Build Up Open Call

Do you know a publicly accessible space that could better serve the needs of local young people?

Young people are often excluded from decisions about their communities. Especially in areas of regeneration. Their voices, understanding and connection to the places they live are often overlooked and undervalued. At Build Up, we’re working to change that.

Build Up is a charity that runs practical construction projects across London. We support young people aged 10 – 25 to design and build public and community spaces. We bring young people, builders and designers together, equipping young people with the tools and agency to have ownership over their neighbourhoods.

Over the past ten years, we’ve co-created 55 inclusive outdoor spaces that young people still cherish. Together, we’ve built hang out spaces, parkour courses, play areas and gardens; places where young people can relax, play and socialise, and most importantly, feel welcome. Our projects enable young people to influence their local area, be heard, and regain their sense of belonging.

Build Up is opening applications for new public space projects. We’d love to hear from people and organisations that want to work with young people to transform a public space in their local area.

“It’s easy to lose faith, and think “nobody cares”, but challenging that has been helpful. It’s reminded me not to lose my aspiration for change, because it can feel like no-one cares about my community. And now I’m feeling like there are groups of people, with power, who genuinely care about community input.” Mia, 18

What we offer:

As architects and construction workers, we know that building can be a powerful experience; one that can create feelings of ownership and belonging.

We work to create access to these experiences for the young people we work with: sharing with them the tools and agency that contribute to a sense of ownership over their neighbourhoods.

We’ll guide you through every step to make your young peoples’ ideas a reality. We’ll help with project planning, budgeting, and involving young people in design and construction.

A core aspect of any partnership with Build Up is collaborating to secure funding, supported by our specialist expertise. Please note that Build Up does not hold existing funds for Open Call projects. Instead, the Open Call offers an opportunity to partner with us to develop, secure funding for, and deliver a project together.

What we’re looking for:

For this Open Call we’re looking for projects that support young people to shape publicly accessible outdoor spaces across London. By ‘public spaces’ we mean places that, once projects are complete, anyone can access 24 hours a day. This might include projects on high streets, residential estates, parks, playgrounds, seating spaces and sports facilities.

Limited public space has a negative effect on young people, their mental health and their sense of belonging. We want to hear about ideas for projects that will help create spaces for young people to spend time and feel welcome in their local area.

You might be a young person, youth group, or local resident that wants to improve or create a space in your local area for young people. Or you might be a member of an organisation (e.g. a council, housing association or tenants residents association) that manages a public space and is committed to helping young people make decisions about it.

We’ll support you through the project development process, to get the right funding, partners on board, and permissions to make it happen. We will then work with the young people involved to identify a desired use and design for the site, and build it.

Is this a funding application?

Please note that Build Up does not hold or distribute funding for Open Call projects. A core aspect of any partnership with Build Up is collaborating to secure funding, supported by our specialist expertise.

Build Up provides additional support to grassroots groups or smaller organisations, and expects larger organisations to play a bigger role in fundraising.

We welcome applications from people and organisations that:

+ Are focused on meeting the needs of young people in London facing structural inequalities, whether related to their ethnicity, gender, class, disability, income, housing, sexuality, care experience or other lived experiences

+ Are committed to putting decision making into the hands of those young people, and can show experience (and willingness) to listen to young people

+ Know which group of young people the project will work with

+ Have a specific site in mind (see below for more information)

+ Can dedicate time to developing and realising your project idea

Spaces should be:

+ Publicly accessible, for example parks, streets, and other areas that are open to the public

+ Intended to be in use for at least 10 years

+ We are open to proposals on sites owned by both public (for example councils, housing associations) and private bodies, or where ownership is unclear

+ In our experience it is easier to set up projects on publicly owned sites

We’re looking for projects that:

+ Are young person centred from the start. Projects where the design and outcome have already been decided are less likely to be successful – unless you can evidence that this has been determined by local young people.

+ Address an existing need identified by local young people (or include opportunities for this need to be defined)

+ Make an uncared for environment feel more cared for

+ Promote feelings of safety, comfort and inclusion in public space

We are particularly interested in working with organisations supporting young people to address structural issues that impact them or amplifying youth voices in areas undergoing regeneration. Public space projects involve multiple local stakeholders and are an opportunity for young people to influence decision makers.

What does a Public Space Open Call project involve?