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Shaping the future Buckskin and South Ham newsletter

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Shaping the future of Buckskin and South Ham

Your community newsletter, March 2024

Download a copy here. Or you can read the newsletter below:

Last November we contacted everyone in Buckskin and South Ham to ask you to work with us over the next two years to create a plan for the future, to improve the area and increase opportunities for everyone. We explained that we wanted to bring additional investment to make that plan happen.

To start, we wanted to hear about everyone's views and experiences of living and working in the area, so we can then together identify options for change, these may include refurbishing homes and the regeneration or renewal of parts of the neighbourhoods.

Thank you to everyone who got involved with Shaping the Future of Buckskin and South Ham. Many of you were able to ‘have your say’, at the listening events and on the website, or spoke to one of the community researchers.

One thing lots of you told us is that you’d like to know more about what’s happening locally, so we’ve started this newsletter to keep you updated.

We plan to send a newsletter every two months to let you know what we’re doing, and how you can get involved. It also gives local community groups an opportunity to tell the people of Buckskin and South Ham what they do. Check out the ‘Community Notice Board’ section for events, local activities and support groups.

Keeping you in the loop and well informed is really important to us. So is working with you as we look to the future of Buckskin and South Ham together.

First impressions – what you told us

Over the last few months, the team were delighted to meet so many of you during the seven events we held in the community and to hear from others through our website.

4,000+ people visited our website to find out more and shared their feedback.
200+ people came to one of our events.
500+ people filled in a survey
50+ people were interviewed by the community researchers
100+ people said they’d like to join a working group

Your enthusiasm and ideas really shone through. Everyone had lots of things to say about housing and the cost of living, getting around the area, your community and how you feel about the neighbourhood, local facilities and services, green spaces, parks and sports facilities. And there were some great ideas for the future!

We are pulling all the feedback we received together and there will be a report that we will share with you all soon.

You said, we’re doing…

While it’s still early days in this project, we’ll be looking at future opportunities with you and using your feedback to help shape investment options for the neighbourhoods.

We heard that you felt that the neighbourhood could be tidier, with an area near Kings Road shops being one place that can be particularly untidy. On 6 January we held a clean-up day. Biffa kindly donated some skips, and the team helped to clear the communal areas of the surrounding flats and enhance the back of the shops. This will help to reduce fly-tipping and keep the spaces looking better. Local feedback on this was really positive, so we’ll be doing more of these days in other places in Buckskin and South Ham.

Many of you shared with us the importance of Westside Community Centre. We’ve been working alongside Westside Community Association and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to keep activities and services running. We will soon start revamping an empty shop on Kings Road for the community association to run and will support them to explore other ways to raise income, whilst longer term options are worked through.

The shop owners in Burnaby Close have shared their experiences of what it’s like to run a business there. We’ve heard how much they enjoy being part of the community and they’ve suggested some ideas to improve how the area looks.

We’ll be holding some workshops to shape how we can make the shops feel safer and more welcoming. If you live near the Burnaby shops or use them regularly and would like to be involved, we’d like to hear from you.

Look out for the posters in shop windows for further details or email: yourcommunity@sovereign.org.uk

In the spotlight

What a team – your local Community Researchers

We worked with an amazing team of local people to help us to understand your experience of living in Buckskin and South Ham, and where you would like to see changes. During December you may have met the team when they were out and about in the neighbourhoods, collecting real insight from so many of you. We’d like to thank all of you who took the time to chat with them.

On 1 February the team met again to discuss the findings and give their personal insight on what people had told them, things the community are passionate about and what improvements could be made. The training and experience they gained gave them a NCFE accredited Level 2 Award in Peer Research, which will also help them with their future employment aspirations.

Krissy, Community Researcher, said: “I really enjoyed taking part to gather our communities’ thoughts on South Ham and Buckskin. I have lived in my close nearly 6 years, and by taking part in the community research I have now met more of my neighbours whom I had never spoken to before. It's lovely coming out and having a conversation with them.”

Stephen, Community Researcher, added: “The online training taught us how to make connections in the community, the different types of residents we would meet, what they want, and how they can contribute to helping fix the problems they have mentioned. I feel that we have only just scratched the surface and would love it if others wanted to get involved.”

We’re always looking for new local people to get involved and work with us. This can lead to paid work, new skills and training or maybe an opportunity to gain the experience you need to take your career in a different direction. If this is something you would like to know more about, please get in touch.

Email: yourcommunity@sovereign.org.uk

Your community notice board

Your feedback highlighted a real sense of unity and community spirit, but not everyone is aware of what’s happening locally. There’s so much going on that you can get involved with, so add the dates to your diary and pop along.

Basingstoke Community Pantry, Paddock Road, South Ham RG22 6QD. The pantry is currently running from the blue container in the Westside Community Centre car park:

Tuesday 10am to 1pm
Wednesday 10am - 1pm

The Pantry is a membership scheme aimed at helping people make their money go further. Members will be able to get 12 food items for £5.

St Andrew’s Methodist Church, Western Way, Basingstoke RG22 6ER.

Spring Sale - Saturday 9 March from 12 pm to 3pm (light refreshments and drinks available)

Weekly activities:

Sunday service: All welcome 10.30am

Coffee morning: Tuesday 10am to 11.30am

Mug and Biscuit:

Tuesday 10am to 1.30pm - hot food served until 1pm
Wednesday 10am to 1.30pm - hot food served until 1pm
Thursday 10am to 1.30pm - hot food served until 1pm

Mums and Toddlers: Thursday 10am to 11am

Boys’ Brigade: Friday 6.30pm onwards (from age 5 to 18)

Buckskin Evangelical Church, Buckskin Evangelical Church, Chiltern Way, RG22 5BB.

Refresh Café

Every Tuesday (term-time only) 10am to 12pm. Enjoy friendly conversation, refreshments and free wifi.

Buckskin Pantry - Thursday from 11am to 12.30pm

This pantry has been set up in association with the charity, Community Food Link, Basingstoke. They collect food that is near its sell-by date from supermarkets around the town to be shared out among those in need within the community.

Buckskin Foodbank – Friday 10.30am to 12.30pm

As well as food parcel collections, you can also receive support from Citizens Advice every week, and an Andover Mind wellbeing drop-in every fortnight.

Inspero - Kempshott Village Hall, Pack Lane, Basingstoke RG22 5HN.

Inspero Food Bank, Community Shop and Fridge: Tuesdays 9.30am to 12.30 pm

(Note: open 3 days per week Monday, Tuesday and Fridays for emergency food parcels upon referral).

Provides a range of food, hygiene items, cleaning products and pet food. A small donation is requested.

Contact Inspero for further information:

Phone: 07950 686614

Email: catherine@inspero.org.uk

Wellness’N’Wellies

Community programme to support good mental, physical and emotional well-being by working together in a community garden, growing organic food for our charity food bank.

Mondays and Fridays – 10am to 3pm, charity community garden, beside Kempshott Village Hall.

Inspero are looking for more volunteers to help at their food bank, food collectors from supermarkets and gardening help.

Cost of living

If you’re struggling with the cost of living, SNG have lots of useful advice for the whole community to help you to save money. Find out more here: www.sovereign.org.uk/cost-of-living-support A qr code with a white background

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Or scan the QR code with your phone camera.

Join your local residents’ groups

South Ham Community Action Group (SHCAG)

The group meet regularly and take part in many activities including estate walkabouts. Join them on Facebook: South Ham Community Group

Email: southhamcommunitygroup@outlook.com

Buckskin Residents Action Group (BRAG)

A group for all past and present residents of Buckskin to speak about news and ongoing events and to come together as a community.

Ridgeway Centre, 6 to 7pm - third Tuesday of every month

Join them on Facebook: Buckskin Residents Group

Email: Buckskincag@hotmail.com

Who is your local bobby and how do you get in touch?

Did you know that local bobbies are back in Basingstoke in a scheme to strengthen community-police relations?

Here’s how to get in touch with your local team.

Buckskin – Jan Neumeister 07392289994 jan.neumeister@hampshire.police.uk

South Ham - Samantha Slade - samantha.slade@hampshire.police.uk

Jan and Samantha will be out and about their communities, addressing the root causes of crime in their areas. Please remember to still call 111 or 999 in an emergency.

We want to hear from other local groups about their forthcoming events, what services they provide, when and where they meet - anything which may be of interest to others.

Use this bi-monthly newsletter to publicise your events and provide details of local support that’s available. We’d also love your thoughts about this first edition and what you’d like to see included in the future.

What’s next

We’re putting together a team of specialists, with a strong track record of working with communities to support us and you to identify options for change.

We’ve selected a masterplanner made up of teams from two practices being Allies Morrison and Mae. But we didn’t do this alone, a group of people who live and work in the area were part of the rigorous process to find the right specialist. We will introduce you to them and the other specialist in the next edition.

You’ll have lots of opportunities to get involved, and we’ll keep you updated in future newsletters about what’s coming up.

Local Plan consultation

You may have seen that Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council has been consulting on its draft Local Plan Update (Regulation 18). The consultation documents are available on the council’s website at: https://www.basingstoke.gov.uk/LPU-have-your-say

The Local Plan is a framework that will guide future development and planning decisions in the borough until 2040. It includes a strategy setting out what type of development will take place and where. It also gives details of proposed sites for new homes and employment space. Buckskin and South Ham have again been identified as priority areas for regeneration within the draft Local Plan (as they are in the current adopted Local Plan 2011 to 2029). The Sovereign Hill Partnership is responding to this consultation to continue to support the inclusion of Buckskin and South Ham in the Local Plan update.

Find out more

Do you know someone else who would like to receive this community newsletter?

We’re using a doorstep distribution company to deliver these newsletters to your home, but you can also find a copy on our website. You’ll also find lots of other information to keep you up to date with what’s happening.

Anyone can sign-up to receive regular news updates electronically, via our website.

Website: https://shapingthefuture.commonplace.is/

Email: yourcommunity@sovereign.org.uk

Phone: 0300 7771010

Calls from UK landlines are charged at local rates. Charges from mobile telephones vary. The charge for your call will depend on your mobile phone provider and the contract that you have with them.)

Sovereign Network Group is the trading name of Sovereign Housing Association Limited, which is charitable.

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Shaping the future of Buckskin and South Ham

Your community newsletter, May 2024

Download a copy here. Or you can read the newsletter below:

Keeping you up to date

The team hope you enjoyed the first edition of the newsletter in March. Keeping you well informed is really important to us - so is working with you as we look to the future of Buckskin and South Ham together.

Over the autumn, the community engagement was supported by two specialist companies, Something Collective and The Young Foundation. During the last few months, we’ve jointly looked at the insights you shared with us, along with the local team of Community Researchers.

We’ve brought all the feedback together in a single publication, and you’ll receive a copy soon. We hope you enjoy reading more about the findings.

One thing that shone through is the strong sense of pride in the local community, feeling of belonging and your love of some of the green spaces. However, you were also very clear on what is needed to improve the neighbourhoods, especially when it comes to safety and opportunities for young people.

This is just the start of our journey together, as we look at options and opportunities to improve Buckskin and South Ham for everyone who lives and works here. Your feedback will help us to shape how we can bring additional investment to the neighbourhoods, and you’ll find details of what we’ve already started to do with the community to make that plan happen later in this newsletter.

What’s next

We’re delighted to let you know that we will be working with Something Collective over the coming year. They’re a key part of the team of specialists, supporting us to identify options and opportunities for change and investment together.

They’ll also work closely with you and the masterplanning team Allies & Morrison and Mae Architects - you can read a bit more about them in the ‘spotlight’ section of this newsletter.

Would you like to get more involved?

We’re looking for community members from Buckskin and South Ham who are collaborative, connected with your community and passionate about bringing meaningful change to the areas. Whether you’re newer to the area or have lived here a long time, we’re looking for a variety of different people from assorted parts of the community.

Become a Paid Community Co-Design Associate

Join a team of up to 15 local people
Get trained, explore, and test ideas
Get paid for your time. No experience needed
Help to create the plan for the future

Apply by 25 May

Please send an email to register your interest, with your name, age, postcode, and phone number.

