Evolve: Neighbourhood Regeneration Through Partnership
News Stories
Joint Vision for Cleaner Neighbourhoods
22 October 2007
One Vision Housing is working in partnership with Evolve Neighbourhood Regeneration to clean and green neighbourhoods in Sefton.
The Evolve One Vision Clean Team provides dedicated, responsive cleansing services, with three new jobs for Urban Environmental Rangers created through this joint initiative.
The partnership was launched with a series of community clean-ups across the area during September and October. One Vision's Chief Executive Roy Williams and One Vision's Director of Housing and Customer Services Michelle Wood joined Evolve Neighbourhood Director Maria O'Brien, colleagues and residents during the clean-up of the Pendle Estate, Netherton. The team removed 15 tonnes of overgrown vegetation, removed rubbish from communal areas, washed away graffiti and cleared discarded furniture and fly-tipping.
Five further clean-up days across the area have removed a total of over 150 bin bags of waste from Christchurch neighbourhoods, Fernhill Way, Bootle, the area surrounding the Gordon Youth Club, Netherton, grounds around the Bedford Road Community Centre and a sheltered scheme on Hawthorne Road. The team has also planted flowers and shrubs, strimmed grass and cut back untidy hedges to the delight of residents.
Roy Williams said: One Vision Housing believes that building better communities should be at the heart of everything that we do. Through this partnership we can help create cleaner, greener neighbourhoods for our tenants and play a greater part in targeting those specific areas of the borough which have long-standing problems with litter and overgrown communal areas. We believe this partnership will be a great success and we are all extremely happy to have Evolve on board.
Dave Tai, Evolve Neighbourhood Manager, told us: We are delighted to expand our services through this exciting partnership with One Vision. We share a commitment to improving our neighbourhoods for the benefit of local people who deserve a clean and green environment. The community clean-up days have given us a head start in stopping the grot and weve had a great response from residents.
The Evolve Clean Team is part of the award-winning enterprise IN Environmental. Originally supported solely by Neighbourhood Renewal Fund grant, IN Environmental now has a total turnover of £1.1million and contracts across Merseyside. As a social enterprise within PLUS Housing Group, IN Environmental's profits are ploughed back into growing the service, providing training and jobs for people who have previously been long-term unemployed. Urban Environmental Rangers study for an NVQ in Horticulture and have opportunities for progression.
For further information on this story, please contact Bridget Waters at bridget.waters@plusgroupltd.org.uk or telephone them on 0151 708 4653
