The idea
Hackney Quest spoke to over 400 young people about their experiences growing up in Hackney. Published in the Hackney Wick Through Young Eyes report, young people said:
- They don’t have enough say over how their area is changing
- They were often negatively stereotyped as young people
- They weren’t always informed about changes that affected them
Build Up will work with Hackney Quest to put local young people in control of a prominent public space at Flanders Way. Working with architects, designers and construction specialists, young people will decide what should happen in this unused piece of public land and then build it themselves.
What we'll deliver
- • A new community space for everyone on an unused piece of public land
- • Put power in the hands of young people to make decisions that effect them
- • A design and build process led by young people themselves and involving the whole community
- • Opportunities in design, construction and project leadership for 60 local young people
- • A truly intergenerational project, bringing together primary schools, secondary schools and local residents
Why it's a great idea
As the 'Hackney Wick Through Young Eyes' report highlighted, young people too often feel excluded from decisions made about their local area.
Together we can start changing this; by putting young people in control of a prominent public space in their community and equipping them with the practical skills to make their ideas happen.
We will build something for the benefit of everyone, and involve a range of volunteers, young people of different ages, parents, older people, and other local residents. In the words of Mateenah, a Hackney Wick resident aged 14:
‘This project can bring everyone together; as a community we will all own this space, we will be involved and we will have a sense of belonging’.
Steps to get it done
- Finalise design specifications with local authority and other decision-makers
- Recruit young people
- Develop project design proposals and select project design
- Council and local stakeholders sign off design
- Order materials
- Construction starts on site
- Construction completion
- Community opening event
