Establishing a Green Community Hub in Salford
Background
We’re working to support residents who want to create a new community space at Salford City Roosters Rugby League Club where local people can connect, learn and unwind!
Suzanne, one of our Community Project Leads, met the club’s chairman at an event and explained what Groundwork have done elsewhere. The chairman already had an interest in transforming a fenced off corner of a field into a community garden, with the surrounding areas already being used regularly by dog walkers. The space also benefits from a cabin and a portable toilet, but doesn’t currently have running water or electricity.
So far, 3 people who have signed the Northern Network charter and joined the committee. This includes a Councillor, a local resident from a nearby street and a member of the rugby club.
What do the community want to see?
Community Engagement
The club is set up as a Rugby Community Foundation, and their membership consists of players, parents of young players, and elderly people taking part in walking rugby. Our Community Project Lead attended games and training sessions to get feedback about the space from attendees. We also hosted a competition for young people, who submitted entries detailing how they would improve the space.
When engaging with the community, we found that many local residents want to be more involved in regular activities through the creation of nature spaces across the grounds, so that local young people have a better understanding of local wildlife.
The community also mentioned adding more planters to help with creating better green corridors for wildlife, along with more seating and fruit trees.
Our Landscape Architects created a concept design, showcasing what the area could look like. The design incorporates ideas that the club members and spectators have shared, including sensory paths, raised planters and seating areas.
Our work so far
In April, staff from our Communities and Energyworks team visited the site, talking to local organisations about what they’d like to see and giving a tour of the new woodland that had already been planted next to the grounds.
In May, we hosted a Learn to Plant session, where local people came together to plant up the Salford Roosters patio, as well as planting up their own strawberry plants to take home and nurture.
In August, the community started to add more enhancements to the grounds. Volunteers from the club and Community Pay Back scheme built flat pack picnic benches and raised beds, which were then filled with a variety of vibrant seasonal plants.
In August, the community came together to do a nature count on the grounds, which was then submitted to the iNaturalist app to show all the area’s local species. Young people also made their own miniature bug hotels to take home.
Upcoming plans
The community want to develop the space as per the design plans. This work will be funded by the Northern Network. Our Community Project Lead will also be speaking with local organisation ForHousing, to see if the group can access their community funding pot to further their developments.
Suzanne and the committee are continuing to make connections across Salford, offering the developing space to them to use.
What is a Green Community Hub?
Made possible thanks to funding and support from:
