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One of the most desolate council estates in Wales, Caia Park in Wrexham made the headlines in summer 2003 when a breakdown in communication between residents and some Kurdish refugees led to rioting. A local politician compared it to the Wild West, saying: 'I think the council would have liked to fence it off and throw food in once a week.' Its 11,000 residents are not the sort of people traditionally expected to take ownership of the environment, but BTCV has been proving that marginalised people really do care about their surroundings. For two years, BTCV Cymru has been working with the Caia Park Environmental Group and in partnership with Communities First to set up a gardening club, and it now has over 60 members. Their goal has been to foster and focus a positive sense of pride in a community riven by mistrust and disaffection. 'I have met so many people through the club', said one woman, 'and the main thing we all have in common is that we want to make a difference to the estate, not just give up.' The workshops and other activities enable people to meet in a friendly atmosphere and have fun together as they share new experiences and learn new skills - from composting to constructing window boxes. The project has underlined the fact that there is often a direct connection between quality of environment and quality of life. BTCV has involved residents at every stage of the planning to ensure that the club meets local needs and priorities. 'Mere consultation', said Andy, the Community Project Officer, 'is not enough. Our role is to advice and support, not dictate.' Another crucial lesson has been the importance of clear and effective communication to resolve - or better still, prevent - conflict. 'You have to be honest and realistic about your aims and expectations', said Andy, 'and to anticipate potential difficulties at the start and plan accordingly.' One member observed: 'There are some really decent people living here, but no one's cared about us before.' Now contact is slowly being re-established with the refugees on the estate. Plans are in hand to involve children - for example with the purchase of wormeries for local primary schools - and delegations from nearly Brynteg and Tan y Coed have visited with a view to setting gardening clubs of their own. Perhaps the biggest achievement of the project has been to demonstrate that with proper training and support, a community can manage something like this on its own. All content copyright © 1986-2009 BTCV Ltd. Registered charity No. 261009 |
