Stocksbridge Live Project

Year | 2017

Location | Stocksbridge, Sheffield

Clients | Andy Clarke, 4SLC Trust Ltd

Four years ago, when Sheffield City Council cut funding for the Stocksbridge leisure centre, the charity 4 Stocksbridge Leisure Centre took over and has since developed into a successful community-led business with the largest, but greatly underused, green space in Stocksbridge, Oxley Park, just outside. The Stocksbridge Live Project aims to help SCLC further unlock the business potential by tackling problem areas in the existing building, and highlighting opportunities to rejuvenate life and activity into the forgotten community asset of Oxley Park.

The result is an overall vision for the future of SCLC and ‘Your’ Oxley Park alongside phased packages of deliverable work. The proposal improves the buildings layout and programming of space to become more inclusive for existing and future users, and integrates the leisure centre with the rejuvenation of Oxley Park to enhance the identity of both. Reflecting the Well North principles, as a key interested party, the project aspires to enable people to positively change and improve their own lives. By building on the existing network in Stocksbridge who continually support the development of the town and the leisure centre, the project continues this voluntary momentum by engaging with a wide variety of key community groups to identify how this proud and close-knit community will contribute to the sustainable delivery and future management of the two community assets whilst building support for the project.

A consultation strategy using a range of interactive activities and surveys through several events, engages with the public to help build an evidence base for future work and community support. Meetings with key stakeholders including several local schools, community groups, and council members such as park managers and ecologists show how they would use the park and contribute to the delivery and management of both events and facilities in the future.

The results shaped our proposals into an achievable yet aspirational scheme which was presented to the key stakeholders at a final presentation. Alongside this a series of documents were handed over to the client containing research, consultation data, and detailed proposals as a tool to aid 4SLC gain funding allow them to deliver the vision in the future with the community.

Credits

Mentor:

John Sampson and Stany Babu