Email: yourcommunity@sovereign.org.uk

Join our Discovery Walk and Talks

We have some Discovery Walks coming up, where you can meet both the specialist teams and share your views. We hope you’ll join us on:

31 May, 2pm, Kings Road shops, South Ham

6 June, 6pm, Ridgeway Community Centre, Buckskin

We’ll also have activities for children along the way.

If you’d like more information and want to get involved Email: yourcommunity@sovereign.org.uk

You said, we’re doing…

Burnaby Close

You told us that the green spaces around the Burnaby shops could be better. Working in partnership with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (BDBC), we held our first Burnaby Garden workshop on 18 March, with the award-winning Beardy Gardener - to shape how we can make the spaces around the shops feel safer and more welcoming. We had some fabulous feedback on what you’d like to see planted there.

Thank you to everyone who got involved, and congratulations to Lina who won the £40 Hollywood Bowl voucher for naming the project ‘Burnaby Bees’.

It’s now time to vote for your favourite design. Tell us which one you like best on our website https://shapingthefuture.commonplace.is.

You can also pop into Aladdin’s Cave charity shop to vote.

The next events will be to clear the spaces and plant up the new garden - come and join us and the Beardy Gardener on Saturday 18 May and 1 June, between 10am and 4pm. Get involved as much or as little as you’d like.

This initiative is supported by Hubbub together with Starbucks, who awarded £6,000 Access to Nature funding to enhance the green spaces and encourage wildlife.

Kings Road shops

You said that you really felt the loss of Westside Community Centre as a central hub, so we’ve been busy finding different ways to offer support alongside the council. Have you wondered what’s happening with the former butcher’s shop on Kings Road? The exciting news is that the empty unit on Kings Road, owned by SNG (Sovereign Network Group), is getting a facelift so it’s ready to give the Westside Community Association an additional base.

The converted shop will be offered rent free by SNG to provide the community association with a shop front – offering a different way to deliver much valued services to local people. Some ideas being looked at is the relocation of the food pantry with a café.

In the spotlight

Meet the Masterplanners

We want to introduce you to the team of masterplanners - led by Allies and Morrison, working with Mae Architects. They were chosen after a careful selection process which included an interview panel of local people who live or work in Buckskin and South Ham. The team will soon start working with the local community to develop and explore options and opportunities for the future.

Why it’s important to work with you

The masterplanner team bring lots of experience of working with existing communities and are looking forward to developing the future vision and early ideas with you.

The team has started its work by building a detailed understanding of the area as it is now. This has included studying the previous engagement feedback from our listening events and the Community Researchers to understand your views of what’s happening and some of your priorities.

They’ve also been out and about in the neighbourhoods to better understand the communities first hand; and bring this together with all the many layers of data about the area. These include the community buildings, open spaces, trees, and the existing buildings - but also covering less visible aspects such as the underground services such as utilities, and the history and heritage of the neighbourhoods.

Nobody knows the area better than you, so the next stage is to build upon this and listen to your local knowledge to form a deeper understanding of how you see it, what you value and what you want to improve, and test ideas together. We’re starting this with some Discovery Walk and Talks on:

31 May, 2pm, Kings Road shops, South Ham

6 June, 6pm, Ridgeway Community Centre, Buckskin

We’ll also be working closely with the Community Co-design Associates. If you’re interested in design and want to get involved, please get in touch.

Email: yourcommunity@sovereign.org.uk

Your community notice board

There’s so much going on that you can get involved with, so add the dates to your diary and pop along.

Basingstoke Community Pantry, Paddock Road, South Ham RG22 6QD. The pantry is currently running from the blue container in Westside Community Centre car park:

Tuesday 10am to 1pm

Wednesday 10am to 1pm

The Pantry is a membership scheme aimed at helping people make their money go further. Members will be able to get 12 food items for £5.

St Andrew’s Methodist Church, Western Way, South Ham, RG22 6ER.

Mug and Biscuit: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 10am to 1.30pm - hot food served until 1pm

Mums and Toddlers: Thursday 10am to 11am

Boys’ Brigade: Friday 6.30pm onwards (from age 5 to 18)

Ridgeway Community Centre, Blackdown Close, Buckskin, RG22 5BW.

Eco-food market pantry: Wednesday and Friday 10am to 1pm (12 food items for £5, bring your own containers and boxes).

Parent Toddler Group: Tuesday 10am to 12 noon (£1.50 per child, includes refreshments)

Ridgeway Ravers: Wednesday 10am to 12 noon (Over 55’s club, new members welcome)

Lunch Club: Thursday 12 noon to 12.30pm (all ages, £6 for dinner and pudding, tea/coffee) To book call 01256 470665

Buckskin Evangelical Church, Chiltern Way, RG22 5BB.

Refresh Café: Every Tuesday (term-time only) 10am to 12 noon. Enjoy friendly conversation, refreshments, and free Wi-Fi.

Buckskin Foodbank: Friday 10.30am to 12.30pm

As well as food parcel collections, you can also receive support from Citizens Advice every week, and an Andover Mind wellbeing drop-in every fortnight.

Neighbourhood Watch

Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) is a network of schemes made up of local residents who volunteer, to keep an eye out for any unusual, suspicious, or criminal activity being committed and pass that information on to the Police and other service providers.

Would you like to work together with other local residents to enhance the security of your area? The Berg Estate has a well-established scheme - if you’re interested in joining them or setting up a scheme of your own you’ll find lots of useful information on their website.

Website: https://www.ourwatch.org.uk/

Stratton Park Men’s Shed – Stratton Park Scout Hut, Kempshott, RG22 5AW.

The men’s shed is for the wellbeing of its members. There’s no pressure to make things, you can come along for a chat and cuppa. Everything they make for the community is free of charge. Although the shed doesn’t sell anything they can make items for a donation.

Tuesday 10am to 1pm (new members welcome).

