BLOG – Groundwork and Pride in Place: Growing Stronger Communities
Introduction
The Pride in Place vision to strengthen communities and revitalise public spaces very much matches Groundwork’s mission. For more than 30 years, Groundwork has worked to create a greener, fairer, and stronger Greater Manchester, with a particular focus on communities experiencing the greatest disadvantage.
This long-standing experience positions Groundwork as a strong partner for the Pride in Place programme. We can provide the strategic and practical support needed to help Pride in Place Boards and residents work together effectively, ensuring communities are empowered and that the programme delivers meaningful, lasting outcomes.
Stronger Communities
Thriving Places
Taking Back Control
Greener communities
The Pride in Place strategy seeks to empower local people’s voices to shape the future of their communities.
Groundwork’s strength rests in its expertise in helping communities to lead their own development and design their own projects and activities. We can ensure that specialists in areas of work such as landscape architecture and community development can work alongside community members, supporting their leadership.
As such we understand the immense potential of the urban natural environment as well as the challenges faced. Teamed with community leadership and ownership of local resources, our experience and work has supported community-led transformation, such as the Brinnington Memorial Garden.
Groundwork has long worked to ensure strong connections between “green” investment and direct “social” impacts for residents.
Fairer communities
Core to our values is advancing social justice, striving for greater equity and reducing poverty across Greater Manchester. We consistently work in areas, and with groups and individuals, who experience the greatest disadvantage, ensuring that those furthest from opportunity are at the heart of our efforts. Alongside this, we are committed to fostering Pride in Place by helping people connect with, shape and celebrate the communities where they live, recognising that strong, confident communities are essential to tackling inequality and creating lasting change.
We take an asset-based approach in everything we do, recognising and building on the strengths, skills, networks and resources that already exist within communities rather than focusing on deficits or needs alone. By valuing what people and places already have, we help unlock local potential, strengthen community identity and empower residents to play an active role in improving their neighbourhoods.
In addition, many of our staff bring lived experience of the challenges faced by the people and places we support, helping us build trust, foster meaningful relationships and deliver services that are relevant and relatable. This lived experience enables us to work alongside communities in a way that is authentic, respectful and grounded in a shared understanding of local aspirations and challenges.
Stronger communities
Residents hold the deepest knowledge of their neighbourhood, their history, relationships, strengths and needs and are therefore the best placed to shape future solutions.
Building and maintaining trust, between residents, organisations, and services such as the police, are essential for meaningful progress and long-term impact, however, often require someone to help build bridges.
Identifying common interests, such as enhancing a local greenspace, and developing ideas as a full community helps foster stronger relationships, trust and pride.
By drawing on what has already worked well and remaining grounded in local experience the voice of the community can continue to blossom.
What Groundwork brings to Pride in Place
1. Community Reach
Groundwork has longstanding relationships with resident groups, volunteers, local organisations, and families who already engage with our projects and trust our teams. This enables us to connect meaningfully with communities and support inclusive participation.
2. Practical Expertise
We bring proven experience in transforming underused spaces into climate-resilient community spaces, alongside a strong track record of designing nature-based solutions with residents and partners.
3. Long-Term Stewardship
Groundwork is committed to creating lasting impact. We work alongside communities to ensure that green, community spaces are not only improved but also maintained and valued long after the initial investment has ended.
Because of our long-standing work in these communities, we are already engaging with Pride in Place Boards in:
- Clayton Vale, Manchester
- Gorton South, Manchester
- Harphurhey and Monsall, Manchester
- Hurstead & Smallbridge, Rochdale
- Hattersley, Tameside
- Brinnington, Stockport
If your organisation is operating in any of these areas and we have not yet had the opportunity to connect, we would welcome a conversation about how we can work together in partnership.
Please contact Ben Gilchrist, Director of Communities & Neighbourhoods, to discuss potential collaboration opportunities (please include Ben’s name and ‘Pride in Place’ in the form below).