedback on what they liked and disliked about the area, as well as suggestions on ways to renew homes and streets where people feel safe.
Look out for further updates from the CDAs in the next edition of the newsletter.
Young Design Academy
The Young Design Academy had a fun-packed four days working with the specialist teams to learn about urban design and how future ambitions for an area are developed, as well as
understanding career opportunities available in urban design. The group developed ideas and designs responding to challenges identified in the area such as safety, accessibility, spaces to socialise and meet, and opportunities for work. It’s hoped the designs will be used to create a temporary artwork installation locally.
Street art project
As part of the Safer Streets Fund, we’re bringing art to Buckskin and South Ham to launch creative improvements to the local shops and street scenes. Working alongside Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, local artists, and businesses, we aim to make the area feel brighter and safer, sparking conversations and foster a sense of pride in the neighbourhoods.
Working in partnership to make your streets feel safer
We recognise the important role that understanding our communities and working in partnership play in making communities safer and thriving. During recent engagement events crime, anti-social behaviour (ASB) and the fear of these was highlighted as priorities by the community. We’ve taken a multiagency approach to look at new
ways we can improve thisalongside the Safer Communities Team from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary.
Senior officers from each team meet regularly and have agreed to share information each organisation holds on reported crime and ASB. This will allow us to better understand all the issues and highlight the hotspots. We’ll use this information to target our shared response to these locations to try and reduce the number of incidents. This collective evidence will also enable the teams to support residents and businesses and act against offenders more quickly.
Local shops are often the hub of the community, and we want them to be safe and enjoyable places. We’ve listened to feedback and heard that crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB) is a key issue, especially around the retail areas at Burnaby and Kings Road, but also parks and garages. To help us tackle this, the local SNG teams, alongside the Safer Communities Team from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, have looked at new ways we can improve this. However, we can’t do this alone and your help is needed to report incidents – the more calls the greater the firepower we have.
James Street, SNG Locality Officer said: “I’d really encourage you to report crime and ASB, we’re taking a robust multi-agency approach and by sharing information we can check if SNG customers are
“We’ve already started to look at ways to help prevent crime and ASB occurring by making changes to the environment by considering how we can improve street lighting and signage. We’re also working with the police to increase patrols.”
Your involvement is key, by working together and building on the evidence we have, you will help us to make improvements for the whole community. We want to hear your ideas through our new SNG Positive Pathways grant programme. The funding opportunity opens next month, giving local community groups the chance to play their part - keep an eye out for further updates.
SNG is also recruiting a youth panel. This is an opportunity for young people aged 16-25 to make their voices heard and get involved with shaping the Positive Pathways grants and what these
Together we can help take the initiative to reduce crime. To report antisocial behaviour, call 101 or report online at www.hampshire. police.uk/ro/report, in an emergency or to report a crime, call 999.
Your community notice board
As the autumn fast approaches and the new school term begins, we’ve added a few ways to help you save money and find out what’s happening locally. Add the dates to your diary and pop along.
Basingstoke
Community
Pantry
Paddock Road, South Ham, RG22 6QD.
The pantry is currently running from the blue container in the Westside Community Centre car park:
Tuesday 10am to 1pm
Wednesday 10am to 1pm
The Pantry is a membership scheme aimed at helping people make their money go further. Members will be able to get 12 food items for £5.
Ridgeway
Community Centre
Blackdown Close, Buckskin, RG22 5BW.
Eco-food market pantry: Wednesday and Friday 10am to 1pm 12 food items for £5, bring your own containers and boxes.
Parent Toddler Group: Tuesday 10am to 12pm £1.50 per child, includes refreshment).
St Andrew’s
Methodist
Church Western Way, South Ham, RG22 6ER
Mug and Biscuit:
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 10am to 1.30pmhot food served until 1pm
Mums and Toddlers: Thursday 10am to 11am
Boys’ Brigade: Friday 6.30pm onwards from age 5 to 18
Ridgeway Ravers: Wednesday 10am to 12 noon Over 55’s club, new members welcome.
Lunch Club: Thursday 12 noon to 12.30pm All ages, £6 for dinner and pudding, tea/coffee.
To book call 01256 470665
Buckskin Evangelical Church
Chiltern Way, RG22 5BB.
Refresh Café: Every Tuesday (school term-time only) 10am to 12pm. Enjoy friendly conversation, refreshments and free Wi-Fi.
Buckskin Foodbank: Friday 10.30am to 12.30pm
As well as food parcel collections, you can also receive support from Citizens Advice every week, and an Andover Mind wellbeing drop-in every fortnight. Young Creatives interactive performing art sessions for 7–12-year-olds. Free weekly classes and refreshments!
Brighton Hill Community School, Brighton Way, Basingstoke, RG22 4HS
26th September 2024 to 6th February 2025, 5pm to 6.30pm.
