MY CLUBMOOR WELCOME ! Hello and welcome to the latest issue of MyClubmoor’s newspaper. You’ll notice a new look and may also have spotted a bit of a gap since the last edition. This paper will explain what we’ve been up to and how you can get involved in developing the ongoing MyClubmoor project. We’ve been renovating the old BA Watt shop space on Maiden Lane, ready for a new wave of activity to take place within its walls (you may have been along to our softlaunch in early May); we’ve been finding out about other exciting Liverpool-based community projects and what we can learn from them; we’ve been getting to know the local businesses and characters of the area and have been catching up with past grant winners to see how their ideas are progressing.
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MY CLUBMOOR BACKGROUND New Community Engagement officer John Maguire caught up with Kevin Peacock and Dan Ryder to ask them about how MyClubmoor came into being.
John: What would you say is the biggest challenge?
Kevin: For me it has to be the way we have been able to tell peoples stories, be it through the newspaper and social media, or seeing Kevin: Getting people engaged, inspired and the grant winners get resources, and go on participating in their area. People don’t really to do amazing things, to do the thing they know how to get involved, so we try to find have always wanted to do. the thing that interests them enough to get I mean reflecting on Dan’s story; he started involved. At its core ten to twelve residents initially as an apprentice and now is working Kevin: Clubmoor was identified as an area We took a different view, to invest in people, actively participate. Fifteen to twenty help at for us. Invest in people and great things will of possibility way back in 2010/11 by Local to give lots of small amounts of money events or volunteer on a regular basis. That’s happen. Trust. The justification was that very little to lots of people. Little grants to inspire only forty plus out of a community of around lottery money was spent in this area, which is people to get involved. It is a much riskier fifteen thousand. We need to encourage John: What next then? generally an indicator that there are not many form of community development but our those people who run with ideas and are good voluntary groups or community activity taking award system is about hearing a good idea at seeking out advocates. Some people are Dan: Developing the hub and community place, as there is a lack of lottery bids being and investing in it. So it’s different to past natural like that, dragging people with them, arts projects to create something lasting in developed. Another factor was due to levels regeneration schemes where you have had telling people about what is happening and the community. Building people’s confidence of poverty/deprivation. The statistics around an investment in things and places itself. encouraging. through workshops and making an impact health and the economy are higher than in in my area. Becoming more of the people’s other areas. Residents met with agencies in John: What is your role in MyClubmoor? John: What have been the highlights for you voice of Clubmoor, doing the online polls and open public meetings, about the possibility so far? getting people to decide what we do. of being given one million pounds by Local Dan: I am the marketing advisor- at the Trust, but the residents having to control it. moment I am using social media and thinking Daniel: The events like the Dog Show, but Kevin: For me as chair, to develop the board of ways to get people excited about the things now I am very excited about taking on the and broader governance with lots more From there we set up a steering group that we are doing- cool or quirky little projects. I Community Hub. The building will give us people involved. There are still only a few met for two or three years, its job really was have noticed people start to see the presence a physical presence in the area. I find it residents making decisions and that needs to discover what we should try to do. There of MyClubmoor in the area. frustrating that people have no idea what to change. was community consultation, over 1800 we are all about. But now with this building, conversations with people on the streets and Kevin: The bedrock is local residents, I am I feel it will bring big change and help to I am excited to see the hub become a reality. research into the statistics/background in the a local resident and there is a partnership spread the word about MyClubmoor. The In order to bring that all together though there area. There were opportunities for people to board made up of local residents. The idea hub will allow us to explore community arts needs to be a larger board and engagement throw ideas, share views and a recruitment is the residents have their say in how the projects, reaching out to other things, like work with local residents, a broader base of drive for residents who wanted to become money is actually spent. So the direction of music reading, literacy, garden and growing people. board members. everything we do is defined by them. I am a projects and much more. We can use the resident, nominated by other residents to be hub for anything! Generate a buzz, get people talking working On the 1st January 2014, the first board chair of the board. with agencies to try and articulate the voice of meeting took place and the first pound of the the residents and effectively make a change. million pounds was spent. Some areas in the UK who were taking part in this Big Local scheme bought something really expensive early on, or they went to the known local agencies and divided the money John: Kevin, can you give us a little up. The missive was, ‘Do what you do, just background to MyClubmoor? do it bigger and better.’
“Invest in people and great things will happen” THE TEAM
Daniel Ryder Marketing Advisor.
John Maguire Community Engagement Officer
The Board
My name is Daniel Ryder and I started getting involved with MyClubmoor nearly three years ago and haven’t looked back since. I began by doing my apprenticeship back in 2016 and it has been a tough journey as any, but seeing the project grow over the past two years has not only boosted my confidence and growth as an individual but in my passion for this community.
My name is John Maguire and I have been in position since February 2018, having been previously involved with reading/ creative projects and allotment/grow your own campaigns all around Liverpool.
We are Kev, Nicky, Rob, Paul, Bob, Alice, Garry, Gordon and James and we make up what is called the MyClubmoor Partnership Board. Most of us are residents of Clubmoor, and we were appointed following a recruitment process involving an invitation, application and informal interview.
I really see a future here at MyClubmoor and aim to continue driving this project to make Clubmoor the best community it can be.
I am also a freelance writer and actively involved with Liverpool’s arts scene. I am committed to developing a strong community in Clubmoor by working together with residents on exciting initiatives to enhance engagement to make for a better place to live.
