New Community Co-design team to help shape the future of Buckskin and South Ham

A passionate team of ten local residents, with a drive for sharing ideas and shaping spaces for the neighbourhoods to thrive, has signed-up to the opportunity to become Community Co-design Associates (CDAs) as Sovereign Hill Partnership (SHP) - an equal partnership between SNG and The Hill Group - continues engaging with the communities in Buckskin and South Ham about possible future investment in the area.

During a series of listening events that started in the autumn of 2023, SHP heard from the communities about what local people liked, didn’t like, and what could be changed for the better. The feedback ranged from concerns about safety and getting around, to the homes, the parks and open spaces and greater opportunities for those who live there.

This first local insight supported looking deeper into ways to invest in the area and create community co-design opportunities with a representation of local people from Buckskin and South Ham. Co-design is an approach where the people who live in the community are an active and equal part of designing the future of places alongside wider experts and professionals.

SHP reached out to local residents to join the CDA team on a dedicated Commonplace website and through Shaping the Future of Buckskin and South Ham – Your Community Newsletter – a publication to households, community buildings and businesses in the neighbourhoods.

The ten CDAs are now being supported in their journeys, with training in planning and design  to add to their local knowledge, equipping them to co-design with SHP. Together, the CDAs and SHP will begin to develop a shared set of objectives and principles to improve the neighbourhoods for generations to come.   

Community Co-design Associate Sarah said: "I’ve lived here for over 43 years, and I’m really passionate about my home, but the area is getting tired and could feel safer. Now I’m raising two boys here and I’m keen to be part of any change so my boys can be proud to build their own lives here too."

Tom Titherington, Chief Development and Investment Officer at SNG said: “We want to make sure local people, businesses and the wider community are an important part of any proposed future changes right from the early stages. The co-design process gives us a chance to share the ambitions of the people who live in Buckskin and South Ham as we develop opportunities for potential change and investment.

“The Community Co-design team are vital to helping shape the future of Buckskin and South Ham. Their local knowledge and passion for area has shone through, and they’re keen to get started.”

The co-design process will include workshops with the design team, covering topics such as public spaces, connectivity, sustainability and biodiversity. The principle of co-design is being embedded meaningfully into shaping the future of Buckskin and South Ham. As SHP works alongside the community to consider potential opportunities for change and improvements to the neighbourhoods, the Community Co-design team can help to create a shared plan and spaces to aspire to in the future.