Aleksa

Open Call

Aleksa Asme, Youth Advisory Board introduces the Build Up Open Call.

The Build Up Open Call is our way of asking, “What could you build with young people if you had the chance?” It’s an invitation for groups with outdoor spaces in need of transformation to pitch a project they want support with. On the surface, it sounds simple. It includes an application form, a proposal, a bit of dreaming. But for me, being part of the Youth Advisory Board reviewing these applications, it’s become much more than that. It’s a way for young people to have real power in deciding which communities get long-term, hands-on support. The YAB consists of young people, reviewing spaces that will benefit other young people.

This was my first year experiencing the Open Call, and the importance of it. Everyone that applies is essentially saying, “We have a need that we can’t meet alone.” Our job is to listen, evaluate honestly, and make sure our decision actually reflects where that need is greatest, not just which idea sounds the coolest or most exciting for the young people. We take that seriously. When we shortlist the applications and go on site visits, you can feel the differences between spaces: some are neglected, some are overcrowded, some are full of potential but lacking any real investment. Seeing that up close makes the responsibility very real.

The process itself has a rhythm: applications, reviews, debates, site visits, more debates, selecting our top three, and then handing those over to Build Up staff for partnership development. Sometimes we end up with one partner, sometimes two, depending on the scale of the builds. After that, the long journey of 6 to 24 months of collaboration begins. More visits, meeting the young people, ideating, fundraising, designing, getting approvals, and eventually building something together that they can be proud of.

Personally, I didn’t expect the emotional weight of choosing. I thought it would be more straightforward, but standing in a space and meeting the people who use it changes your perspective. Every space had its own story, had its own community, and its own potential future. I learned how to distinguish between a great idea and a great need. I also learned how important it is to trust your gut while still being fair and critical. And honestly, it taught me a lot about responsibility, not in a school-lesson kind of way, but in a “your decision will genuinely affect people’s lives” way.

What’s next? For me, it’s diving deeper into the upcoming project and making sure the young people in the chosen organisation genuinely lead the process. For Build Up, it’s continuing to refine the Open Call so more communities can access opportunities like this. And for the young people who will take part in the project, hopefully it will be a chance to build not just a space, but confidence, skills, and ownership.

If anything, being part of the Open Call has shown me how powerful it is when young people are trusted to make big decisions, and the importance of keeping them at decision-making for spaces that are for them.

Javarron

The Structure

Hello, my name is Javarron. I am from South West London and I was a part of the Build Up project that took place in Larkhall Park in Summer 2024.

I got involved with Build Up through the Director of Oasis Play, who informed me about an amazing project for young people in the community to take part in. It sounded too good to miss out on. The project was for a group of young people between 12-18 to design and build a structure that they could hang out in.

This structure they designed was for the older young people to access in the park. There is a seating area where people can sit high up, accessed by a net and a climbing wall. The structure also has a seating area below it, which is good for young people who may not be able to climb or access the top. This can also be used when it’s raining as there are not that many places in the park that are shielded from the rain.

My role initially was to help recruit and inform young people in the area about this project. Then during the project I helped keep them motivated throughout the design and build, encouraging them to get out of their comfort zones whilst trying new things. My role also involved me working with a group to help to practically build the structure. The way the day would take place would be firstly safety checks and a briefing, then splitting into smaller groups to complete different tasks, such as measuring and cutting pieces of wood to size and drilling them into place. With frequent breaks in between, before you know it the workshop for that day was completed. Due to this project I learned and became more familiar with tools that I would not usually use on a daily basis. These are things that will stay with me for many years.

Another thing I definitely enjoyed about this project was young people that didn’t know each other or wouldn’t usually socialise with each other coming together to build a structure that they could call their own. It was definitely a treasurable and wholesome thing to see. They also got to design and build a structure that they and other people who use the park can use. This is something they can be happy with and show their friends that they had a part in, which gives them a sense of pride and happiness. Everyone looked forward to the opening day that was set for the structure in the park to be officially open to the public, which the Mayor of Lambeth attended. The young people involved were given a certificate for their hard work and dedication from myself and the staff. To finish the opening, there was food prepared to celebrate the structure being completed.

Overall, The project taught many skills for the people involved, not only physical skills with the tools, but social skills with interacting with each other to build something they designed. This also helps to teach them that they can do anything they put their mind to, and that many hands make light work. This was really important for me because not many projects like this happen in that area and, in my opinion, they are hard to find and access for lower income places. This was such a wholesome experience and one I will never forget.

One thing I would like to ask the person or people reading this is to please, if you can, interact with the young people in your community and be patient with them. This is honestly really important because many of them are misunderstood and are just looking for guidance.

Arda

Homerton Grove

My name is Arda, and I am going to share my experiences on Build Up work placement at Homerton Adventure Playground.

The project aimed to create a new more exciting and “risky” play structure to match what the kids wanted. After some designing with the team and listening to the young people’s ideas, we decided on a balance pole. This feature included a ramp at one end and a tower at the other, connecting it to the rest of the playground structure. The design added a challenging yet safe element for the kids to enjoy.

My role was to support the team to Build the project. I was constantly involved in tasks like measuring, cutting, and screwing wood, which helped bring the design to life. Additionally, I took on responsibilities such as taking care of some of the young people who came to participate in building with us. This gave the kids the chance to contribute to their playground, and it also required me to supervise and engage with them to keep things safe and enjoyable.

Through this project, I gained valuable practical experience and developed new skills in construction and teamwork. It also gave me the chance to connect with experienced team members and bond with the kids who were directly benefiting from the work. Seeing the young people’s excitement and knowing we were making a positive impact on their play space made it a truly rewarding experience.

One of the most valuable things that came from this project was the opportunity to learn skills that are unique to this kind of environment. For example, I got to use tools I had never worked with before, gaining first hand experience that you would not be able to get from just reading or watching. However, I also found unexpected lessons, such as learning how to interact with and look after young people. This added a whole new feeling to the experience, as it needed me to be patient, adaptable, and have focus on safety while still making the project fun and engaging for them.

I believe this project was important not just for the practical skills it provided but also for the impact it had on the area and the small community surrounding the Adventure Playground. It felt meaningful to contribute to a space where kids could have fun, challenge themselves, and explore. Helping to enhance this environment showed me how projects like this can bring people together and make a positive difference in their lives.

Jaydiene

Somerford Grove

My name is Jaydiene. I am 17 years old. I did my first ever Build Up project when I was 12 at Somerford Grove Adventure Playground and I have done two projects with them since.

I got involved through the playground letting me know about an opportunity happening during the half term and asking if it would be something I would like to be involved in. The project was about building a drop slide. I think originally it was supposed to be an add on to the existing treehouse but they decided to do it on its own to avoid the treehouse becoming overly cluttered. My role was to help with the build and help other young people take part in afternoon group sessions.

Something I got out of this project is learning what my weaknesses are and how I could build on them which is really helpful for future projects and life in general. For example, I don’t feel confident teaching other people what to do. A way I figured out how to get better at this is instead of creating a teaching setting, I would frame it as a conversation. I would give the young people tips and tricks of how to do something instead of telling them you have to do this in one specific way. This would help the person being taught feel more relaxed.

Overall, it was a very euphoric experience being involved with this project and I’m very thankful to have been given the opportunity to take part. Something I’m doing differently after doing this project is I want to learn more about carpentry and I would like to pursue this field of work. The reason why I enjoy carpentry is because I like to learn whilst being “hands on” and practical in comparison to a traditional classroom setting. I am also a massive fan of lego which I think contributes to the career choice.

I gained a lot of experience out of this opportunity: I learned how to use some new tools, I think out of all the power tools the circular saw is probably my favourite. I also gained experience of a generic 9 to 5 working day. I found the whole experience very fun, the days flowed very nicely and seeing the progress of the slide happen day after day was honestly incredible.

Something I would say is important for me and my community especially is having spaces for people to feel free and relaxed. Due to the area I live in being quite closed off, there aren’t many places to feel free and that’s not great. I hope with the addition of the slide at the playground it has made more people want to get outside more and for longer. I have been attending the playground on and off for about 11 years now and my time there has been amazing and its sad to see that places like these aren’t around anymore.

Something I would like you as the reader to do is try and get more involved within your community. It doesn’t have to be something massive but something significant. Quality over quantity.

Faith

Red Path

My name is Faith, I’m 22 years old and have lived in Hackney all my life! I have lived in Homerton for over 16 years and am very interested in community engagement and social action.

Reimagining our reality is not easy, but it is the first step towards innovation and change. Growing up in Hackney as a young woman, my reality has always been an acute awareness of the dangers of walking alone, particularly at night. There have always been routes that are ‘no-go’ zones despite their time-saving benefits. The Red Path was once one of these forbidden routes. However, through my involvement in the Red Path Project, I have begun to see things in a new light, and embrace the opportunity for transformation. Every community has its problems. But even long-lasting, deep-rooted issues can be addressed through collective engagement and the reimagining of an undesirable reality.

I got involved in the project because I know what it feels like to be troubled by an issue, yet feel somewhat powerless about changing it. I’m sure many people feel that way about a whole range of issues in Hackney. In particular, attending the Hackney Wick Town Hall community meeting and facilitating our community engagement sessions have revealed that local residents have always had concerns about the Red Path, but have just lived with them. This may be because of a lack of time to do anything about it, or because of disillusionment with the powerholders or processes which could be doing more to maintain and improve the path. But it became clear that local people had a lot to say about issues with the path and had many ideas for how to improve it.

I saw a similar enthusiasm for change every single week during our project design workshops. Every week, there was a room of local young people sticking idea-filled post-it notes on maps, drawing elaborate sketches of design plans, and creating cardboard models for a new path. Each of us were consistently trying new things and stepping out of our comfort zone to try and reimagine the reality of the Red Path. We were fuelled by our own experiences of living in the area, but also by the new knowledge we gained through consultations with a range of experts in areas such as active travel, accessibility, and women and girls’ safety.

During our workshop on women and girls’ safety, Julia King asked us: ‘What would you do if there were no limitations at all?’ For me, that question signalled a shift in how I approached the project. Before that point, myself and others in the group were afraid to bring bolder ideas and often caveated our more innovative thoughts due to our perceived ‘reality’. For example, initially, we presumed any art exhibition along the path would probably get stolen or vandalised, or that a new public toilet could be misused or mistreated. However, by the end of our sessions, we were able to see beyond our own pre-judgment and begin to design with the freedom of optimism (but not delusion).

As someone with absolutely no background in creative arts, design or engineering, I knew that this project would pose some challenges for me and really take me out of my comfort zone. But this was a major reason why I wanted to get involved. I found new ways of expressing myself through sketching and got stuck in with scalpels to create things that I never thought I could. Moreover, as someone who doesn’t cycle, I never thought I would have any ideas on active travel. As someone without a physical disability, I never thought I would have any ideas about improving accessibility. As someone who has never really thought about the surface of the floors that I walk on, I never would have thought that I would have any ideas about surfacing and materiality, and its implications for people with mobility needs. But the project pushed me to think about these things in more depth and now I often find myself pointing out examples of tactile paving when I walk down the street!

The creation of a new and improved Red Path would be an amazing outcome from this project. If we could implement all of our ideas for its transformation, there is no doubt that it would lead to a Red Path that local residents can celebrate and be proud of. But even if we can’t get everything done exactly how we have imagined it, the project should serve as a reminder that we don’t need to just live with issues in the community, we can actually do something about them. All it takes is a bit of reimagining and the centring of the community’s voices and concerns.

Freddie

Red Path

My name is Freddie Beresford, I am 18 years old and I have lived on the Gascoyne estate for 3 years. I am an aspiring political journalist with a passion for social justice.

I first heard about the Red Path redevelopment project in August 2023. Living about 10 minutes from the path, I had used it many times as a convenient cut-through: coming off Mabley Green to head towards Stratford; walking from Homerton to meet friends on the green; getting home from Hackney Wick. Like so many people, I paid it very little mind, just viewing it as another run-down, neglected walkway I’d steer clear of in the dark. No-one else seemed to care about it, so why would I?

Learning that there was a committed partnership of local and specialist charities working to improve the path was a surprise at first. It’s easy to get used to the idea that our streets aren’t worth working to improve; that no-one would really bother putting time and effort into a public works project like this. Reading about the project, it was a pleasant reminder that there are people who care, and that with the right focus of resources, it is possible to improve our own communities. The more I learnt about the project, the more excited I felt about its potential. I have a keen interest in accessible design, particularly tactile paving. I envisioned a path that was not only technically accessible, but easy and pleasant to use for all. My initial designs were relentlessly practical- I had a lot of ideas about how the path could be resurfaced to improve accessibility. After the site visit during our first session, the ideas of the rest of the team inspired me to think of the bigger picture more creatively: to consider how we could make walking down the path feel safe, comfortable and enjoyable rather than simply necessary.

From the beginning, this project was unusual. The idea to redesign at all was put forward by a young adult from the local community, who was also part of our design team. The community has been centred at every stage of the process, rather than given a tokenistic consultation with minimal impact on the actual final product. Although some elements of the project were much harder for me than they likely would have been for a professional architect (amongst many other things, this project has taught me that I am not cut out for technical drawing), the final product, a design concept born out of an authentic local collaboration, is infinitely more valuable than something that could be drawn up by someone with no care for the area or how it is actually used by the community. Allowing local people to create our own spaces means an increased emotional investment and pride in them; a major issue with the path was that it felt neglected and poorly maintained. What better way to increase the number of local people who care about the space than have us design it ourselves?

Working on the Red Path project, I felt empowered and valued. Although we had support from professional urban planners from Space Black and Build Up, and sought expertise from various external consultants, the design concepts drawn up were entirely drawn from the community: from us, as a team of local young people, but also from people we met at the community sessions we ran alongside the design sessions. We adapted our designs to consider what is valuable to the people who use the path. We met a local resident, for instance, who works to maintain the corner of Mabley Green that backs onto the path, and on his guidance we were able to design a new pathway into the green, which would make the Red Path feel more pleasant and open, without damaging the existing ecosystem.

I hope that the success of this project is part of a new movement towards urban planning which honestly centres communities. With a little faith and the right support, we have proven that local people are capable of creating bold, yet practical designs that meet the diverse needs of our neighbourhoods.

The Red Path Project is an innovative community co-design initiative, which puts local young people and residents in charge of the redesign of an important pedestrian and cycling path in Hackney Wick. The project is being delivered by urban design collective Space Black, youth construction and design specialists Build Up, and youth charity Hackney Quest. The project is funded by the London Legacy Development Corporation.

Aleksa

Javarron

Arda

Jaydiene

Faith

Freddie

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