Beechwood Social Action Project

North Halifax Partnership (NHP) is a community-focused organisation based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, dedicated to improving local wellbeing and public services. Alongside its wider work with Parks and Green Spaces (GSSS), NHP has been leading new park partnership groups in Mixenden, Beechwood Park and Shroggs Park, bringing residents together to shape and improve their green spaces.

One exciting example of this work was the Beechwood Social Action Project, which ran over six weeks in the summer holidays. Every week, young people and local residents came together at Beechwood Park for two-hour sessions packed with activities, sports, and opportunities to connect.

The project aimed to:

• Build bridges between Holmfield Bowling Club and young people, following incidents of anti-social behaviour on the bowling green.

• Make the most of the park’s new facilities, including a tennis court and 3v3 basketball hoops.

• Give young people a chance to try new sports, creative activities, and positive ways to use the park.

  
  

With open access to the bowling pavilion and green, plus equipment for football, rugby, basketball, tennis, cycling, and even a pop-up skatepark, the project created a welcoming, safe space for everyone. Over six sessions, there were 359 attendances by young people, a real sign of the demand for activities like this.

Real Stories, Real Impact

The numbers tell part of the story, but the personal experiences show the true difference this project made:

• From beginner to confident skater: An 18-year-old girl came along to learn skateboarding at the pop-up skatepark. With guidance from Hardie at Skate It Yourself, she went from not being able to ride at all to dropping in on a ramp by the end of the project. She now visits Orange Box skatepark regularly and is thriving in her new hobby.

• A family discovers tennis: A mum and her 8-year-old daughter tried tennis for the first time while waiting for the skatepark to set up. They loved it so much that they played every week during the project. Inspired, they bought their own rackets and now continue to play on the courts in their own time.

• Tackling loneliness through bowls: A bowler invited a retired man he met in a charity shop to join the sessions. After trying bowls for the first time, the man said, “I had so much fun, it was great meeting so many new people.” He now plans to become a regular member of the club.

• Bowling becomes a family favourite: A dad and his children joined in by chance when they spotted the activities while walking through the park. The children enjoyed it, but the dad enjoyed it even more—so much so that he signed up to join the club himself.

• Boys on bikes try something new: A group of teenage boys came for the skatepark, but when it was delayed one week, they gave other sports a go instead. They discovered they enjoyed football, basketball, and tennis—sports they wouldn’t normally have tried.

• Girls grow in confidence: A group of younger girls were initially nervous about skateboarding, but with encouragement from Hardie, they not only gave it a go but also started learning tricks. Now they’re keen to get skateboards of their own.

The Beechwood Social Action Project shows what can happen when communities come together to make the most of their parks, turning green spaces into places of fun, connection, and opportunity.