Columnist

A new approach to tackling the challenges of left behind places

Everyone deserves the chance to reach their potential. But where someone lives has a big impact on whether they get that chance.

This is the reality for people living in places across the North East that over time have become ‘left behind’ due to factors such as limited social infrastructure, a lack of connectivity, and years of underinvestment in key services.

Karbon Homes, a housing association which operates across the North East and Yorkshire, works within a number of the region’s ‘left behind’ communities and witnesses the deep-rooted challenges they face.

This year Karbon has refreshed its approach to supporting these communities, outlined in its recently launched ‘Fair Foundations’ report.

Charlotte Carpenter, Executive Director of Growth and Business Development at Karbon Homes, said: “As an anchor institution within our communities, we’re well placed to support left behind places to thrive.

“Our new approach moves away from a concentration on investment in alleviating the problems communities face and instead focuses on setting new goals that help tackle the roots of these problems in order to prevent them and facilitate long-lasting change. We want to create strong, sustainable places that empower the people that live there.”

Karbon is piloting its new approach in two communities where it has a large concentration of homes, a good understanding of what life is like for residents living there and the ability to have a transformational impact. These are Byker, a diverse ward east of Newcastle Upon Tyne, and Stanley, an ex-mining town in North Durham.

Newcastle from the Byker Wall

Alongside exploring the data on issues such as employment, people, infrastructure and transport, Karbon has worked closely with the people there to understand the challenges they face and what sustainable difference they can make.

A resounding theme heard in both places is that employment opportunities are lacking and often completely out of reach. To help tackle this, Karbon has rolled out New Start, an innovative paid placement programme which provides career starter roles for people aged 25 and over.

The programme reimagines how people access employment, giving candidates the opportunity to take on a five-month paid placement of up to 30 hours a week, with a range of local employers, accompanied by ongoing support from an employment advisor and the chance to complete training courses and qualifications.

Not only does this approach help local people to access jobs in the area, but it supports local businesses to grow as the five-month placements are fully funded by Karbon. It’s a win-win for the local economy.

Another reoccurring theme is the impact that the declining physical fabric of places has on the quality of life of those who live there.

Based on feedback from residents, who hammered home the need for investment plans that address the individual needs of the community, on the Byker estate Karbon is embarking on an extensive neighbourhood improvement plan.

Rather than a carbon copy of a regeneration project that has taken place elsewhere, the plan is made up of 11 individual neighbourhood masterplans designed to address each neighbourhood’s specific challenges.

From waste management improvements to car parking and safe play spaces for families, each masterplan has been influenced by the residents living there. This approach has enabled the community to play a much stronger role in shaping the place where they live, which, in turn, helps to build community pride and confidence.

Charlotte concluded: “As well as guiding Karbon’s new approach, the report also outlines some recommendations other organisations can take to join us on this journey. The current economic climate we’re all facing is tough, but this new approach isn’t about spending more money – it’s about refocusing it on initiatives that have the most impact.

“People in left-behind places deserve fair foundations for life and we hope to begin building a movement to make that possible.”

Read Karbon’s full Fair Foundations report online here

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