CGHB surgeries – news from the Patients Participation Group (PPG)

The Patient Participation Group provides a monthly update with useful information on health issues, local services, and support groups. Did you know that you can check your blood pressure for free at the surgeries and submit your readings through DR. iQ app or to the receptionist.

May is Coeliac Awareness Month. The North Hampshire Coeliac UK group will be meeting for a coffee morning at Waitrose Café, Basingstoke, 10.30 – 12 noon, on 22 May. New members are welcome - look out for at least one member of our committee wearing a bright orange Coeliac UK top.

For more information visit: https://cghppg.weebly.com

Email: cghb.surgeryppg@btinternet.com

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Community Safety Patrol Officers (CSPOs)

The council’s Community Safety Patrol Officers (CSPOs) aim to improve the wellbeing of local residents by helping to create a feeling of safety across the borough and the team can often be seen on patrol in Buckskin and South Ham. Focusing on antisocial behaviour and environmental crime, the team works closely with local communities, the police and other agencies to carry out high visibility patrols, providing reassurance and deterring and addressing antisocial behaviour by using Hampshire Constabulary accredited powers and antisocial behaviour legislation.

For more information visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/CSPO-team

Email: cspo@basingstoke.gov.uk or call 01256 844844 and ask for the CSPOs.

To report antisocial behaviour, call 101 or report online at www.hampshire.police.uk/ro/report In an emergency or to report a crime, call 999.

We want to hear from other local groups about their forthcoming events, what services they provide, when and where they meet - anything which may be of interest to others.

Use this bi-monthly newsletter to publicise your events and provide details of local support that’s available. We’d also love your thoughts on this edition and what you’d like to see included in the future. Email: yourcommunity@sovereign.org.uk

What we’ve done so far.

Developed Your Community Newsletter
Kings Road clean-up
Support for Westside Community Association
Burnaby Close green spaces workshop

What’s coming up and how to get involved

Burnaby Bee’s

Saturday 18 May, 10 to 4pm – Community Clearance Day - clearing and prepping the land ready for the planting. Turn up and join in.

Saturday 1 June, 10 to 4pm – Community Planting Day – Dive into the soil, learn new skills and connect with nature.

Community Co-design Associates recruitment

The Community Co-design Associates are a group of dedicated people from the community who will meet to help explore, generate, and test ideas.

Discovery Walk and Talks

31 May and 6 June – Join the masterplanners and Something Collective community engagement team and tell us about your neighbourhood.

Find out more

Do you know someone else who would like to receive this community newsletter?

Anyone can sign-up to receive regular news updates electronically, via our website.

Website: https://shapingthefuture.commonplace.is/

Email: yourcommunity@sovereign.org.uk

Phone: 0300 7771010

Calls from UK landlines are charged at local rates. Charges from mobile telephones vary. The charge for your call will depend on your mobile phone provider and the contract that you have with them.)

Sovereign Network Group is the trading name of Sovereign Housing Association Limited, which is charitable.

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Shaping the future of Buckskin and South Ham

Your community newsletter, July 2024

Keeping you up to date

We are warming up to a busy summer, getting out to talk to you about shaping the future of Buckskin and South Ham.

Over the last month, we shared our community insight report with you, welcomed new skilled professionals to our team, held our first discovery walk and talks and began the important process of recruiting a team of local residents to become Community Co-design Associates.

Looking ahead, we’ve got some exciting opportunities to get involved including our community social day, summer holiday Young Design Academy and summer pop-up events.

We hope you’ll join us to shape our shared aims for the future.

Community Insight Report

We hope you’ve had the chance to read the Community Insights publication, which highlighted the feedback you gave us during the autumn listening events and online surveys. If you’d like to know more about the research insights, you can chat to the team during the summer activities or read the full report by visiting the website: https://shapingthefuture.commonplace.is/

Community Co-design Associates (CDAs):

We had an amazing response to our call-out for the Community Co-design Associates (CDAs) programme. And we’ve selected a team of local people passionate about bringing meaningful change to the neighbourhoods. Our aim is to work with a variety of people of all ages who live in different parts of the community to make sure thoughts and ideas are well balanced. You can read more about the team in the ‘Spotlight’ section of this newsletter.

If you’d like to register your interest for future workshops, get in touch with the team.

Discovery Walks and talks

Thanks to those who joined us for a stroll around the neighbourhoods. We held two walks, one exploring South Ham, the other exploring Buckskin.

These walks helped us to understand your insight of the areas as they are today - guided by your expert local knowledge, this is what we heard:

There are lots of green spaces, some useful, some not. There are challenges and concerns around safety in particular areas.
There’s a feeling of loss of local community facilities and social spaces. People tend to go off the estates to socialise, for example to the leisure park.
Walking and getting around can be difficult with footways missing, bins blocking routes and some areas are only accessible by steps.
You like the ‘village-like’ feel of certain areas, with quiet walkways, front doors and green spaces. However, it can be hard to find your way around if don’t know the area.
You’d like to see more services locally within a short walk from your home.
Some people would like more opportunity to cycle and be less dependent on their cars.

What’s next

Summer activities launch
Specialist team look at new opportunities
Westside new community space opening

Summer activities programme

Will you be joining the fun? Our summer events programme starts with a community social day on Saturday 27 July at Russell Howard Pavilion. There’s lots happening so check out page 14 for details and pop the dates in your calendar.

Opening of Westside community shop and café

We’re thrilled to announce the new premises is nearing completion and will open in the summer. The children at Park View Primary have named the former Turners Butchers shop the ‘Kings Café’. Westside Community Association are excited to welcome local residents to join them in celebrating their new venture in the premises on Kings Road, which will host the food pantry and café, and other new opportunities.

This is a huge step forward in the support provided by SNG and the council to offer alternative solutions following the closure of the community centre. The SNG Commercial Services team have been working hard to refurbish the premises, and we hope this will become a much-valued new facility for everyone to enjoy.

We’ll keep you updated on the opening event so you can join the celebrations.

