Social Impact ‘Greener Broomgrove’ Project Wins Award

In September 2023, we launched our Greener Broomgrove initiative, with the aim of supporting residents’ requests to create opportunities, improve health and wellbeing and the environment around them.

Listening to residents, we could see there was an opportunity for both supporting their wellbeing and enhancing the green areas surrounding our estates.

Initial work on the project saw the team begin to make changes at Broomgrove, with lots of small actions contributing to start to make local improvement. The team has;

• Collected rubbish and filled two skips during a litter pick
• Delivered a six-week mindfulness course to residents at Broomgrove Community Centre
• Hosted a half term family fun day, bringing together 70 residents (mostly Southern Housing)
• Given residents 40 potted plants
• Supported Active Hastings’ event and gifted 65 nature books to children, encouraging outdoor play
• Planted 18,000 seeds and bulbs
• And five fruit trees
• Finalised plans to create 20,000 m2 of biodiverse grass banks and plant 50 new trees

With the weather warming up, we’ve lots planned, including;

• Arranging community litter picking and more skip days
• Planting more bulbs and trees
• Delivering an outdoor emergency first aid course
• Running a mosaic pots and stepping stones craft course
• Providing family and one to one wellbeing sessions
• Continuing our weekly mindfulness sessions
• Walk and talk one to ones.

Vanessa Porter, Community Wellbeing Co-ordinator added: “There are two strands to the Greener Broomgrove project, improving the outside spaces on the estate and boosting resident wellbeing. Through various activities, we want to drive involvement amongst residents to have pride in where they live, whilst supporting them to improve their mental and physical health.”

The project receives funding support from contractor, Pilon, and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, as part of the government’s Levelling up Fund. The government’s fund is aimed specifically at increasing community ‘pride of place’ for local people and increasing life chances of those living in deprived areas and is managed locally by Hastings Borough Council.