Do you enjoy inventing stories, singing, dancing, and acting?
Join us for 15 weeks of interactive performing arts sessions. We will explore the power of your imagination, and our amazing leaders will help you unlock your creative potential. This is your opportunity to be a member of a theatre cast and create your own show!
What do you need?
Curiosity, creativity, ambition, imagination, and a sense of adventure. We will do the rest! At the end of our 15 weekly sessions, the Young Creatives theatre cast will deliver a great performance to family and invited guests.
To book, scan the QR code or go to events.bookitbee.com/new-projects-association/ young-creatives/
Limited places are available, so please book to avoid disappointment. For more information please contact: newprojectsassociation@gmail.com
This project is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and supported by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.
Kempshott Village Hall, Pack Lane, Basingstoke, RG22 5HN.
Inspero Food Bank, Community Shop and Fridge: Tuesdays 9.30am to 12.30pm
(Note: open 3 days per week Monday, Tuesday, and Fridays for emergency food parcels upon referral).
Provides a range of food, hygiene items, cleaning products and pet food. A small donation is requested.
Wellness’N’Wellies
Community programme to support good mental, physical and emotional well-being by working together in a community garden, growing organic food for our charity food bank.
Mondays and Fridays 10am to 3pm Charity Community Garden, beside Kempshott Village Hall.
Contact Inspero for further information:
Phone: 07950 686614
Email: catherine@inspero.org.uk
CGHB Surgeries – News from the Patients Participation Group (PPG)
For details of what’s on and to get a copy of the latest newsletter visit: www.cghppg.weebly.com/ news
Email: cghb.surgeryppg@ btinternet.com
Sidlaw Close play area improvements
Residents in Buckskin are being encouraged to share their views to shape the final design for a revamp of the play area in Sidlaw Close. Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council will be replacing the play area as part of its play area refurbishment programme.
Visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/ current-projects to share your views and find out more. The online survey will close at midday on Monday 16 September.
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Community Safety Patrol Officers (CSPOs)
As part of the council’s Safer Communities Team, Community Safety Patrol Officers (CSPOs) aim to improve the wellbeing of local residents by helping to create a feeling of safety across the borough and the team can often be seen on patrol in Buckskin and South Ham. Focusing on antisocial behaviour and environmental crime, the team works closely with local communities, the police and other agencies to carry out high visibility patrols, providing reassurance and deterring and addressing antisocial behaviour by using Hampshire Constabulary accredited powers and antisocial behaviour legislation.
For more information visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/ CSPO-team email cspo@basingstoke.gov.uk or call 01256 844844 and ask for the CSPOs.
To report antisocial behaviour, call 101 or report online at www. hampshire.police.uk/ro/report in an emergency or to report a crime, call 999.
Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) is a network of schemes made up of local residents who volunteer, to keep an eye out for any unusual, suspicious or criminal activity being committed and pass that information on to the Police and other service providers.
Would you like to work together with other local residents to enhance the security of your area?
The Berg Estate has a wellestablished scheme - if you’re interested in joining them or setting up a scheme of your own you’ll find lots of useful information on the following website.
www.ourwatch.org.uk
We want to hear from other local groups about their forthcoming events, what services they provide, when and where they meetanything which may be of interest to others.
Use this bi-monthly newsletter to publicise your events and provide details of local support that’s available. We’d also love your thoughts on this edition and what you’d like to see included in the future.
Email: yourcommunity@ sovereign.org.uk
What’s on
What we’ve done so far
Developed Your Community Newsletter
Neighbourhood clean-up
Support for Westside Community Association
Burnaby Bees community garden
First discovery walks and talks
Summer social day
Community Co-design recruitment and workshops
Young Design Academy
What’s coming up and how to get involved
Westside’s new community café opening
Street art project
The Council’s Make a Difference team and SNG’s Places Impact Team will follow-up with some street cleaning work in Buckskin during September
Autumn activities
Right now, we’re reflecting on everything we have heard from you over the summer and planning our autumn events.
Sign-up!
To make sure you are the first to hear when our autumn events launch, please sign up for news updates on our dedicated website: shapingthefuture.commonplace.is/
Find out more
Do you know someone else who would like to receive this community newsletter? We’re using a doorstep distribution company to deliver these newsletters to your home, but you can also find a copy on our website. You’ll also find lots of other information to keep you up to date with what’s happening.
Anyone can sign-up to receive regular news updates electronically, via our website.
Website: shapingthefuture.commonplace.is
Email: yourcommunity@sovereign.org.uk
Phone: 0300 7771010
Sovereign Network Group supported by Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council
Tel: (01635) 279599 (add call charges)
Email: yourcommunity@sovereign.org.uk
Please contact us if you’d like a copy of this information in another language or format. Or visit our highly accessible website: shapingthefuture.commonplace.is
Please contact us if you’d like a copy of this information in another language or format. Or visit our fully accessible website.
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