We are volunteers, none of us get paid anything for doing what we do, we are just passionate about helping to make Clubmoor the best it can be.
objectives of Local Trust, and to achieve the vision we agreed to create a strong network of committed, active, inspirational people taking ownership of their community and working towards making Clubmoor the best it can be. We do this by setting a plan, meeting monthly to set activities and direction, and constantly reviewing how we are doing. We always looking for new Board members, and over the next few years will hopefully be launching another round of recruitment and elections to the Partnership Board.
Our role is to oversee the whole MyClubmoor initiative – to make sure that we meet the resident led values and
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MY CLUBMOOR PREVIOUS EVENTS Allotment Challenge In its third rotation, the 2017 allotment challenge arrived in Walton Hall Park allotments. The growers of Clubmoor turned out in force, exhibiting fine produce as well as a selection of jams and chutneys. Our particular favourite was Gwen Farley’s fabulous home-made wine! Clubmoor is blessed with three allotments, some great gardens and green spaces, and the skills to match. Christmas We didn’t get the snow, but Santa and his team of helpers, including the fabulous stage setting from 051 events were kept busy. We gave out nearly 800 selection boxes, and entertained children in a snow globe, sleigh, train ride and local craft market. This year’s spectacular was a joint effort between MyClubmoor, the local ward councillors and Liverpool Mutual Homes / Commutual. Walton Hall Festival Following great feedback last year, MyClubmoor was really happy to contribute to the Walton Festival in 2017. We were there on the day, talking to people about their priorities for Clubmoor, and profiling local award winners and local organisations.
Dog Show The fourth MyClubmoor Dog Show happened in August 2017. The show promotes responsible dog ownership in Clubmoor, following residents’ concerns about persistent dog fouling on the streets and worries over dangerous dogs. The issue was particularly relevant in Clubmoor following the death of local resident Cliff Clarke in 2013. Over 400 people attended the show, bringing dogs of all varieties, enjoying free food, music and a cracking atmosphere.
upcoming events This year the potential for MyClubmoor is massive! We will be running our annual events (Dog Show, Allotment Challenge) and working in partnership with our surrounding community organisations. We aim to create a network of committed, active and inspirational people working as a whole towards raising aspirations and making Clubmoor the best that it can be. We want to come together to reach locals more effectively in the area across more platforms and resources. Sharing our ideas we can achieve more and engage with even more local residents. Our biggest news this year is the launch of our Community Hub. We will finally have a concrete physical presence in the community. We want to know what our local residents would like to see happen in the building. It has a new, creative, modern feel and we will holding a engaging exhibition week to launch the hub. We will be running a range of taster sessions to present the types of activity that could take place in our new home. We want to showcase different projects to our residents in Clubmoor so everyone feels like they can engage with us and spark an excitement about MyClubmoor.
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Events and sessions planned include: • • • • • • • • • • • •
Photography Tutorials Music Workshops Money Finance Training Reading Sessions (Children's and Adults) Dance and Drama Workshops Grafitti Masterclass Beginners Pottery Arts and Face painting Training/Courses Craft Studio Workshops (Children and Adults) Film Screenings Bingo Nights Gardening and Growing Projects
Activity Taster Week at MyClubmoor Community Hub Friday 4th May 2018 Wednesday 9th May 2018 Grand Opening Celebration Day at MyClubmoor Community Hub Saturday 26th May 2018 Exhibition Week at MyClubmoor Community Hub Monday 28th May 2018 Saturday 2nd June 2018 Walton Festival 15th July 2018 - (Sunday Only)
We aim to create and establish a clearer identity with locals about who we are and what we do. We want our upcoming activities to be shaped by you and find out what you would like to see the building turn into!
MyClubmoor Dog Show Sunday 29th July 2018
Hope to see you there! #ComeTogether
Clubmoor Music Festival September 2018
Allotment Challenge Grandison Road Allotments Sunday 26th August 2018
Halloween Event October 2018 Bonfire Night November 2018 Christmas Fare December 2018
‘I’ve been coming to this Library since 1968 and I think this area is great!’ Library Employee
HUMANS Humans of Clubmoor is inspired by a project started by Brandon Stanton “Humans of New York” which began as a photography project in 2010. Stanton’s initial goal was to “photograph 10,000 New Yorkers on the street, and create an exhaustive catalogue of the city’s inhabitants.” Alongside the portraits, Stanton began to include quotes and short stories from the lives of the subjects. Initiated by Ed Pink with Daniel Ryder, the Humans of Clubmoor portraits are the start of a series documenting the many and varied inhabitants of the area. /www.humansofnewyork.com
“I first heard about MyClubmoor about 5 years ago on Maiden Lane Playing fields at a couple of great family fun days and found out a lot of information about the work of MyClubmoor. Sadly, the following year I lost my son to suicide and felt very isolated, and shut myself away from everyone. Around November last year, I found an old flyer from MyClubmoor and came up to the Vintage group one week, since then I haven’t turned back, I’m keen to get involved as much as I can to make this community the best it can be’. Sue, Volunteer at Vintage
“I worked for Liverpool FC for 18 years before thinking about retiring, now I’m still working for Liverpool on this allotment. We grow all kinds of fruit and vegetables and even have a bee hive which I bee-keep. We donate our fresh produce to the local food banks and it’s great to be doing something in the area to help the local people” LFC Allotment Member
“I moved to Tuebrook over 20 years ago, but everything I do, I do in Clubmoor. My church, my voluntary life (network and school) and even my shopping is done in Clubmoor. I love the place so much ” Carol Wilson
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MY CLUBMOOR GRANT WINNERS £998
‘I’ve always liked photography, I‘ve always liked to be involved in the community. It’s just the way I was brought up. If you could do something to help someone you did it and not to look for rewards for yourself. ‘ In Vintage (a weekly-social meet up for the over 55’s) there is a man well into his eighties. He lost his wife and it had been recommended that he started getting out more. He came to the group. He loved it and made friends. He was talking one day about taking photographs at the Pier Head, I said I’d love to see your work. The next week he brought his equipment and some of his photographs. It was like somebody had flipped a switch, every week he’d bring a photo framed and everybody could get a ticket, no money involved whoever pulled out the number received the prize. This generated a real buzz, and people started showing images on phones. They asked, how did you take that? How did you create that effect? What do you think of this camera? You see it’s not just that you’ve taken the picture, but you want people to see it! This made me realise, there are people in the community with cameras and you never see them get together. A thing like a camera club could work. Everyone has a camera really, on their phones. I want to get people together; with whatever small skill they have and share their expertise and experience. I want the camera club to be cross generational, cross gender, cross everything.
