BLOG: Green Community Hubs – Suzanne
Suzanne, 58, is a Community Programme Lead at Groundwork Greater Manchester. Her role, which involves regular delivery in various community engagement and green space projects, has made her an expert on community space transformation. It’s here – at local Green Community Hubs – that she has witnessed people come together, talk, build confidence, and share a space that is designed for all.
Suzanne, who originally started working for Groundwork in 2004, has worked her way up through Education and Project Officer roles – engaging with communities across Greater Manchester. Since 2019, she has been employed as Community Project Lead where she focuses on building capacity, confidence and skills in communities. For Suzanne, Green Community Hubs are havens.
Speaking of her role, Suzanne said:
“I lead the delivery of a wide array of projects across Greater Manchester including community capacity building, including building confidence and skills; environmental, climate, nature focused projects; and community engagement and development in green spaces.
“My original roles were very education and school-based and had a very different dynamic. I was employed into my current role just before lockdown, which brought new challenges to community working. But this period also highlighted the need for informal green spaces and having areas where people can just sit and chat and get out of the house.
Alongside the social benefits, Suzanne also sees the important environmental impact that these spaces have.
“There are so many environmental benefits of community green spaces. More plants and flowers attract more pollinator and wildlife. You can share resources and reuse or recycle materials. For example, there is an area in one of our Hubs that suffered ash dieback (a destructive fungal disease). The dead trees meant the space was dangerous and unusable, but after felling the trees, we have used the logs to build a wall and the residents have created a fairy garden in that space. There is more biodiversity and the area has a lovely, relaxed feel about it.”
Suzanne is keen that more communities across the UK can reap the benefits that Green Community Hubs bring – instilling the confidence in local people to turn un-used spaces into community havens.
“I once worked alongside with 15 passionate people on a steering group, all with the same aim goal of making an area greener and accessible to all.
“That’s why Green Community Hubs are important. They offer informal areas for like-minded people to come together and share ideas, build confidence and reduce isolation.
“Whole communities are involved. From toddlers crawling across hopscotch, teenagers playing pickleball, a local care home bringing residents out to watch families play – all ages are able to access these spaces.
The secret ingredient to a Green Community Hub is being informal and being open to all with no pressure. A place where you can be seen – have somewhere to sit!
Find out more about the impact that Green Community Hubs are having on people and places across the UK.
Notes to editors
For more information please contact: media@groundwork.org.uk
About Groundwork
Groundwork is a federation of charities with a collective mission to take practical action to create a fair and green future in which people, places, and nature thrive. We support communities and businesses to build capacity and resilience in order to tackle hardship, achieve a just transition to net-zero and help nature recover in a way that reduces inequality and leads to healthier, happier lives for all: www.groundwork.org.uk