A new specialist Landscaping team

We’re happy to introduce you to LDA Design, to look at how the green spaces and parks within Buckskin and South Ham work and how they might be enhanced. They’ll be looking at how to make the green spaces more sociable through play, sport, planting, and seating, to improve health and wellbeing - along with how to bring in nature by creating different types of habitats. To understand this better they’ll be considering how people move through the neighbourhoods and what changes to streets and green spaces could make them safer, clear, active and more inclusive.

LDA Design have started carrying out surveys to understand what the area is like now. They’d love to hear your views of what you value most, where your favourite spot to walk is, as well as what you’d like to see happen - through to what potentially prevents you from using your green spaces.

You will have the opportunity to share your thoughts at upcoming summer activities which will help the team to design spaces that your community will love, cherish, and care for.

You said, we’re doing…

Burnaby Bees Gardening Project

Over 100 people voted for the garden they’d like to see created next to the shops. Option 3 was chosen by the community and the beautiful garden designed by the Beardy Gardener is now complete.

Thank you to everyone who came and gave a helping hand to create a lovely space with colourful blooms for pollinators like bees and butterflies to rest and revive.

House surveys for SNG homes

During the autumn 2023 engagement, some of you told us that you’re finding your home expensive to run, especially with the increased cost of living. We want all of our homes to be comfortable and cost effective to live in, but we know that isn’t always the case. So, we’re completing surveys on a large sample of the homes SNG owns to give us a better picture.

This work has already started and will take a few months, we’re using experts from a company called Ridge and Partners. The information will help us to shape future options, especially for the homes that don’t meet the high standards we aim for, such as the potential for improvement and refurbishment, or future opportunities where renewal of the homes may be a possibility.

Working together to make a difference

During April and May Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Making A Difference (MAD) team and SNGs Places Impact Team were out and about in Buckskin and South Ham tidying up green spaces and cutting back overgrown shrubbery to brighten up the neighbourhoods.

Local residents joined the team on walkabouts to spot areas which needed a little makeover. You’ll see improvements around The Bunny Hole in Buckskin as well as green spaces off Dibley Close and Brewer Close in South Ham. Areas along Wellspring, Darcy, Reynolds and Winterbourne Houses along Pinkerton Road had fencing repaired and bin stores spruced up.

Big help out

The community and teams from across SNG came out to lend a hand in Buckskin on the 13 June, to join one of the biggest mass volunteering days of the year. The community litter pick filled 15 bags of rubbish to clean up the neighbourhood.

In the spotlight

Something Collective and the Community Co-design Associates team

SNG and Sovereign Hill Partnership (SHP) are starting a new journey supported by engagement specialists Something Collective by working together with a team of local residents known as Community Co-design Associates (CDAs), to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of your neighbourhoods.

The 10 CDAs were selected following an application process. Each has lived experience of the area, are passionate about making a difference, and will act as a community voice, contributing ideas and working with our team to develop better and shared solutions on how to improve Buckskin and South Ham.

Why are we running this programme?

You are the experts in your neighbourhoods, and we want to make sure we really involve you, the community, as partners in decision-making. Great co-design processes allow different people - professional designers and local residents to combine their knowledge and experience. It’s a collaborative approach where every day insight is valued alongside professional expertise. It means working together, using skills such as mapping, discussion, analysis and site visits.

By doing this we can create designs and improvements that really work for the area, not just for homes but also for well-being, the environment, public spaces and movement, opportunities for young people, and better options for everyone who lives here for years to come.

What’s next for the Community Co-design team

The CDAs will act as local advisers. We’ll be providing support and training, equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed on how to translate this into changing places. They’ll help establish a set of principles for Buckskin and South Ham and inform decision-making processes and will be a core part of developing options and opportunities for investment.

We’ll have much more to tell you about their work and what’s happening next in future editions of the newsletter.

Your community notice board

With the school summer holidays just around the corner, we’ve added a few ways to help you save money and keep the kids entertained, as well as other great activities happening locally. Add the dates to your diary and pop along.

Fri-YAY

A programme of FREE events this summer holidays, every Friday in August

Starting Friday 2 August, Top of the Town from 11am to 3pm

Love Basingstoke will also be bringing free activities to the Ridgeway Community Centre on Thursday 22 August and Russell Howard Park on Wednesday 28 August.

To find out more: https://www.lovebasingstoke.co.uk/news/fri-yay-fun

Festival Place

Take a trip to Festival Place for a whole lot of family fun with many free events throughout the summer.

Check out the website to stay up to date: www.festivalplace.co.uk/events

Hampshire Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) information

Providing support to families across the county throughout the school holiday period.

https://bit.ly/3VHs2lD

A range of cooking, sports, arts, crafts and dance activities held at Russell Howard Pavillion:

Monday 5 August to Thursday 8 August, 10am to 2pm
Monday 12 August to Thursday 15 August, 10am to 2pm
Monday 19 August to Thursday 22 August, 10am to 2pm
Tuesday 27 August to Thursday 29 August, 10am to 2pm

Lunch is provided. Free for Free School Meal Benefit eligible children. School ages children ust be accompanied by a parent/carer.

For more details or booking please call 01256 470665 or email: vickifrancis.westside@outlook.com

Basingstoke Community Pantry

Paddock Road, South Ham RG22 6QD. The pantry is currently running from the blue container in Westside Community Centre car park:

Tuesday 10am to 1pm
Wednesday 10am to 1pm

The Pantry is a membership scheme aimed at helping people make their money go further. Members will be able to get 12 food items for £5.

St Andrew’s Methodist Church

Western Way, South Ham, RG22 6ER.

Mug and Biscuit: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 10am to 1.30pm - hot food served until 1pm

Mums and Toddlers: Thursday 10am to 11am

Boys’ Brigade: Friday 6.30pm onwards (from age 5 to 18)

Ridgeway Community Centre

Blackdown Close, Buckskin, RG22 5BW.

Eco-food market pantry: Wednesday and Friday 10am to 1pm (12 food items for £5, bring your own containers and boxes).

