Sport & play instrumental in reducing crime:
Sport & play instrumental in reducing crime - Estate wins more than a national awardEstate wins more than a national award
Council housing now has a waiting list and the value of private housing has gone up. That's just one measure of how things have improved on the Blackthorn estate in Northampton, winner of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Award for Urban Renaissance 2002.
As part of an integrated approach to a reduction in crime and disorder, a major focus of the project was the provision of a children’s play area and a multi-sport ballcourt for teenagers and young adults, supplied by Wicksteed Leisure, also, co-incidentally, based in Northamptonshire.
The scheme, which included other physical improvements to the estate, was very much a partnership programme led by Northampton Borough Council and involving the County Council, the local police, Blackthorn Residents' Association and, above all, members of the local community itself.
Their detailed preferences formed the basis of the designs for the sports and play facilities; it was largely Wicksteed Leisure's ability to tailor its products and services precisely to these requirements that made the Company a welcome addition to the team.
Some areas of recorded crime in Blackthorn were six times greater than in the rest of Northampton - 12% of all crimes in the county occurring on the estate. Since the inception of the regeneration project, the number of crimes there has been slashed by two-thirds.
One of the criteria by which initiatives would be judged within this award programme was the demonstration of high quality design in relation to any physical aspects of the scheme. As well as the flexibility that the Wicksteed Wildcats Premier Ballcourt and children's multi-play systems offer, the company's expertise in the design of sports facilities and playgrounds was crucial. Young people are notoriously hard to please and their approval, as well as that of the rest of the community was essential to the project's success.
The robustness of materials and construction, as well durability were also important factors in choosing Wicksteed to supply and install these additional features of the estate. Although residents' pride in their estate of 2,200 homes has largely been restored, not every individual's attitude can be changed instantly; that's where the vandal-resistant nature of Wicksteed equipment comes into its own. Its durability also offers the Council dramatic savings in its repair and replacement budget.
Bob Turrell of Northampton Borough Council comments: "The facility has been successful in encouraging impromptu games. Five-a-side events are taking place as well as the development of organised teams and local leagues. I know that the Wicksteed Wildcats Premier ballcourt and associated seating has been instrumental in diverting young people from behaviour which the community found unacceptable in the past."
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Teenagers diverting some of their energies into sport.
The need for play and exercise for toddlers and younger children was not forgotten in the Blackthorn Regeneration Project.