”Our award system is about hearing a good idea and investing in it. So it’s different to past regeneration schemes where you have had an investment in things and places itself” Kevin Peacock
People learning from each other, at different times in their lives.”
Lyndsey Styles, Photography
Lyndsey Styles
“My name is Gord, I work with reclaimed wooden pallets and laser cutting. My designs are expressive, inventive and creative - a pallet can become anything you want it to be!
£4.9k
The MyClubmoor grant put me where I am. It helped me to buy my laser cutter and materials to actually build my workshop. It’s made out of pallets, polycarb sheets and loads of nails and screws. I am now an established local business owner with close ties to the community. I plan to expand my business and want to take on local employees. Clubmoor is where my family live, I live and my business lives. Some people get what a community is about, others just exist within it. Community for me is people who work together collaboratively to benefit and enlighten each other’s lives. I am responsible for the Book Throne, the Wish Tree and the sign here in the Community Hub.” You can find further details on twitter @liverpallets Facebook @palletdesignsliverpool or on Instagram Liverpool_pallet_designs Gordon Dinn
Gordon Dinn, Liverpool Pallet Designs
“My name is Ian Williams. I am the tree barber, I trim, shape, prune and give trees a good short back and sides. The name always brings a smile to people’s faces.’ I received my grant and it paid for my wood chipper. Business has never been better. Plus it allows me to put something back into the environment literally. The chippings from the trees I barber are put back on the allotments in and around Clubmoor. There is a need in the area for logs to burn and when I have spare I often give them to local residents. There is a good atmosphere in the Clubmoor area; people are jolly and friendly in the community. The new community hub is very exciting. It will help people come together and bring a wide range of exciting activities and new things to the area.” If you would like a quote on any Tree work and garden pruning, please contact them on Facebook @The Tree Barber and Sons.
£4.9k Ian Williams, The Tree Barber
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Ian Williams
MY CLUBMOOR LIVERPOOL CASE STUDIES - #1 HOMEBAKED BUSINESS MODEL TIMELINE
LOCATION Liverpool is home to a number of initiatives that seek to address issues of housing, social cohesion and community in innovative ways, often gaining national recognition.
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“2Up 2Down provides a way for local people to “take matters into their own hands” and make real social and physical change in their neighbourhood. Local people of all ages are collaborating in the development of the project, volunteering their time and energy, and committing to play an active part in the long term. Architects URBED and other design specialists have worked with the community to re-model a block of empty property including the former Mitchell’s Bakery and the two terraced houses next door. Taking the whole community as their “client”, they have designed an affordable housing scheme, bakery shop and kitchen, meeting and project spaces, with the needs of real individuals in mind. The scheme presents a positive alternative to the demolitions and clearances of recent years.
Here we showcase four examples although all had to seek funding through various means, and, as such are different to MyClubmoor, the projects, outcomes and contacts could be both interesting and beneficial.
see page 9 for an interview with Liverpool resident MARIANNE HEASLIP of URBED 2UP2DOWN / HOMEBAKED
At the same time, the group have set up Homebaked Community Land Trust - a co-operative organisation with its roots in the garden city movement – to enable the collective community ownership of the properties, and a co-operative business to reopen the Bakery as a social enterprise.”
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MY CLUBMOOR LIVERPOOL CASE STUDIES - #2 GRANBY FOUR STREETS BUSINESS MODEL
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“people across the country are noticing that something very special is happening in Liverpool in the Four Streets, led as much by the people of these streets as anyone else. They’ve both suggested and helped to knit together the partnership of organisations, including the City Council, currently at work on turning Granby into one of the most exciting places to live in the whole City.’ Councillor Ann O’Byrne ‘After several years of negotiations and canny political footwork the street has not just been saved from large-scale demolition, but is in the process of being refurbished by a range of organisations. When complete, the hope is that all of this comes together to make a street that is welcoming and attractive to all – full of greenery, creativity, and regular street markets. Showing what is possible when passionate residents are able to implement their aspirations for their street.’ The Academy of Urbanism
MY CLUBMOOR 56 MAIDEN LANE - COMMUNITY HUB / PHASE 1 Phasing Working with social enterprise architects Studio Polpo and arts consultants Ed Pink and Dan Russell, MyClubmoor started to explore how the building might work as a resource for the organisation. Importantly, alongside the creation of a physical location for MyClubmoor and a ‘Community Hub’, is the opportunity to use 58 Maiden Lane as a small-scale test of what is possible elsewhere in Clubmoor. For this reason, one of the key first steps was the commissioning of the shutter graphics. An open call was sent out to anyone with an interest in this - from local schoolchildren to established international artists, with six very varied designs being shortlisted by the team.
