Funding local change
The Children’s Forum allocates £3,000 of its own grants each year, with 14 local projects receiving funding during 2005-07. The grants panel has also worked in partnership with the Local Network Fund to distribute more than £44,000 to 7 further initiatives.
Students from one
of the participating
schools
Feedback from all of the schools involved has been positive, with a teacher from Nottingham Islamia School commenting: “The Forum has helped the children focus on their community and understand what it takes to fund equipment and activities. Being part of the Grants Panel really helped the children to understand how decisions are made.”
As part of its work in local parks, the Children’s Forum and its partners secured £75,000 of funding for the redevelopment of Kirkstead Park in Hyson Green. The previously unattractive and underused space is now popular and well-maintained.
Improving school environments
The Take5 film project, where children had to identify things they wanted to change about their school environment, resulted in more than 20 improvements in local schools. Following this success, the film initiative is being extended to the wider community, with workshops taking place to decide what action should be taken.
Philip High, Headteacher of Radford Primary School, sums up his experience of the Children’s Forum: “It’s gradually helping to make life better for the community. I can see the difference it makes having the children involved, both in terms of giving them increased confidence and understanding, and the wider impact for the school. ”
Topics associated with this project
Decision making, East Midlands, Environmental, Neighbourhood, Partnership working, School