A Clarion youth engagement initiative based in Colchester and Tendring has reached the final stage of the Inspire Future Generations Awards.
Nominated for the Young Engagement Initiative award, the Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community project, spearheaded by Clarion’s Development team, harnesses the creativity of local young people to design a new 7,500 home garden community located on the border of the two districts.
With engaging and empowering young people being key objectives for the project, the Development team collaborated with social enterprise, MATT+FIONA, to ensure that the ideas and values of the young participants are placed front and centre.
Clarion’s Development team created a programme that included three key projects:
- Young People's Forum
- Schools Design Challenge
- Summer Studio
For each project, the team reached out to young people from the Colchester and Tendring areas to hear their ideas for the spaces, which could then be incorporated into design plans for the new garden community.
Pupils from years 3 to 11 took part in workshops where they could create an architectural brief, design them, and bring their ideas to life with models, which were later presented at the One Colchester Community Hub exhibition in July.
To date, 319 children and young people have been involved in shaping the new Garden Community. With ages ranging from seven to 17, a number of Ukrainian refugee families who have settled into the area, have also participated.
Now in its third year, the Inspire Future Generations Awards celebrate and recognise outstanding initiatives, organisations, and individuals who are bridging the gap between architecture and young people. This mission is reflected by our Development team, who want to create positive change within Clarion homes and communities and inspire future generations.