56 Maiden Lane MyClubmoor took on the former BA Watt builder’s yard (formerly Irwin’s Grocers and possibly the first self-service Tesco) at the end of 2016, with a view to establishing a physical presence for the organisation. The building occupies a prominent location with a large shop window so seemed to be the ideal place to start running activities and testing ideas. Initial activities including a volunteer clearing day (which saw local people start the process of stripping out the fittings of the
former shop and container in the yard and fill a skip), and painting the walls of the main space white. Elements of the old fit-out were also re-purposed to create exhibition stands and bar as a demonstrator of what was possible and closing local loops of waste, resources and needs.
These designs were then put to the vote on the MyClubmoor Facebook page something that generated a huge amount of interest. The winning design - ‘come together’ by local graphic artist Aaron Givens references both Beatles’ lyrics and a community sentiment and now adorns the front of the previously drab shutter. This
kitchen repair, redecoration and strip out of unnecessary elements. This has allowed the main space to be used for exhibition and events. Clubmoor grant winner Gordon Dinn has created new bespoke signage and a reading chair made of pallets, and a large map of Clubmoor has been added to the rear wall of the space. These works have provided paid work for local individuals and organisations, however we have also engaged Good Gym, a UK charity that combines running with short bursts of work - Good Gym volunteers have started working on clearing the yard space ready for use in the warmer months. We aim to use the Community Hub at Maiden Lane as a model for what can be done elsewhere in Clubmoor, and further develop the building, as Phase 2 will show.
As the space became usable, this was used for both MyClubmoor board meetings and St.Andrews Community Network meetings, to create interest in the building and test how it worked.
commissioning process can now be scaled up and applied to design interventions elsewhere. A Phase 1 plan of works to get the building ready for an opening event was then drafted with input from LMH and Studio Polpo. Local firm Clubmoor Builders have carried out the refurbishment for this phase which has included a new disabled WC, window repairs, electrical safety works,
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MY CLUBMOOR 58 MAIDEN LANE - COMMUNITY HUB / PHASE 2 & 3 BUILDING CASE STUDY: URBED
Future Phases Phase 1 has allowed us to have a large clean space in which to run events and provide clean and accessible WCs, however this is just the start.
URBED are a design and research consultancy that looks at sustainability in its broader sense. They are based in Manchester (but don’t hold that against them!).
Our potential Phase 2 will address the former spraybooth, workshop and mezzanine spaces to the rear. These have the benefit of separate street access and a large (but hard to access) mezzanine, but do not work well in terms of access and fire safety at present.
They have similarities to our own Studio POLPO. We chatted to one of their architects, Marianne Heaslip, as she lives in Liverpool and is involved in lots of participative design projects, including Homebaked and Squash Nutrition as part of URBED and Granby 4 Streets as an individual (she lives round the corner).
Initial ideas are to re-configure the floor of the mezzanine, creating a generous tall space to the existing corridor and giving more useable space to the first floor. We see this area as being well suited to creative functions with makers, such as Liverpool Pallet Designs occupying it.
MyClubmoor – How do you involve people in what you do? MH - We have developed tools and techniques for involving people in design processes around neighbourhoods: Design For Change. We look at what can be done - and how - in a hands-on, model making, collaging, photographing, getting involved way. We don’t just ask what people want from options a, b and c but help people develop and articulate their ideas.
Opening the previously blocked door to the yard will give users direct access to a space that will also gradually be transformed. A possible third phase (subject to further structural surveys) would be to fit-out the area above the main space.
MyClubmoor: Can you tell us a bit about Homebaked? MH: Homebaked is interesting because it came from an arts project by a woman called Jeanne van Heeswijk, who does a lot of social art. Her art is not necessarily making things or doing paintings, it’s actually creating social structures and circumstances for things to happen in. The Biennial invited her to do something in Liverpool, and she landed upon doing something in Anfield, but because of the situation with Housing Market Renewal PH1 (where lots of houses were demolished) PH1 she didn’t want to do something temporary, she wanted to do something serious and lasting that made an impact. URBED were invited to run a series of workshops with local schools and youth groups about
This could allow greater levels of insulation, rooflights to bring light into the space (or a connection to the room below), and eaves storage where the space does not allow height to stand. A 3D computer model has now been built of 56 Maiden Lane which will allow designs to be tested and visualised. Made on Sketchup, the model can be freely shared and, as the software is freely available, tested and added to by anyone in Clubmoor. We chatted to Marianne Heaslip of URBED to see how some of their work in Liverpool might apply to Maiden Lane and Clubmoor.