Parent Toddler Group: Tuesday 10am to 12pm (£1.50 per child, includes refreshments)

Ridgeway Ravers: Wednesday 10am to 12 noon (Over 55’s club, new members welcome)

Lunch Club: Thursday 12 noon to 12.30pm (all ages, £6 for dinner and pudding, tea/coffee) To book call 01256 470665

Children’s Cooking Summer Camp:

Wednesday 7 August, 12 noon to 2pm

Wednesday 14 August, 12 noon to 2pm

Wednesday 21 August, 12 noon to 2pm

Wednesday 28 August, 12 noon to 2pm

To book please email: vickifrancis.westside@outlook.com

£5 Per session.

Summer Youth Sessions:

Tuesday 6 August, 12 noon to 2pm

Tuesday 13 August, 12 noon to 2pm

Tuesday 20 August, 12 noon to 2pm

Tuesday 27 August, 12 noon to 2pm

To book please email: vickifrancis.westside@outlook.com

Suitable for 8 years and over, £5 per session

Buckskin Evangelical Church

Buckskin Evangelical Church, Chiltern Way, RG22 5BB.

The Great Exchange Event – Saturday, 13 July – 11am to 2pm

Exchange no longer needed items for new ones. Items include clothes, toys/games & shoes. Open to receiving donations prior to the event.

Buckskin Foodbank - Friday 10.30am to 12.30pm

As well as food parcel collections, you can also receive support from Citizens Advice every week, and an Andover Mind wellbeing drop-in every fortnight.

Inspero

Kempshott Village Hall, Pack Lane, Basingstoke RG22 5HN.

Inspero Food Bank, Community Shop and Fridge: Tuesdays 9.30am to 12.30 pm

(Note: open 3 days per week Monday, Tuesday and Fridays for emergency food parcels upon referral).

Provides a range of food, hygiene items, cleaning products and pet food. A small donation is requested.

Wellness’N’Wellies - Community programme to support good mental, physical and emotional well-being by working together in a community garden, growing organic food for our charity food bank.

Mondays and Fridays – 10am to 3pm, charity community garden, beside Kempshott Village Hall.

Contact Inspero for further information:

Phone: 07950 686614

Email: catherine@inspero.org.uk

Discounted Places kids can eat this summer

Morrisons: Kids Eat Free all day, every day. One free kids' meal with one adult's meal £5 and over.

ASDA: Kids eat for £1, no adult spend required.

CGHB Surgeries – News from the Patients Participation Group (PPG)

For details of what’s on and to get a copy of the latest newsletter visit: www.cghppg.weebly.com/news

Email: cghb.surgeryppg@btinternet.com

Let's Talk Community Survey

Let’s Talk is a new community survey initiative that aims to understand the needs of our local communities and enables you to share any concerns with officers.

What Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary want to know

They want to know what it’s like to live in your area - what the issues you face are and how can we work with others to make our communities safer and stronger.

If you see one of their officers or PCSOs knocking at your door, please spare a few minutes to talk to them or fill in the survey online.

Find out more: www.hampshire.police.uk/police-forces/hampshire-constabulary/areas/campaigns/lets-talk/

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Community Safety Patrol Officers (CSPOs)

For more information visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/CSPO-team

email cspo@basingstoke.gov.uk or call 01256 844844 and ask for the CSPOs. 

To report antisocial behaviour, call 101 or report online at www.hampshire.police.uk/ro/report

in an emergency or to report a crime, call 999.

We want to hear from other local groups about their forthcoming events, what services they provide, when and where they meet - anything which may be of interest to others.

What’s on

What we’ve done so far

Developed Your Community Newsletter
Neighbourhood clean-up
Support for Westside Community Association
Burnaby Bees community garden
Recruited Community co-design associate’s
First discovery walk and talks

What’s coming up and how to get involved

Westside new community shop opening
Burnaby shops shutters and arts project (watch this space)
- The councils MAD team and SNGs Places Impact Team will follow-up with some street cleansing work in Buckskin during September
Summer events
Community Co-design workshops
Young Design Academy

Summer activities launch

Community social

Come along to celebrate the start of the summer holidays!

Alongside the fun, have a chat with our team, see what we’ve learnt so far through our community insight report and get the latest on the next steps to shape the future of Buckskin and South Ham together.

There will be plenty of activities to keep everyone entertained and (fingers crossed) enjoy the sunshine.

Saturday 27 July, 11am to 3pm.

Location: Russell Howard Pavilion

Young Design Academy

Do you know a young person with a love for creativity?

Monday 29 July to Thursday 1 August - 10am to 2pm

Location: Ridgeway Centre

We’re running a 4-day programme with young people aged 16-23 living in South Ham and Buckskin to help shape future improvements to the area.

Young people will be given training and get hands on designing and building their ideas. This will be a fun way to spend the holiday, meeting others and gathering skills and experience to improve their future career opportunities.

Lunch and refreshments will be on us and a goody bag to take away.

Sign-up!

To sign-up, and find out more please visit our dedicated website: https://shapingthefuture.commonplace.is/

Find out more

Do you know someone else who would like to receive this community newsletter?

Anyone can sign-up to receive regular news updates electronically, via our website.

Website: https://shapingthefuture.commonplace.is/

Email: yourcommunity@sovereign.org.uk

Phone: 0300 7771010

Calls from UK landlines are charged at local rates. Charges from mobile telephones vary. The charge for your call will depend on your mobile phone provider and the contract that you have with them.)

Sovereign Network Group is the trading name of Sovereign Housing Association Limited, which is charitable.

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Shaping the future of Buckskin and South Ham

Your community newsletter, September 2024

Download a copy here. Or you can read the newsletter below:

Keeping you up to date

What a jam-packed summer of activity we’ve had. Thank you to everyone who came along to the summer social on 27th July at Russell Howard Pavilion, where we shared the emerging ambitions, and what we think this means for you and the area. Based on the insight you’ve given us so far; we’ve developed four key themes to build upon. These are:

1. Emerging ambition: renewed homes and streets where residents feel safe

What does this mean? Buckskin and South Ham should be safe and welcoming neighbourhoods where all ages feel comfortable in their homes and streets.

2. Emerging ambition: a prosperous community with strong links to a growing economy

What does this mean? A prosperous community where people have access to good quality jobs and training opportunities, and there’s a thriving set of local businesses providing the services people need.

