environmentfor people

environment......for people, places, business

Groundwork Pennine Lancashire is the biggest environmental charity inLancashire. Our purpose is to build sustainable communities, working withpartners to help improve people’s lives, their prospects and potential and the placeswhere they live, work and play.

Groundwork is a social business; there are no shareholders to distribute profits to.Instead we offer social dividends to support the local community in a variety ofinnovative ways, delivering programmes of work for places, people and business.

Environment for People We work with local communities to improve their quality of life on projects suchas youth engagement, sustainable development training, healthy lifestyleschemes, mental health initiatives, fundraising, community consultation andheritage work. We use the environment as a tool to help people make healthierchoices and deliver improved social and economic prospects.

Environment for Places Our landscape design and contracts team delivers a wide range of services toimprove local environments for businesses, local authorities, registered sociallandlords and community enterprises. We believe passionately in the importanceof quality design that connects with the needs of communities.

Environment for Business Our health, safety and environmental consultancy and training services helpbusinesses increase profit and productivity whilst reducing environmentalimpact. We help businesses adapt to a new greener economy and providesupport to navigate legislative minefields. We also work to develop the potentialof people by helping to increase skills and provide work experience.

Our projects and services tend to be cross-cutting – we join up differentagendas and deliver multiple outcomes. Our unique blend of skills and experienceensures that Groundwork lead the way in providing holistic solutions that meetyour needs.

...improving people’s lives

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welcome

about us...engaging and improving

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Groundwork Pennine Lancashire work with local communities on a wide range ofprojects to improve the quality of life throughout the region.

Projects include:

• Youth engagement• Community engagement and consultation• Training in sustainable development• Healthy lifestyle schemes• Mental health initiatives• Fundraising• Heritage work

In every project, Groundwork staff work closely with clients and beneficiaries tobuild trust and confidence, and this has led to a high level of repeat custom fromsatisfied clients.

Community involvement is an integral part of the work Groundwork do, andwe work hard to make sure residents are fully informed of the work we’re doingin their area and their specific needs are met – we use a range of techniques andapproaches to gather and analyse information, from questionnaires andconsultation sessions to online surveys, door-to-door interviews and letter drops.

All members of staff are highly trained to deal with people of all ages andbackgrounds, and particularly to engage with hard-to-reach groups.

Groundwork deliver a number of projects for local authorities, and have developedstrong ties with authorities and beneficiaries throughout Lancashire. Our teamhas a high level of experience in working to Local Area Agreements in each of thespecified areas.

...bridging the gap

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youth engagement

Reach OutGroundwork Pennine Lancashire believe that young people are part of the solution to improving quality of life in local areas. Our Reach Out programmes aim to help young people participate in their communities, bridging the generation gap, building confidence andself-esteem. We encourage young people, particularly those who are vulnerable and at risk,to become more involved in the place they live and help them play a full and active role withintheir local community.

The Reach Out Programmes are geographically focused in particular, usually deprived; neighbourhoods and our experienced staff engage young people in local decision makingstriving to meet their needs through a variety of projects, activities and services. We believeit is essential to empower young people, helping them to have a voice which is heard.

We deliver a wide range of programmes and activities providing disaffected young peopleaged 8-25 with the skills, capacity and motivation to help address issues that affect theirhealth, well being and personal development. In doing this we aim to reduce crime andnuisance/risk taking behaviour amongst young people, involving their families, the widercommunity and local partner agencies to ensure the programme adds value to existinginitiatives.

Our services and activities are in line with the ‘Every Child Matters’ five key outcomes.

Our services promote;

• physical and emotional wellbeing• development of positive relationships• engagement in the local community

Worklessness and Young PeopleThrough programmes such as Future Job Funds, Groundwork support unemployed youngpeople in their efforts to secure employment, providing role models and experience of thereal working environment for young people lacking such support from other sources.

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community engagement and consultation...discovering what’s important

Community ConsultationGroundwork Pennine Lancashire find out what’s really important to different groups withinlocal communities. We use a range of techniques and approaches to gather and analyseinformation; from questionnaires and consultation events through to participatory learning, actiontechniques and online surveys. Innovative approaches such as youth inclusion sports events, artsprogrammes, intergenerational activities or community fairs can help to engage the whole communityin the consultation.

What makes our consultation services different is our local knowledge, contacts and understandingof what works in different neighbourhoods.

Community engagementOur community links are used by many partner agencies to provide information, advice and support tocommunity groups. This can be on issues such as recycling, energy efficiency in the home or climatechange. In our role as facilitator, we can coordinate the actions of a range of local partners and helpcommunity groups to identify and secure funding.