PLANS
the theme of home, what it means to live well and what home means when you are living in the middle of a demolition site. By happenstance, Mitchell’s Bakery closed as the owners were retiring. Jeanne spotted this and thought it would be a good place to have a base, with regular opening times for tea and coffee, Philosphers in the Pub sessions and other things. It wasn’t definitely going to be a bakery again, that came out of lots of other activity with locals. People kept asking when the bakery was going to re-open, so that’s when it was decided it would be a good idea. People were wary at first, because there has been a history of agreeing to things that can happen, then reality not quite living up to this. Over time a Community Land Trust has been formed as the Biennial handed over control after 2012. It has done well as it has moved beyond oppositional activism to actually try and do something positive. It’s right near Anfield stadium and they do quite well on match days now! MyC – What about Squash Nutrition? MH - Squash Nutrition have existed for over a decade now but approached URBED because they wanted to set up their own building. The directors used to work at the Black-E so they have a community art background and have a real interest in food and health and gardening. They do things in a hands-on creative way. Their garden on Windsor Street is definitely worth a visit (and their new headquarters has just opened, you can pop to their café ThursSat). They also run a film festival and they operate on a mixture of art and health funding. Their HQ is on the only available bit of wasteland on the street, near to their garden. It was designed through a process that involved local people. MyC – Finally, how did you get involved with Granby 4 Streets? MH – I’m a local resident and got sucked into the project around 2009 when I was invited to participate in some workshops asking how to fill the voids of demolished houses. Lots of people had already been working to oppose further demolition, via guerilla gardening, putting artworks on the street, starting a community market, all to make it look like a place that was cared for and loved.
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PH1 : Phase 1 works 0. Groupspace 1. Workshop / Makerspace 2. Access to yard 3. New stair with storage below 4. Creative Workspace/studio 5. Double height space / void 6. Workspace 7. Under-eaves storage 8. Yard 9. Container
Based on this a more grassroots approach was developed, a Community Land Trust was formed (there’s a theme here!), a loan was secured, architects Assemble came in to develop some ideas with local residents, then the ideas they’d developed together famously won the 2015 Turner Prize for visual art and an international spotlight was turned to Liverpool.
BUILDING CASE STUDY: SSoA ECCLESALL WOODS GATEWAY LIVE PROJECT 2011, University of Sheffield school of architecture DESIGNED AND BUILT BY masters students with assistance from Sawmill staff, the shipping container is used for storing tools and educational materials at the Ecclesall Woods Sawmill site. a space on top of this container for teaching children & The retreat was been designed to help promote the innovative and sustainable use of timber.
PHASE 2 AREA
PHASE 3 AREA
Squash Nutrition and Homebaked have a stall at the Granby 4 Streets community market.
We are keen to involve both MyClubmoor residents, previous grant winners, and other Liverpool organisations in the development of the Hub Space at Maiden Lane as well as other spaces in the area.
http://www.granby4streetsclt.co.uk http://homebaked.org.uk http://www.squashnutrition.org http://www.theblack-e.co.uk http://urbed.coop
This can be anything from planning who will use the space, what needs to be done to it to designing, making and building elements of fit-out.
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Linking spaces to users. The MyClubmoor Hub at 56 Maiden Lane can act as a resource that will allow grant winners to test business ideas in a supportive environment. A number of the previous award winners have businesses that could locate themselves in the Hub either permanently or for regular sessions, thus generating rental income. There are five key parts to the Hub space (numbers relate to plans opposite and diagram above): 0. Group space (front of house) This has formed the bulk of Phase 1 works, and is ideal for regular and one-off use by larger groups, or exhibitions and events that benefit from the large windows and street presence. As yet untested uses could include film nights, music classes, and drop-
in advice sessions. Previous grant winners such as St.Andrews Community Choir, Metaneo Youth Coaching and the FACE CAB training could all use this space, as well as it enabling larger sessions such as the MyClubmoor board meetings. 1.Makerspace The perfect space for a workshop, with separate external access, extract and even an existing spraybooth. Ideal for grant winner Liverpool Pallet Designs or a similar organisation that could set up a laser cutter workshop, or micro Fablab, with the potential to use the Groupspace to run workshops.
2. Yard & Container
4. Studio Space
With large gates opening to the street, and a proposed new connection to the building, the yard is a great sun-trap and breakout space for building users, as well as a great space to host events around planting, growing and (weather permitting!) food.
A smaller quieter space using the converted mezzanine, and ideal for photography/digital media/craft use. This could suit a grant winner such as Lyndsey Styles, or provide space for future winners.
Grant winners Leamington School, the Community Allotment, and the Clubmoor Therapeutic Gardening Group could all be involved in greening the space. The container can be repaired and re-clad as a store or project space.
6. Studio Space A long space above the groupspace. This would require significant structural work to create a floor, and may become a ‘Phase 3’ if it is feasible. New rooflights and insulation, along with eaves storage could create a quite work space for MyClubmoor staff, or hot-desk admin space required by previous grant winners such as Hade Owens Mobile Accountancy, or Paul Ianson’s cleaning business.
