A NEW outdoor green space in Bradford is the first in the district to be designed specifically for teenage girls to help them feel safer in their local park.
Bradford Council, JU:MP Programme and Incommunities Housing Association have collaborated on the project, spending £45,000 on equipment for girls.
The project has seen a small local green space in Fagley, located in the northeast of the city, transformed with parkour equipment, different areas of seating, and wildflower planting – all designed in a way to make the area more attractive and feel safer for teenage girls.
The project is a partnership between JU:MP (Join Us: Move Play) programme, funded by Sport England and delivered by Born in Bradford; housing association Incommunities and Bradford Council.
The opening of the Fagley play space comes just weeks after research from a recent study was published, which found that many women and girls in West Yorkshire believed their local parks to be unsafe.
In Bradford, the JU:MP programme has been working on making parks more attractive to teenage girls. Born in Bradford, a research programme hosted by Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, is leading on the JU:MP project.
Organisations worked with teenage girls who live in Fagley and involved them in the design process for the green space. The girls created mood boards and models to map out and visualise what they wanted to see from their local green space.
Caroline Swain, Community Engagement Manager for JU:MP at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It’s been great to work on this - it is such an important first for Bradford and it’s just the beginning of the work we’re doing to create more spaces like this.
“We held a series of workshops, so that we could work together to co-create a green space that would have elements chosen by the girls, but would be inclusive to all.”
The new play space is situated within an existing public open space in Fagley which is owned by Incommunities.
Rachael Dennis, Chief Executive of Incommunities, said: “Providing safe and inclusive spaces that help girls feel safer is essential and this project aligns perfectly with our commitment to building inclusive communities.”
Bradford Council’s landscape design team worked closely with the community to create the final design.
Cllr Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council's Executive Member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: "This new area will provide a wonderful space for teenage girls to come together, socialise, and engage in physical activities.”
Imogen Clark, a trustee at Make Space for Girls, said: “We’re really excited to have worked with JU:MP, Incommunities and Bradford Council to support a group of amazing young women who live in Fagley to co-design this fantastic area.”
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