Local HeritageBy helping people to understand and value their local environment and heritage, we can engagecommunities in a shared appreciation of their surroundings. This helps to foster integration andunderstanding between generations and helps people from different backgrounds to be more cohesive.

Offshoots Permaculture ProjectThe Offshoots Permaculture Project is a thriving fruit and vegetable garden and training centre. It actsas a demonstration centre for sustainability and links the environment with the Government’s health andskills agenda. The site holds courses and workshops for the general public focusing on permaculture,sustainability, eco-building techniques, recycling and composting. In addition to hosting regular schooland community group tours, the site is free to visit for members of the public. Offshoots also provide atraining environment and working space for young people and people with learning difficulties andmental health issues. The work and experience provided to them by the outdoor environment ofOffshoots helps them to grow in confidence and independence.

Getting ActiveGroundwork encourage and promote exercise by providing opportunities for people to get involved in physical activity in their local environment. Often this is the most accessible form of exercise forpeople intimidated by the culture of the gym or sporting club, and if there’s a social element then there can be positive effects upon mental health too.

Our projects include guided walks and walking clubs, initiatives that encourage group cycling and practical conservation or food growing. Conservation work can be one of the best work-outs there is, with theadded benefit of being in a social setting making a real difference to the local neighbourhood.

Eating HealthilyWith Groundwork’s support, many people are now growing their own food on local allotments while others are benefiting from community facilities serving up healthy meals. Through these projects olderpeople have the opportunity to pass on knowledge, people with no gardens are benefiting from community allotments and young people are discovering that great food doesn’t have to come from asupermarket or takeaway.

These initiatives usually involve working with a local community group to establish and develop a site forfood growing - including community orchards, full-scale allotments, small plots on community gardens andeven window boxes.

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health and wellbeing...promoting healthy lifestyles

Education for Sustainable DevelopmentOur education and training programmes help participants to not only acquire knowledge and understandingof the principles of sustainable development but also help them to acquire the skills and values needed todo something about them. We are about much more than recycling or environmental education. We try to challenge participants to think and work in a profoundly different way.

In schools we deliver a wide range of one off interactive workshops and programmes that focus on sustainable development education. By covering themes from the National Framework for Sustainable Schools including fairtrade and climate change we help to inspire participants to find solutions to improve their quality of life and thelives of people in all parts of the world.

We also offer a One World Schools programme delivered in partnership with Lancashire Wildlife Trust. One World Schoolsis a tailored package of longer term support for your school that takes a whole school approach, encouraging pupils,staff and parents to actively engage in decisions that affect them. We offer a comprehensive package of educationfor sustainable development and schools to make significant energy and water savings, reduce litter and waste, createoutdoor classrooms with food growing and wildlife areas, encourage walking and cycling to school and much more.

Alternative EducationAt our Outdoor Education Centre in Rossendale, ‘The Bunker’, we deliver an Alternative Education Programme withstructured accredited outcomes for young people aged between 12 and 16 years of age. This Programme offers a vocational, hands on experience aimed at students who are struggling to thrive in the mainstream educational environment. Pupils participate in activities such as hedge laying, dry stone walling, growing their own food,woodland management, bushcraft and wilderness skills and mountain bike maintenance and riding.

Through this engagement our staff provide matrix accredited ‘Information, Advice and Guidance’ to the young peoplethey work with.

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training for sustainable development...creating a brighter future

The children enjoyed and learnt a great deal from the work you did in all our schools. The workshopsessions really opened the children’s eyes and several children commented on how much they had enjoyedthe learning experience.”

Wendy W Harvey, Pendle Network Learning Community.

I have been a volunteer at Offshoots for nearly a year. The benefits to my health and wellbeing havebeen enormous and this is due to the atmosphere and very supportive staff.

Angela Turton, Volunteer at Offshoots.

The Council has been working closely with Groundwork for many years and it is an increasingly successfulpartnership: they are one of our key partners in work with vulnerable young people. Groundwork has theflexibility to respond to young people's needs in ways that other organisations cannot easily achieve. Theyreach out into local communities and make contact with young people who might not otherwise be involvedin positive activities.

Bill Lovat, Blackburn With Darwen Council.

What a joy and delight, not only the beautiful countryside, the stunning views and the exercise, but thesupport, encouragement and enthusiasm of two exceptional members of your staff. It is difficult to describethe empowerment and confidence that experience brought!

JD Norris JP, Speaking of a heritage guided walk organised with mobility scooters for a group with impaired mobility.

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Groundwork Pennine Lancashire

The Environment Centre Nova Scotia Wharf

193 Bolton Road Blackburn BB2 3GE

T 01254 265163 F 01254 692835

to find out more log on at www.penninelancs.groundworknw.org.uk

Groundwork Pennine Lancashire, one of the biggest environmental regeneration charities in Lancashire.