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MY CLUBMOOR MAIDEN LANE AS A MODEL The Model We are hoping that 56 Maiden Lane is both a catalyst, a physical presence that can focus attention and ideas and get things moving; and a test how MyClubmoor might engage with other buildings and spaces in the area. The diagram on the right shows some of the strategies that we have used so far the grants programme has invested small amounts in local organisations and individuals so that they can grow their business ideas, or services, which in turn will have a positive effect on them and Clubmoor. By linking these grant winners to the Community Hub, new partnerships may form - the accounts doing the finances for the makers and the cleaning service cleaning the accountant’s space for example. The presence of these organisations behind the actual (or virtual) shop window of the space will generate more publicity and more enquiries and revenue, some of which can then go toward running the space, eventually making it self-sustaining. Organisations outgrowing the spaces, which could be seen as incubator spaces, may be able to take on new units in other parts of Clubmoor - an empty shop for example. This starts to have a knock-on regeneration effect, providing income for local people and improving the area. MyClubmoors commissioning process for the shutter at 56 Maiden Lane proved very successful, using a steering group to advise and residents to engage with finals election process. This could be repeated, and increased in scope to take on more initiatives to brighten up spaces, but also the design of external spaces, building fit-outs and more. MyClubmoor, through connections we have establish with some of Liverpool’s leading Arts Organisations can also act as a comissioning organisation for arts events that can directly benefit the residents of Clubmoor, as well as putting it on the map for those outside the area, or even outside the city. A key to all of this are the connections made locally, building on and strengthening networks, offering a range of ways that people can engage, and enabling strategic use of the MyClubmoor funding to invest in areas that will bring a return, be this financial or social.
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MY CLUBMOOR LLIVERPOOL CASE STUDIES - #3 FRIENDS OF THE FLYOVER BUSINESS MODEL TIMELINE
LOCATION Liverpool is home to a number of initiatives that seek to address issues of housing, social cohesion and community in innovative ways, often gaining national recognition. Here we showcase four examples although all had to seek funding through various means, and, as such are different to MyClubmoor, the projects, outcomes and contacts could be both interesting and beneficial.
FUNDING
“Rather than see millions wasted on tearing down an ugly, under-used flyover, this innovative group is turning it into a cultural space for everyone to enjoy.” EPIC AWARDS 2015 “Many congratulations to Friends of the Flyover for winning the Epic Award 2015. They can, and should, be very proud indeed for what they have achieved in such a short amount of time. Flyover Fest is a fantastic example of local people working together creatively and with innovation to transform their community through the power of arts and culture. I have seen this happen with other projects in all parts of the country, and it is inspiring to see the effect that taking part in creative cultural activity can have on the lives of people, and the strength and identity of their community.” ED VAIZEY, Minister of State for Culture
FRIENDS OF THE FLYOVER
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MY CLUBMOOR LIVERPOOL CASE STUDIES - THE BEAUTIFUL IDEAS CO. BUSINESS MODEL
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LAUNCHPAD - BEAUTIFUL IDEAS COMPANY
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“A few years ago a project launched called “The Beautiful North” and was designed to change the perceptions of North Liverpool. Anfield Comprehensive was demolished and turned it into a car park for people going to Anfield to watch the game. No huge campaign, no sponsored Facebook posts, just simply, a car park that generated a lot of money to go back into the local economy and give local people jobs. The money was matched by central government and now Beautiful Ideas Co are here to take over and regenerate through social empowerment. They’re not dishing out grants for the biggest sob story, they’re planting the seeds so a dynasty of entrepreneurialism can flourish. You can either look at something as a problem or as a growth opportunity. For example, you could look at North Liverpool as an area with mass unemployment or you could look at it as an area densely populated with a skilled workforce” INDEPENDANT LIVERPOOL BLOG
‘I want to help people, to enable and empower people as opposed to risk managing controlling them.’
£485
The meaning behind the name Metaneo is to engage the whole of your being to turn your life around. The logo is made up of three primary colours that have infinite potential to mix together and make something unique. A business advisor told me to come along to MyClubmoor. I was told there is an amazing project going on, you need to talk to them. I got some practical support, straight off to try out some coaching ideas. Clubmoor reminds me of Dagenham where I am originally from. I was always warmly welcomed. It’s a community I belong to. It’s a community I feel invested in , a community I feel committed to. To access more information about the services Metanoeo offers including life coach training; wellbeing entrepreneurship and life and wellbeing skills; professional and vocational skills and a collaborative ongoing support network go to www.metanoeo.org.uk.
IF you have a business idea that needs funding get in touch with uS!
Dave Wood
Dave Wood, Metanoeo ‘The best cleaning tool I’ve got? ….Err me.’ I clean anything really me. I like to see dirt, I go into one when it’s clean. I like messy, it means I can go in and make it look nice and fresh. I’ve lived around here for three years and feel safe - I like the community and the sense of togetherness. Our MP always gets a skip at the end of our street and posts leaflets himself. It is a bit rough around the edges, but you get that everywhere.
£740
I wouldn’t have been able to start the business without the money I got off MyClubmoor -the grant helped me to purchase materials and carpet cleaner. My next step is to get advertising on my van and employing someone local to help me out. One tip I will give for free. Keep on top of your cleaning, concentrate on one little bit area and before you know it you will be done.” Paul Ianson, Perfect Clean
Paul Ianson, Perfect Clean
SINCE 2015 MY CLUBMOOR HAS GIVEN OVER £149,000 TO LOCAL People, ORGANISaTIONS AND START UP BUSINESSES
£500
‘A lot of people say community is dead and gone, I am telling you now it is not.’ We are a non-funded community centre with an open door policy, making a difference regardless of ability or disability - all are welcome. My Clubmoor is fantastic! The grant allowed us to run a series of workshops around music therapy – focusing on how with the onset of dementia music can trigger memories. It was meant to run for 8 weeks but carried on for 15. It had a big impact, a couple of seconds at the beginning, a music compilation, 10/15 seconds you have that person back as your Mum, your Nan or Dad. The Bridge Centre offers a wide range of services and activities for all ages on a weekly basis. For more information you can find them on Facebook under The Bridge Community Centre.
