Projects Updates:

11/02/2010 15:30: Bollo Brook presentation

My name is Colin Brent and I am a youth worker at Bollo Brook Youth Centre in South Acton.  For those of you who don’t know it, South Acton in a large, deprived housing estate in west London, with a population of around 6000 people.  At Bollo Brook Youth Centre we offer activities and support for 13 to 19 year olds.  We work with around 100 young people on a regular basis.

In September 2008, one of the regulars at the youth centre, Craig Marshall, was tragically murdered.  He was only 19.  As you can imagine, this loss came as a great shock to the young people,  who struggled with ways to deal with their emotions.  As well as offering them all the support that we could, the team at Bollo Brook decided that something concrete should be done, that would allow the young people to take positive action. This was the principal behind the making of a memorial garden, Bollo Reflection Garden,  in a space behind the centre, where there was at that time only some cracked concrete and a rusting shipping container. This was not to just be a memorial for Craig, but a space were young people could go to reflect on their own problems. South Acton can be a harsh place to grow up in, so the creation of a softer space, with an emphasis on plants attracting wildlife, would offer young people a brief respite.  A few months later we secured funding from the SITA Trust, and work on the project started in May last year.

None of us was certain of how far the young people would become engaged in the project.  Nevertheless, we have all been surprised by the enthusiasm shown by the young people.  Around 40-50 young people have taken part in the project, from designing the lay-out to building the beds, choosing and maintaining the plants and making a mural on the wall overlooking the garden.7 One of the most emotionally charged pieces of work was the making of the gate and bench for the garden. We hired a professional sculptor to work with the young people to design and make these. The bench was made by Craig’s brother and best friend.8 They bent, cut and welded the steel over two days to create the bench. Although few words were spoken whilst doing this, it left all those involved emotionally drained. 9When we stepped back to contemplate in silence the finished bench, I felt that this physical activity had been as important as any supportive conversation we had had with them.

Apart from the direct involvement of the young people, the success of the project has been evident in several other ways. One has been the respect shown to the garden. The day after the installation of the bench, I remember walking around the corner with great trepidation, half expecting to find an empty space. Much to my relief, the bench was still there, and indeed, as the garden has developed and we have left pots out, everything remains in place. Even young people not renowned for their respect of others’ property have shown a great deal of respect for the garden – as though, somehow, this was a different space.  Young people in South Acton, indeed in society on the whole, do not always enjoy the best reputation, but this project has been a way for them to disprove some of these prejudices. As we have been out in the garden, digging over the vegetable patches or cutting the grass, members of the public passing by have often stopped to comment on the positive nature of the project, and the great contribution made by the young people.

 The enthusiasm of the young people has actually caused us a welcome problem – there is not enough space in the garden for them to do as much as they would like. Other the winter months, I have regularly had to turn away young people would want to do some gardening, as there is simply nothing that needs doing. We are therefore looking at broadening the project and, in partnership with other community groups on the estate, working with the young people to transform the green spaces of the estate, putting in new flower beds, vegetable patches and wildlife areas.
 
So, why is this project so important? The use of physical activity as a way to express yourself and the ability to make where you live a better place have both been central. For me this project represents the best of youth work principals. It is not based on instant gratification – some of the plants that we have planted will die, some of the seeds will not germinate. This, however, is no reason not to plant them. The skills learnt from the project do not lead directly to education or employment for the young people, but rather centre on their emotions. In conclusion, this project is not about telling people how to lead their lives, but rather helping to provide them with the emotional resources to deal with future decisions and hardships. 

I would like to thank the SITA Trust for enabling the project to happen in the first place and in particular the staff there for their support throughout the project, without which it would have been far more stressful.