The Story of Mixenden Urban Park

Mixenden Urban Park – using a community led approach to turn an underutilised community space into a thriving active community asset.

The Active Calderdale Community Led Approach – engaging and involving communities in creating, shaping, and making decisions about what can support them to be active in their neighbourhood, began in Mixenden in May 2023. As part of the preparation phase, community engagement was carried out using a variety of methods and approaches to connect with local organisations and residents. This involved delivering workshops to residents and community assets, attending existing events and sessions hosted by organisations in Mixenden, conducting surveys, and walking around the area. These activities focused on finding out what matters to residents and what community resources could be utilised to support more people in being active.

Mixenden Urban Park came up repeatedly throughout the process. A green space in the heart of Mixenden which many years ago was a valued space and place where the community came together to be active.  

The park used to be home to the thriving Mixenden bowling club, which played a key role in the Yorkshire bowling scene, hosting championships for both able-bodied and disabled players. The club was built in the 1970s as part of the Jubilee celebrations and grew to have three teams. Sadly, it closed in 2006 and was later demolished, leaving debris behind in the park. Besides the bowling club, there were also three tennis courts that were regularly used by the community.

Since the demolition of the bowling club Mixenden Urban Park has had no investment or improvements and over the years it has become very unused. In recent decades the park fell off the grass-cutting schedule, which led to it becoming very overgrown and neglected. Residents were eager to transform this space into a hub for everyone to enjoy.

“I would like to see permanent paths that are safe to walk on. If I want to go for a walk I have to get in my car and drive to Shroggs (2 miles away). I’d love to be able to just go into my own area. I have lived on Woodbrook Avenue almost all my life and I played in the fields all the time as a kid. I’d love to be able to walk a circular route around the fields in safety, I can’t do that at the moment because it’s overgrown and unsafe.”

An older resident living on Woodbrook Avenue

“Mixenden Urban Park was an area that became a wasted space and wasn’t used.”

Angie - Mixenden resident

The team worked closely with residents to co-design a 'Park Concept Plan' aimed at addressing community priorities, including the enhancement of health and well-being. Through workshops, they developed an initial concept—a visual representation of how the space could be transformed. This collaborative effort encouraged greater community involvement. The plan was then shared online and at in-person events to gather feedback, which was utilised to refine the design and inform investment decisions.

The process began by identifying priority projects and opportunities for quick improvements to the space. Initial efforts included tree and shrub clearance to create better sightlines and enhance safety in the park's more enclosed areas. This approach aligned with research conducted by Make Space For Girls, which indicated that open spaces with visible entrances and exits are essential for ensuring that teenage girls and women feel safe when visiting and using parks.

The second phase of the project focused on enhancing the existing access points in the park to make it more accessible and inviting. The team received significant feedback, particularly from individuals with mobility challenges, indicating that the current paths into and throughout the park were not accessible. During the summer, the shrubbery became overgrown, while in the winter, the grass became muddy and boggy, further restricting access.

To address these issues, the team improved the entrances and established a network of paths that made the park accessible to everyone. Additionally, a drop curb was installed at one of the entrance points following advice and engagement with a disability advocacy group. These enhanced entrances and pathways now provide safe walking, wheeling, and cycling routes for the entire community, particularly benefiting older adults and individuals with disabilities.

The new pathway, which is fantastic because I can assure you, whilst it's sunny today, when it's not so sunny, getting stuck in a wheelchair in your community is not the best fun. I think it'll make a massive difference to a massive group of different people with lots of different needs. –

Cllr. Danielle Durrans - Cabinet Member for Public Services & Communities

The third phase focused on enhancing the park's appeal for all users by utilising existing assets. The team gathered feedback and collaborated with residents to determine priorities. The primary effort involved resurfacing three old, neglected sports courts. As a result, the courts are now vibrant with activity, featuring a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA), a basketball court, and a painted nature trail and roadway designed to encourage cycling among children.

An area was co-designed specifically for teenage girls, based on research showing that outdoor spaces often cater more to boys. To address this, it was important to include teenage girls in the design process and create spaces where they felt comfortable and wanted to spend time. Working with a local youth group run by Newground Together, teenage girls were invited to share their likes and dislikes about parks and green spaces by drawing their ideas. They also took a walk around Mixenden Urban Park to discuss how it could be improved to better suit their needs. The girls' top priority was having a place to sit and hang out when visiting green spaces. Using the Make Space For Girls toolkit, they helped choose the equipment, including a picnic bench, which has since been installed in the park. Similarly, older adults highlighted the need for seating in the park, providing a spot to rest and socialise.

Making and sustaining improvements to the park required input and support from multiple organisations and services. To enable this, we created the Mixenden Parks Partnership Group with representatives from local organisations and the local authority Green Space and Street Scene and Countryside teams, the services responsible for maintaining the park. The groups are responsible for overseeing the process including delivering the improvements and importantly commitment to maintaining any new improvements in the future. Improvements are recorded in the action plan and aim to create safe, welcoming, attractive, accessible, and sustainable parks and green spaces in Mixenden, involving local residents and the community in the process.

On Saturday 21st September Mixenden Party In The Parks was held to celebrate the official opening of Mixenden Urban Park alongside the newly refurbished playground on Sunny Bank Road. The event was organised and delivered with many local partners. Over 1000 people flooded the park across the afternoon and had the opportunity to experience the newly renovated park.

Questionnaire data was collected from those attending the Party In The Parks regarding the safety, accessibility, and attractiveness of the parks in Mixenden following the completed work. Compared to baseline data from 2022, there was an impressive response to the spaces.

“We have transformed an area that was just quite literally rack and ruin, a place where you had anti-social behaviour and children saying that they haven't got enough to do. Now they certainly do, there’s so many possibilities in this park”

Mungo Sheppard - Headteacher, Ash Green Primary

"It’s great to see a space that is now used by everyone, and it will have a big positive impact on the community."

Angie - Mixenden Resident

"The park looked brilliant and inclusive. Children in Mixenden and families have some nice areas to now take their children."

Mandy - Mixenden Resident

"The park feels much safer and looks more attractive."

Chelsey - Mixenden Resident

The park is really good for kids and families, there is plenty of choice to encourage activity.

Leanne - Mixenden Resident

Looking ahead, the team is collaborating with Active Champions in Mixenden to facilitate activity sessions in the Urban Park. They are also partnering with a group of artists who are co-designing a floor mural with local residents for the basketball court. The artists participated in the Party In The Parks event to engage the community creatively and have conducted sessions at Holy Nativity Church and with Newground Together’s youth group. Engagement and design sessions will continue over the next few months, with plans to paint the mural in spring next year.

At the vibrant Mixenden Party At The Parks event, We Belong Here CIC brought the community together with a lively drawing corner designed to engage and inspire local youth. Throughout the day, we connected with young people, encouraging them to express their experiences and visions for their neighbourhood through art. Situated beside the bustling basketball court, our corner provided the perfect vantage point to discuss and draw inspiration for the upcoming mural. This interactive setup sparked creativity and served as a relaxed and effective way to gauge their enthusiasm and gather valuable feedback. By immersing the youth in this creative process, we fostered connections and excitement, laying a strong foundation for the project's future success!

Nat Joseph - We Belong Here CIC