The Bridge
Sue Benson, The Bridge
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“I think that MyClubmoor is a very good community, and I love it when there are events in the area like the Dog Show. I’ve really enjoyed getting involved in doing up the Builder’s yard”. Jordan, Young resident of Clubmoor, at our reactivation day at 58 Maiden Lane
“Thank you to MyClubmoor for funding the Dad’s Club for the next 12 months, keeping another community-based programme running for local dads who attend the club, something I have been very involved with, so Happy 10th Anniversary Dads Club” Trev, Roscoe Primary School Caretaker
“I have always lived around Clubmoor, I think it’s a fairly well selfcontained community- if I could change one thing I’d revitalise Larkhill shops and Townsend shops and make these areas like mini Broadways” Local Resident
‘I used to say this every morning in my Resettlement Course’s in the prison - “You can’t alter your past, but you can shape your future” Alan, Foodbank Volunteer
OF CLUBMOOR
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MY CLUBMOOR MAP 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
56 Maiden lane community hub THE BRIDGE CENTRE ST ANDREW’S COMMUNITY CENTRE West derby library Norris green youth centre Norris green library Ellergreen community Centre BROAD SQUARE SCHOOL Marlborough allotments Roscoe primary school St Matthew’s primary SChool Clubmoor Presbyt. Church leamington Primary school LMH Housing office ST Christopher’s Church ST ANDREW’S CHURCH BROADWAY SHOPPING AREA FARMER’S ARMS PUB
where are your favourite places iN clubmoor?
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MY CLUBMOOR AN ARTS-LED STRATEGY WHY? Whilst we were working on fixing up the Maiden Lane space, Dan Russell and Dan Ryder were also touring Liverpool, talking to people from the rich array of community, art and cultural projects happening right here in the city about ideas that could be applied to MyClubmoor. With this stage of MyClubmoor we have been thinking about it as a creative project in it’s own right, and have been looking at other local art and community projects (with a very broad definition of art that covers all kinds of things. As Scouse artist Nina Edge puts it: “whatever medium or activity will get you from A to B”, meaning that creativity in all its forms can move you from wondering what to do to actually doing it. These places are well worth visiting to find out more, either in your own time or on official MyClubmoor go-see trips that we can plan for the future. The aim is to get MyClubmoor even more firmly established amongst these similar projects and develop ways of working alongside some of them, running activities and workshops with them right here in Clubmoor. Of course, Clubmoor is it’s own place but there are certainly things to be borrowed from the community-led approaches of these projects. Hopefully they demonstrate how connected these kinds of projects are in the city, and that by coming together and sharing expertise and ideas seriously impressive things are achievable! The following examples are places that we can A) borrow ideas from, B) go and visit for inspiration and C) work with in some way in the future.
TATE / LJMU We popped along to John Moore’s University to chat to Michael Birchall, where he holds a collaborative post as Senior Lecturer in Exhibition Studies at LJMU whilst also being Curator of Public Practice at Tate Liverpool. He is looking at collaborative arts partnerships and is writing a book about arts and communities. He recommended a trip to St Helens to visit Heart of Glass, an ongoing art project that has fantastic involvement from local people. Dan Ryder headed down to an event Michael organised about art, activism and interesting ways community art projects and what’s known as socially-engaged art can make a real difference to places. He reported back that it was fascinating to find out more about the history of community art in this city and to meet people from projects not a million miles away from MyClubmoor (both in distance and ambition!). http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-liverpool http://www.heartofglass.org.uk
BLUECOAT We met with Lauren Velvick, programme coordinator and Laura Yates, participation manager at the Bluecoat to talk about what happens both in their building an out and about, including co-commissioning artwork with Granby 4 Streets, and providing “space, props and an atmosphere to sit around and do things together” for people in Liverpool. They have a few strands of engagement and participation grouped around social care, adults, children and families, for which the focus is the Blueroom. This is for artists with a learning disability and is now in its 10th year. Out of the Blue is another project they run, an after school art club at various schools and Sedgemoor Day Centre in Norris Green. They often work on projects in conjunction with academics, which is something to think about for MyClubmoor (with three or four universities in the city). Someone’s research might be pertinent to what we are doing here and that can be mutually benefical to sustaining, developing and helping people find out about projects. The Bluecoat also provides studio facilities for people to just come in and create, as they believe that “it shouldn’t just be people from affluent backgrounds who are able to get into the arts if that’s what they want to do, there needs to be pathways”. http://www.thebluecoat.org.uk http://www.thebluecoat.org.uk/content/blueroom http://www.thebluecoat.org.uk/gallery/out-ofthe-blue
FACT Prior to working at the Bluecoat, Laura Yates, something of a specialist in connecting artists and communities, worked for FACT, the Foundation for Art and Creative Technology. Specifically, she was involved in Tenantspin, an important community arts project (where she worked alongside Ed Pink). Tenantspin essentially established itself as an online broadcaster in a pre-social media age, run by local (mainly over 65 years old) community residents. Gradually the people involved got more confident interviewing people, chatting live on air and deciding what their broadcasts should focus on, to the point where it was difficult to tell where the art project ended and normal life began. This merging of creative outlets with everyday life is something we are dead keen on for MyClubmoor. https://www.fact.co.uk https://www.fact.co.uk/projects/tenantspinthe-incomplete-archive.aspx
