At South Yorkshire Housing Association, we’re working to enable our customers to experience joy in the everyday.
We recognise that the environment has a big impact on people’s wellbeing. Talking to customers at Cuthbert Bank, they told us the outdoor area was ‘uninviting’ and there was nothing for their children to play on.
Cuthbert Bank provides housing in Sheffield for homeless families. There are 25 self-contained homes, meaning that families who are homeless can stay together. Families are referred from all areas of Sheffield, so they sometimes move to Cuthbert Bank with few local connections. We agreed to work with local organisations and residents to create an inviting outdoor space for customers to enjoy with their family, friends and neighbours.
We worked in partnership with Live Works, part of the School of Architecture at the University of Sheffield. With a £10,000 grant from the National Lottery Awards for All scheme, Live Works used a co-production approach where architects and customers worked together to create an outdoor space that reflected just what customers wanted.
The outdoor area has been transformed from an enclosed paved space with a handful of small trees, to a place with fun activities for children including a climbing wall and adventure course. The area also features wooden benches, planters filled with beautiful flowers, and Green Estate have sown a pictorial meadow – perfect for customers and staff to enjoy a catch-up over a cup of tea, and great for wildlife too!
To celebrate and say thank you to everyone involved, the team at Cuthbert Bank hosted a summer BBQ event.
Customers, staff and guests had the chance to see the new outdoor space while enjoying delicious food. They also had a special visit from Animal House, who brought along everything from snakes to guinea pigs and a baby skunk!
