Green spaces - Riverside

Who we’ve helped...
CASE STUDY 2
Steps to Sustainability – Green Together
Green Space and Urban Realm
Green Together is a Lairdside Communities
Together programme which Riverside and the Big
Lottery Fund have supported in the Tranmere and
Rock Ferry areas in Wirral. It is an environmental
improvement programme that provides benefits
in health, education, employment and enterprise
by linking investment in physical actions with a
community capacity building programme
involving local residents.
The project aims to:
• Improve local environments, making open spaces
more accessible and relevant to people’s needs
• Cultivate a greater sense of ownership of
local environments, with better collaboration
between communities and the voluntary and
statutory sectors
• Improve social, economic and environmental
sustainability
“The children thoroughly enjoy
each session. They are more
positive about looking after
the environment.”
D. M. Cassin, Teacher St. Anne’s Primary School
Green Together builds on existing structures for resident
involvement and consultation to deliver a range of
community based environmental improvement activities.
The project includes:
• Development of Eco-Gardens
School communities are engaged in the establishment
of Eco-Gardens on school premises and at local
allotments. These provide pupils with increased
opportunities for hands-on and outdoor learning.
• Better use of existing allotments
Local allotments have benefited from environmental
improvements, increased use and promotion, providing
new volunteering and community growing opportunities.
• Community Food Initiative
This healthy food scheme provides residents with
access to reasonably priced fresh fruit and vegetables.
The scheme, called ‘Bag a Bargain,’ allows residents to
purchase a bag of fresh fruit and vegetables at an
affordable price. Information on nutrition, food
preparation and recipe ideas are also provided.
Moving forward the partnership aims to engage people
living in flats and sheltered accommodation on the
transformation of their green spaces and to create a
community network to drive these changes.
Riverside is revitalising the environments of our estates to make them a better
place to live in. By involving residents and the wider community in the
transformation of green and open spaces we aim to nurture and strengthen
neighbourhood identity and create well-loved spaces.
Riverside offer new solutions to the management and use
of green spaces and open spaces in our estates. We are
committed to transforming the environment around our
homes and neighbourhoods, by working with
communities and professionals.
We transform our open spaces by:
• working with local staff and residents to change
perceptions of the use of open and green spaces
• sourcing funding and developing partnerships to deliver
cost effective solutions
• working on procurement and advising on the
management of maintenance contracts
• delivering training and development to residents
through our in-house environmental team
We establish play areas, community gardens,
fruit and vegetable growing initiatives, orchards,
wildflower meadows and other enhanced
spaces for our residents to enjoy.
“Good quality open spaces have a
profound impact on people's health
and wellbeing and can greatly
enhance people's experiences of
where they live. The work Riverside
have done with tenants and residents
to create new and improved places is
delivering real benefits for local
environments and for communities.”
Nicola Durrant, Neighbourhoods Green Project
Co-ordinator, National Housing Federation

What We Have Achieved
Our Green Space and Urban Realm programme has:
• Improved 27 green spaces and created 3 wildlife habitats
• Created 10 community gardens and 1 community park
• Established or supported 6 community enterprises
• Created 2 sports facilities, and 4 play and
recreational facilities
• Cleared more than 160 tonnes of fly-tipping
• Planted more than 20,000 trees
• Held over 120 community consultation events with
more than 3,000 people attending
• Involved more than 500 residents in the delivery
of projects
• Created 4 jobs and trained over 30 people
• Encouraged more than 250 people to volunteer on a
long-term basis
The benefits...
Who we’ve helped...
Well-managed green spaces are crucial to
contributing to people's quality of life and making
neighbourhoods liveable.
Riverside aims to improve our communities’ sense of
identity with their surroundings and increase their pride
in the areas where they live.
Young people will benefit by learning more about their
environment and by utilising their local space. The part
they play in improving their environment allows them
to feel ownership of their space, protecting it for
future generations.
The older generation also benefits by creating a new
interest in their environment through, for example,
allotment work and horticultural training, and by
allowing them to see what their area can be with our
investment and the community’s help.
CASE STUDY 1
Hillcrest Play Area
Funded through a mixture of BIG Lottery fund,
Playbuilder and Riverside Impact Fund, the
Hillcrest Play Area has recently undergone a
complete refurbishment.
Located in the heart of Halton Brook Estate, the site
comprised an existing derelict play area, an under-used
community garden and adjoining playing field totalling
1.2 Ha of open space and formed the principle green
space area for this estate in the Runcorn New Town area.
A combined budget of over £350,000 has transformed
the existing play area into a pioneering ‘wild play’ area
and the adjacent neglected community garden into a
safe haven for toddler play.
“We’re proud to work with
Riverside to help transform
neglected sites into assets
for the community.”
James Towers, Mouchel.