NINA EDGE - WELSH STREETS Another former Housing Market Renewal pathfinder project, the Welsh streets are the flagship example of community fightback against housing demolition in Liverpool. We saw Nina Edge do a talk about their battle. They’ve been campaigning since 2002 and saw 480 residents shrink to two. By fighting back they eventually prevented the area being completely demolished. Things might not be so adversarial in Clubmoor, but there is still the potential to use creative methods to be pro-active in how the area could be in future, rather than reactive to the hand you are dealt as the Welsh Streets were forced to be. Nina is an artist and used visual art to communicate ideas of resistance on the street itself - alongside others like The Anonymous Poet, as well as taking the story of the Welsh Streets to exhibitions in galleries, like the Bluecoat. She also left flyers for the Welsh Streets in the Bluecoat, so people started popping down to see the streets and what was going on there. They planted wildflowers, and similarly to Homebaked, used ‘design diplomacy’ – demonstrating an alternative by showing those in power an alternative. Having alternative plans drawn up by the community and sympathetic architects rather than choose from the options handed to them by the authorities. They worked with storytellers to gain coverage in the national media, which meant the local papers had to start covering them. Mentioning ‘Ringo Starr’ in press releases (he grew up on Madryn street) achieved global news-wire circulation in twenty minutes! They also did community theatre pieces about the Welsh Streets and wrote hundreds of letters. I saw Nina do a talk in Manchester where she said that “whatever medium or activity will get you from A to B is the best”, meaning that creative projects can often move you along from wondering what to do to actually doing it. welshstreets.co.uk @welshstreets @nothingwelshstreets
RAPID RESPONSE UNIT A pretty new initiative launched recently in the buildup to the Biennial, Rapid Response Unit is a year-long project based in an old shop unit (albeit one a bit closer to the town centre than our own hub space) in St John’s Market. They are inviting artists from international stars (like Jeremy Deller – heard of him?) to local artists like Sam Wiehl to produce artworks that respond to the headlines in the newspapers. They are also running workshops in the their space and doing activities with local schools, groups and other Liverpool arts organisations. https://www.rruliverpool.com https://www.facebook.com/RRUNews/
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OPEN EYE GALLERY We headed down to Mann Island on the Liverpool Waterfront to talk to Creative Producer at Open Eye, Liz Wewiora. She introduced us to the Culture Shifts project, where photographers work with different communities in Merseyside and Cheshire, in places like Runcorn, Widness, responding to the different situations in each place. Exhibitions of the work made with the locals are exhibited at regional venues and at the Open Eye gallery in Liverpool itself, so there’s a nice overlap of artists and members of the communities who have got involved in the projects. There were different priorities in each area and the projects reflected that. Sometimes they built on what people were already interested in: in one place a lady had taken a photo of the smoke from the factories everyday and that was a great starting point for a project to be built around: what’s already happening. Open Eye also run the Photostories website as a way of showing off people’s images and it’ll be possible for Clubmoor images to be featured in future. They also run training workshops which MyClubmoor is also bringing to the area for any budding photographers out there! http://openeye.org.uk http://photostories.org.uk/#/
METAL - Liverpool A “cultural and creative hub for artists, the neighbourhood and Merseyside” based at Edge Hill Station (the world’s oldest active passenger railway station), Metal has been going since 2012. We didn’t interview anyone from Metal but Dan Russell has worked with them in the past and knows a bit about what they do, including: inviting international artists to come and work from the Station; supporting local artists; running projects with the local community; hosting free film nights; managing a community garden and working with other Liverpool cultural organisations to come up with projects that respond to the Edge Hill area and wider city. http://www.metalculture.com/projectcategories/liverpool/
CREATIVE ORGANISATIONS OF LIVERPOOL https://cool-collective.co.uk ART IN LIVERPOOL http://artinliverpool.com It’s Biennial year this year! http://www.biennial.com
#SUPERCONNECTOR The Superconnector diagram illustrates organisations and individuals that work in Clubmoor and beyond. Some of these are future collaborators or partners, some are those with whom we have worked before. By illustrating these we can explore new connections or partnerships that might be made, which will in turn strengthen networks in the area and the city. By making the networks visible, we can allow anyone to connect to them. The superconnector diagram shown is here is just a starting point - we’d love you contribute to this by adding names, or organisations that you think you could connect to those we have shown, or projects and potential collaborations.
Green lines show potential connections Pink lines show existing connections Organistaions with an * indicate My Clubmoor grant winners.
Designed and produced by
WITH INPUT FROM : JOHN MAGUIRE KEVIN PEACOCK EDWIN PINK DAN RUSSELL DAN RYDER all diagrams by studio polpo ALL PHOTOS by MYCLUBMOOR all CASE STUDY images BY INDIVIDUAL CASE STUDY ORGANISATIONS BACKGROUND COVER IMAGE: DETAIL OF ‘COME TOGETHER’ GRAPHIC BY AARON GIVENS