‘Ehangu’ in Welsh means to expand. Over the past eighteen months it has been incredible to see the Ehangu project expand and grow from the initial vision of the Early Learning Community in Bettws Newport (BELC), who wanted to share their learning about place-based change in another part of Wales.
Two organisations from Ely and Caerau in Cardiff (community development charity ACE and Ely and Caerau Children’s Centre came together to write a proposal which was chosen as our first Ehangu ‘place'. Save the Children provided seed funding and ‘backbone’ support to help design and guide the development of Ehangu, by facilitating a series of listening workshops and helping form a partnership of community members and organisations across education, health, Cardiff Council and the voluntary sector. From this, a new shared vision for the community emerged.
There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ when it comes to place-based work. Every place and every early year’s system is different. Ehangu in Cardiff has demonstrated how much more we can achieve by shifting the power away from individual organisations and simply working together. Ehangu has created space for partners to listen to families and each other, plan and align their vision, and share staff and resources, with the aim of achieving lasting change for children in Ely & Caerau.
Community spirit
Ely and Caerau is a large area in the West of Cardiff, often disproportionately stigmatised by poverty, unemployment and anti-social behaviour. Many families struggle to make ends meet with almost 70% of children qualifying for free school meals. Despite the challenges, it’s an incredibly welcoming community, with huge strengths, an enormous sense of loyalty and identity, coupled with a strong drive to improve the quality of life for local people.
It’s overwhelming that since March 2023 change has happened, and a new collaboration of trusting relationships has formed. Organisations now have a better understanding of what matters to families with young children - who in turn have played their part in designing positive change for their community. Through a series of engagement workshops families told us there was a need for:
- safe outdoor spaces for under-fives to play and learn
- more opportunities for parents to connect and support one another
- improved relationships and trust between families with young children and young people
The ‘Dan y Coed’ magical gardens
Several great ideas were suggested and following a ‘deciding the project’ event in December 2023, attended by practitioners, parents and children, the consensus was to create and develop three new community garden spaces.
And so… Dan y Coed - which means ‘under the trees’ - was born. A project shaped by the community for the community!
Walking around one of the gardens today is like entering a secret fairyland - meandering paths, overhanging trees, dens, digging areas and a pond full of surprises. Every garden is a work in progress - something new and exciting added almost every week. Children get dirty, dig for worms, make potions, listen to stories and even cook marshmallows over the fire (supervised of course!). Each garden is different, but all have been created in response to the voices of families.
- One parent said “It has surpassed all my expectations. It’s a perfect space - there’s so many activities in such a small space and it’s enclosed so feels really safe.”
- Another said that ‘when walking around the garden I feel restored – my head feels relaxed and I am in a calm and restful place’.
- One of the children said: ‘Me and my friends made smores! I’m here with my best friend - it’s so fun!’
A summer of play
Ehangu has brought about a changed mindset and a new way of working. Partners have seen the value of sharing staff, ideas and resources. Since Easter they have collectively organised a huge range of supervised outdoor play days. Save the Children’s Summer of Play programme added value by providing additional funds for picnics, wild cooking, afternoon tea, trips and even a summer play festival with circus tricks, hotdogs, popcorn, face painting, music and so much more.
Children are enjoying the outdoors and learning through play. Parents have new opportunities to meet and connect with each other, and pupils from the local High School join in the activities to help break down barriers and build trust between families with young children and young people.
One mum told me with tears in her eyes that she normally dreads the school holidays, but this has been their best summer ever. She couldn’t believe there were so many free activities to do with her children. For a community struggling to make ends meet – what a gift!
What’s next?
It’s empowering to see organisations working differently across traditional organisational boundaries. One partner observed that Ehangu has even inspired more crossover between internal teams.
Organisations are committed to securing joint funding to ensure a long-term commitment. No one organisation takes credit for delivery of activities – they work together with a shared vision, a different mindset and a flexible approach. They share successes and failures, working collaboratively to find creative solutions to the inevitable challenges and are already in the process of identifying and setting up new ‘Dan y Coed’ gardens.
Place-based work is a long-term endeavour and the development of the ‘Dan y Coed’ gardens is just the beginning! Change can be scary, but Ehangu has proved it can be done. It has inspired partners to step outside their comfort zone, learn together, explore, share, listen and collaborate.
Ehangu has brought to life the true meaning of ‘shifting the power’.
