Anglia Projects

ITV Anglia transmits to Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire.

Over the past five years of the People’s Millions competition we have seen some great projects in the region. Previous winners include community gardens, a bandstand, a big green tractor, a mobile sensory playroom and many more!

NTGA Ability Zone

The project would provide everyone in the local area with the opportunity to participate in trampolining gymnastics especially those with learning difficulties. In collaboration with the Federation for Disabled Sport the project would increase participation and widen access. The project would take place in Northampton.

Three Holes Playing Field

This project would develop the Three Holes Playing Field. The existing obsolete and potentially dangerous play equipment would be removed and new innovative play equipment will be installed. The project also aims to engage young people from the village in the construction of a teen shelter. The project would take place in the village of Three Holes near Wisbech.

Poplars Community Play Project

To enhance the grounds of this community school; add a garden providing places for seating, new opportunities to explore wildlife & weather and increased opportunities for imaginative and physical play. The school grounds are shared by out of school car

Browick Road Youth

The project will provide a concrete skate park and a BMX racetrack for young people. It will be situated in the Town Centre on recreation grounds that already provides a children's playground, tennis court and all-weather multi-sports pitch, a shelter, public toilets and grassed sports pitches. They will provide a series of demonstrations, lessons and competitions to raise awareness of the facilities available and encourage beginners to try them out.

A 21st Century Victorian Garden

The project will improve the facilities and access to this Victorian garden used for recreation and outdoor events.

The Angles Return (improved public recreation park)

A project to improve the appearance of and increase the use of an existing recreational park. Two large housing estates and three schools border the park. They will extend an existing pond and improve the facilities for fishing, create a dedicated area for wildlife and an outdoor grassed amphitheatre; all for use by local people and especially the children from three local schools. New trees, shrubs and landscaping will improve the appearance of the area.

Whittlesey Bowls & Petanque For All

The project would replace warped bowling rinks and install accessible toilet facilities to improve access to the indoor bowling and petanque facilities for disabled people and the elderly. The project would take place in Whittlesey, Peterborough.

Hope Project Community House

The Hope Project is a community centre on the Hemmingwell estate in Wellingborough. "Nobody chooses to live here," says local resident Teresa. "I was moved here by the Borough Council otherwise I would have been on the streets." "Hemmingwell faces a lot of problems," agrees Simon Trundle, pastor of the church and chief executive of the Hope Project. "There are 1,000 houses on the estate and many are in the top eight per cent deprived neighbourhoods. There are high levels of drug use, school truancy and teenage pregnancy and, with the closure of many local industries since the 1970s, there are families with three generations that have never had a job." h3. Pub scrubs up The Hemmingwell church bought a disused pub on the estate with the intention of opening it as a community centre. "The pub had been closed 11 times in nine years," explained Simon. "This was due to high levels of crime, including drugs, prostitution and intimidation. The inside was filthy and in very bad condition, with asbestos in some rooms and problems with the wiring, fencing and access." The project applied for and won a People’s Millions grant in 2006 to refurbish the pub into "The Well" community centre and pre-school. Local young people did a lot of the initial refurbishment work; ripping out fittings and opening up the rooms helped to involve them and gave them a sense of ownership. h3. Thriving community The Well is now a bright, clean and airy place to visit and a thriving community hub. The centre has a cafe, staffed mainly by volunteers, a pre-school with 26 local children, day clubs including taster sessions for hobbies and a "knit and natter" for the older community, as well as Friday night youth clubs. Upstairs offices are used for IT training, a family support team, counselling and lifeskills courses such as parenting, anger management and assertiveness. The project employs 11 people, most of whom have been upskilled from volunteers. Amanda attended a summer activity week with her son and now works in the pre-school, having completed training in Childcare and Development through the Hope Project. "When I started coming here I was depressed. I’d been stuck in the house and I worked in a shop but the project brought me out of myself," she said. "Without this project the estate would be much worse off – there would be no meeting place to talk if you have worries. Before, people would run past here due to crime but now they are interested and they come in. I’d be lost if I wasn’t here, I don’t feel on my own any more." "When I moved here I knew no-one," agrees Teresa. "My housing officer told me to come to the Hope Project. Now I volunteer in the cafe each week and I have loads of friends. Once my children are in school I am going to look at training they have available and use that to get a job."

Henry Hallam Therapy Centre

To renovate a barnyard complex to provide a classroom/quiet room, disabled toilet, kennels, stable and small animal house. Together these facilities will be used as a visitor centre where groups and individuals, having a wide range of special needs, can have opportunities to interact and work with animals. Work placement students will also use the facilities as a classroom.