3. Emerging ambition: a sustainable, healthy and resilient neighbourhood

What does this mean? Buckskin and South Ham should be sustainable neighbourhoods that are resilient in a changing climate, supporting the health and well-being of all residents.

4. Emerging ambition: a proud and empowered community

What does this mean? Buckskin and South Ham’s strong community networks continue to grow and extend to new and to younger people, with welcoming community spaces and strengthening community leadership.

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It's not too late to get involved and share your ideas and ambitions for the area.

The 5-minute survey is available until the 8 September on our dedicated website https://shapingthefuture.commonplace.is/ or scan the QR code with your smartphone.

What’s next

Sustainability and energy
House survey findings
Creating a better, more inclusive place

Sustainability and energy specialist

We’ve started working with the team from Expedition Engineering. They’re specialists in sustainability, energy and carbon emissions, and will help us to make sure that any future change creates a positive impact on those who live here, the green spaces, and the planet. The team are excited to get started, and there will be opportunities to get involved over the coming months to see how we can work in harmony with nature, whilst creating great places.

House survey findings

After a busy few months Ridge and Partners have completed a whopping 317 house surveys in Buckskin and South Ham across a broad mix of SNG homes. We’ll now be working with a team from Sero, who will develop a more detailed understanding of the energy efficiency of the properties. Together, we’ll look at the possibilities for making improvements that create healthier and more affordable homes.

Creating a better, more inclusive place

During recent engagement events, you gave us some feedback around access to spaces to meet, opportunities to learn and grow, and the loss you felt around the recent closure of some community facilities. To help with this, we’re pleased to say that we’ve brought a specialist team from Augarde & Partners to look at opportunities for leisure, community, and commercial facilities in the neighbourhoods. This will help to feed into the plans to shape the future of Buckskin and South Ham as well as look at what we can do sooner.

Augarde & Partners are researching what makes Basingstoke a unique and exciting place to live and how we can bring more energy into Buckskin and South Ham. This includes engaging with different organisations – such as businesses, community and cultural organisations, retail, leisure, and health providers.

Firstly, Augarde & Partners, and colleagues from Turner Works, are planning to run a project to develop a temporary art structure. They’re currently co-designing this with local people from the SHP Young Design Academy - so keep your eyes peeled for something exciting appearing soon! If you are interested in getting involved in building the structure and learning some skills get in touch with the team. Email: yourcommunity@sovereign.org.uk

You said, we’re doing…

Community Co-design Associates

The team of Community Co-design Associates (CDAs) completed their training, and they are now looking to the future and how they can use their knowledge and detailed understanding of the neighbourhoods to help shape future options for change.

The CDAs have explored local green spaces and suggested how they can be improved for a more resilient, sustainable, and healthy neighbourhood. They considered local connectivity, accessibility challenges and what makes a great local centre for all in the community. Finally, they explored housing, and provided feedback on what they liked and disliked about the area, as well as suggestions on ways to renew homes and streets where people feel safe.

Look out for further updates from the CDAs in the next edition of the newsletter.

Young Design Academy

The Young Design Academy had a fun-packed four days working with the specialist teams to learn about urban design and how future ambitions for an area are developed, as well as understanding career opportunities available in urban design. The group developed ideas and designs responding to challenges identified in the area such as safety, accessibility, spaces to socialise and meet, and opportunities for work. It’s hoped the designs will be used to create a temporary artwork installation locally.

Street art project

As part of the Safer Streets Fund, we’re bringing art to Buckskin and South Ham to launch creative improvements to the local shops and street scenes. Working alongside Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, local artists, and businesses, we aim to make the area feel brighter and safer, sparking conversations and foster a sense of pride in the neighbourhoods.

Working in partnership to make your streets feel safer

We recognise the important role that understanding our communities and working in partnership play in making communities safer and thriving. During recent engagement events crime, anti-social behaviour (ASB) and the fear of these was highlighted as priorities by the community. We’ve taken a multi-agency approach to look at new ways we can improve this - alongside the Safer Communities Team from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary.

Senior officers from each team meet regularly and have agreed to share information each organisation holds on reported crime and ASB. This will allow us to better understand all the issues and highlight the hotspots. We’ll use this information to target our collaborative response to these locations to try and reduce the number of incidents. This shared evidence will also enable the teams to support residents and businesses and act against offenders more quickly.

In the spotlight

Community safety focus

Local shops are often the hub of the community, and we want them to be safe and enjoyable places. We’ve listened to feedback and heard that crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB) is a key issue, especially around the retail areas at Burnaby and Kings Road, but also parks and garages. To help us tackle this, the local SNG teams, alongside the Safer Communities Team from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, have looked at new ways we can improve this. However, we can’t do this alone and your help is needed to report incidents – the more calls the greater the firepower we have.

James Street, SNG Locality Officer said: “I’d really encourage you to report crime and ASB, we’re taking a robust multi-agency approach and by sharing information we can check if SNG customers are involved and look at enforcement action.

“We’ve already started to look at ways to help prevent crime and ASB occurring by making changes to the environment by considering how we can improve street lighting and signage. We’re also working with the police to increase patrols.”

Your involvement is key, by working together and building on the evidence we have, you will help us to make improvements for the whole community. We want to hear your ideas through our new SNG Positive Pathways grant programme. The funding opportunity opens next month, giving local community groups the chance to play their part – keep an eye out for further updates.

SNG is also recruiting a youth panel. This is an opportunity for young people aged 16-25 to make their voices heard and get involved with shaping the Positive Pathways grants and what these future services look like.

Together we can help take the initiative to reduce crime. To report antisocial behaviour, call 101 or report online at www.hampshire.police.uk/ro/report, in an emergency or to report a crime, call 999.

Your community notice board

As the autumn fast approaches and the new school term begins, we’ve added a few ways to help you save money and find out what’s happening locally. Add the dates to your diary and pop along.

Basingstoke Community Pantry, Paddock Road, South Ham, RG22 6QD. The pantry is currently running from the blue container in Westside Community Centre car park:

Tuesday 10am to 1pm
Wednesday 10am to 1pm

The Pantry is a membership scheme aimed at helping people make their money go further. Members will be able to get 12 food items for £5.

