Changing places
The Basildon Parks story
Basildon has been on a remarkable journey to transform its parks and green spaces. Movement has become the vehicle for rebuilding confidence, strengthening communities and demonstrating the value of investing in local people and places.
What began through the Essex Local Delivery Pilot (ELDP) as a community-led effort to encourage physical activity, has now evolved, with the help of Sport England Place Partnership, to reshape both local environments and the systems that support them.
When the ELDP was established in 2018, it sought to tackle inactivity and inequalities differently, working WITH communities rather than delivering programmes TO them.
A key partner in making this happen was Achieve Thrive Flourish (ATF), whose neighbourhood-based model focused on building trust, connecting residents and creating opportunities for local people to shape change themselves. Through discovery days and consistent community presence, ATF worked alongside neighbourhoods to understand what they wanted from their local spaces and how parks could become places where people felt they belonged.
Nowhere demonstrates this journey better than Northlands Park in Pitsea.
Northlands Park
Despite being one of Basildon’s greatest physical assets, the park had developed a reputation for its anti-social behaviour and crime, meaning families no longer viewed it as somewhere to spend time.
Through ATF’s engagement with local schools and families delivering regular activities, the park slowly began to change, and community confidence increased. More than 70 local people became involved through volunteering or employment opportunities linked to ATFs work, creating a network of local champions and community leaders. More recently, the park has been awarded its first-ever Green Flag award, making it the first park in Basildon to receive the international quality mark for green spaces.
The vehicle for change
The ELDP investment has helped to create opportunities for people to be active within Basildon parks and green spaces in ways that were accessible, welcoming and importantly, community driven.
Across the district, activities have included ParkPlay, parkrun, Essex Pedal Power led rides, youth engagement through Flex Youth, mindfulness walks and Beat the Street challenges. The real success has been how partners have worked together to reduce barriers and the costs associated with delivering community activity in parks.
For us, it was never just about increasing activity levels. We wanted to provide a reason for people to visit parks, reconnect with neighbours and build positive aspirations with local spaces. It shows that when communities are engaged and empowered, investment in infrastructure becomes more impactful and sustainable.Juliette Raison, Active Essex Relationship Manager for South West Essex
Place Partnership is deepening the change
Sport England’s Place Partnership investment is now helping Basildon move from successful activation, towards long-term system change. Infrastructure improvements are no longer viewed as simply ‘capital projects’, they’re seen as a continuation of the community activation journey.
At Northlands Park alone, significant investment has seen a redeveloped multi use games area, a new skate park, improved play facilities, pathways and cycle parking, all shaped through community consultation. Partners have prioritised accessibility, inclusivity and the needs of different groups in their design.
Beyond Northlands, Place Partnership work has supported developments including Whitmore Park PlayZone, Lawn Tennis Association investment, Park Tennis provision, Football Foundation funding, improvements to facilities at Lake Meadows and Mopsies and wider accessibility improvements across parks and green spaces.
Lasting behaviour change
More residents are now using parks and green spaces across Basildon, participating in activity, volunteering, leading initiatives and feeling ownership. Parks that were once avoided are now destinations for sport, connection and wellbeing.
And – the system has also changed. Local partners have developed stronger relationships, investment decisions are increasingly informed by community voice and organisations are working together around shared local outcomes. At the very foundation of this success is the demonstration and power of place-based working to transform both communities and the environments around them.
