Real Estate Radio show meets #thehullwewant
Posted on 15 Nov 2018 Categories: #thehullwewant, Blog, Local initiatives, The place we want
by Gill Hughes and Sarah Hatfield
We are Gill Hughes of the University of Hull’s Youth Work and Community Development team and Sarah Hatfield from Timebank. Together, we convene the #thehullwewant project. The project is working with local communities to give a platform to their voices by exploring dreams, needs and solutions for #thehullwewant. It has many community partners and works together with councillors, MPs, service providers and unexpected allies from the private sector in order to #ShiftThePower and develop transformative change in communities and society. Our ambition is to build connectedness and, in doing so, to rethink approaches to poverty.
The BBC has commissioned its regional radio stations to explore local housing estates to seek out the people, places and projects that make up those amazing communities, and #thehullwewant has recently had the privilege of taking over three radio shows on Radio Humberside. In September David Burns’s morning show came live from the two ‘conversation couches’ – sofas on wheels which we take into communities to encourage people to talk about how they feel about the area – outside of the Freedom Centre, where guests were invited to celebrate the positive aspects of Preston Road, an area that often receives negative publicity. Following this came the Real Estate Radio show and the Phil White show – both of which featured the Greatfield estate.
At BBC Radio Humberside, community editor Carl Wheatley was out and about looking for possibilities for producing his first Real Estate Radio Show. He was introduced to us by Debbie Peacock, who is the Chair of Greatfield Big Local organisation Blossoms and GRIN (Greatfield Residents Improving Their Neighbourhood), among many other roles. Debbie is a lynchpin in the community, along with other key people Diane, Angela, Mike and Marlene, who all play many roles within the community as representatives on boards and generally hard workers to ensure that the community is heard.
Carl Wheatley listened to what the project is about and the use of the innovative ‘conversation couch’ as an engagement tool. He asked us to be involved in the first show, which aired on Radio Humberside on 2 November from 7pm. We said yes thinking that we would be working alongside Carl – providing contacts from the brilliant people we know there – but Carl said, ‘No, you will be the first presenters!’
The show was pre-recorded and involved some amazing local people, whose energy and passion for putting the ‘great’ in Greatfield knows no bounds. Listen in to hear from some key community leaders including Debbie Peacock calling in at the Child Dynamix charity shop to meet Sophie, who has created a real hub for people to meet and seek out support. While in the shop, local MP Karl Turner and local councillor Sean Chaytor joined us on the conversation couch to talk about the area past and present. They acknowledged the difficulties that have been faced through years of austerity but also praised the local initiatives that make the community so strong.
We then went to talk to Reverend Dave Rogers at St Hilda’s Church lunch club, which provided much-needed food for thought!
We then went to Stockwell Primary school where the children impressed us by speaking confidently about what community means and the values they hold in the school about care and kindness, respect and equality – they were stars of the future. With Carl and the couch, we then moved on to St Stephen’s neighbourhood centre, where Debbie interviewed Cara from Olio, an innovative project that uses an app to give people access to food and to prevent waste;
Angela from Crafty Cuppa revealed the cushion she upcycled using clothes bought in the Child Dynamix charity shop from Sophie; Youth in Nature told us about their work with young people on the environment; Tony told us about his work for Child Dynamix helping young people to engage through sports; and Liam explained his project through Hull KR rugby team encouraging people with disabilities to take up sports.
We closed with a discussion between Debbie Peacock and Dave Burnby, a Big Local representative, on the possibilities and difficulties of spending £1 million which was given to Greatfield. There are some exciting plans coming through, especially for the young people in Stonebridge Park.
There were many other people and projects featured, showcasing the level of engagement that really does put the ‘great’ in Greatfield.
Despite the windy conditions disrupting some of our outside broadcasts, we had the most fabulous day. We laughed a lot and chatted to some really wonderful people who all picked songs that had meaning for them. Listen in here.
Major thanks to Carl for trusting us with the first show in his pioneering series to represent the story of Greatfield. We hope we did it justice.
We spent the afternoon prior to the broadcast on Greatfield promoting the evening on the Phil White radio show, which also has trailers for the next few programmes of the Real Estate Radio show. On this show you will hear some of the people who will appear on the Real Estate show along with two of the children from Stockwell Primary school who sat on the conversation couch to tell us their ambitions for the future. Listen here.
Listen to the Real Estate Radio show
Contact Gill Hughes at: g.c.hughes@hull.ac.uk
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Posted on 15 Nov 2018 Categories: #thehullwewant, Blog, Local initiatives, The place we want