St Andrew’s Methodist Church, Western Way, South Ham, RG22 6ER.

Mug and Biscuit: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 10am to 1.30pm - hot food served until 1pm
Mums and Toddlers: Thursday 10am to 11am
Boys’ Brigade: Friday 6.30pm onwards (from age 5 to 18)

Ridgeway Community Centre, Blackdown Close, Buckskin, RG22 5BW.

Eco-food market pantry: Wednesday and Friday 10am to 1pm (12 food items for £5, bring your own containers and boxes).
Parent Toddler Group: Tuesday 10am to 12pm (£1.50 per child, includes refreshments)
Ridgeway Ravers: Wednesday 10am to 12 noon (Over 55’s club, new members welcome)
Lunch Club: Thursday 12 noon to 12.30pm (all ages, £6 for dinner and pudding, tea/coffee) To book call 01256 470665

Buckskin Evangelical Church, Buckskin Evangelical Church, Chiltern Way, RG22 5BB.

Refresh Café: Every Tuesday (school term-time only) 10am to 12pm. Enjoy friendly conversation, refreshments and free Wi-Fi.

Buckskin Foodbank: Friday 10.30am to 12.30pm

As well as food parcel collections, you can also receive support from Citizens Advice every week, and an Andover Mind wellbeing drop-in every fortnight.

Young Creatives interactive performing art sessions for 7–12-year-olds. Free weekly classes and refreshments!

Brighton Hill Community School, Brighton Way, Basingstoke, RG22 4HS. 26th September 2024 to 6th February 2025, 5pm to 6.30pm.

Do you enjoy inventing stories, singing, dancing, and acting?

Join us for 15 weeks of interactive performing arts sessions. We will explore the power of your imagination, and our amazing leaders will help you unlock your creative potential. This is your opportunity to be a member of a theatre cast and create your own show!

What do you need?

Curiosity, creativity, ambition, imagination, and a sense of adventure. We will do the rest! At the end of our 15 weekly sessions, the Young Creatives theatre cast will deliver a great performance to family and invited guests.

To book, scan the QR code or go to

https://events.bookitbee.com/new-projects-association/young-creatives/

Limited places so please book to avoid disappointment. For more information please contact: newprojectsassociation@gmail.com

Inspero - Kempshott Village Hall, Pack Lane, Basingstoke, RG22 5HN. Inspero Food Bank, Community Shop and Fridge: Tuesdays 9.30am to 12.30pm

(Note: open 3 days per week Monday, Tuesday, and Fridays for emergency food parcels upon referral).

Provides a range of food, hygiene items, cleaning products and pet food. A small donation is requested.

Wellness’N’Wellies - Community programme to support good mental, physical and emotional well-being by working together in a community garden, growing organic food for our charity food bank.

Mondays and Fridays – 10am to 3pm, charity community garden, beside Kempshott Village Hall.

Contact Inspero for further information:
Phone: 07950 686614
Email: catherine@inspero.org.uk

CGHB Surgeries – News from the Patients Participation Group (PPG)

For details of what’s on and to get a copy of the latest newsletter visit: www.cghppg.weebly.com/news

Email: cghb.surgeryppg@btinternet.com

Neighbourhood Watch

Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) is a network of schemes made up of local residents who volunteer, to keep an eye out for any unusual, suspicious or criminal activity being committed and pass that information on to the Police and other service providers.

Website: https://www.ourwatch.org.uk/

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Community Safety Patrol Officers (CSPOs)

As part of the council’s Safer Communities Team, the Community Safety Patrol Officers (CSPOs) aim to improve the wellbeing of local residents by helping to create a feeling of safety across the borough and the team can often be seen on patrol in Buckskin and South Ham. Focusing on antisocial behaviour and environmental crime, the team works closely with local communities, the police and other agencies to carry out high visibility patrols, providing reassurance and deterring and addressing antisocial behaviour by using Hampshire Constabulary accredited powers and antisocial behaviour legislation.

For more information visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/CSPO-team email cspo@basingstoke.gov.uk or call 01256 844844 and ask for the CSPOs. 

To report antisocial behaviour, call 101 or report online at www.hampshire.police.uk/ro/report in an emergency or to report a crime, call 999.

Sidlaw Close play area improvements

Residents in Buckskin are being encouraged to share their views to shape the final design for a revamp of the play area in Sidlaw Close. Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council will be replacing the play area as part of its play area refurbishment programme.

Visit: www.basingstoke.gov.uk/current-projects to share your views and find out more. The online survey will close at midday on Monday 16 September.

We want to hear from other local groups about their forthcoming events, what services they provide, when and where they meet - anything which may be of interest to others.

What’s on

What we’ve done so far in 2024.

Developed Your Community Newsletter
Neighbourhood clean-up
Support for Westside Community Association
Burnaby Bees community garden
First discovery walks and talks
Summer social day
Community Co-design recruitment and workshops
Young Design Academy

What’s coming up and how to get involved.

Street art project
The Council’s Make a Difference team and SNG’s Places Impact Team will follow up with some street cleaning work in Buckskin during September
Westside new community café opening

Autumnn activities launch

Right now, we’re reflecting on everything we have heard from you over the summer and planning our autumn events.

Sign-up!

To make sure you are the first to hear when our autumn events launch, please sign up for news updates on our dedicated website: https://shapingthefuture.commonplace.is/

Find out more

Do you know someone else who would like to receive this community newsletter?

We’re using a doorstep distribution company to deliver these newsletters to your home, but you can also view and sign up to receive regular news updates electronically, via our website.

You’ll also find lots of other information to keep you up to date with what’s happening.

Website: https://shapingthefuture.commonplace.is/

Email: yourcommunity@sovereign.org.uk

Phone: 0300 7771010

Calls from UK landlines are charged at local rates. Charges from mobile telephones vary. The charge for your call will depend on your mobile phone provider and the contract that you have with them.)

Sovereign Network Group is the trading name of Sovereign Housing Association Limited, which is charitable.