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!

Pavilion Project

The project will remove an old, disused swimming pool from the school site and replace it with an outdoor learning space in the form of a covered wooden pavilion, which would enhance the landscape and provide an outdoor facility for the pupils and the wider community. The pavilion, used as an outdoor learning area, will enable local children and young people to learn about respect for the environment through hands-on involvement in recycling, composting and other modern environmental issues. This new facility can also be used by the local amateur dramatics society, the local Scout group and a local retirement home, amongst other local community groups. A total of 150 people are likely to benefit.

Open Road - Helping Families in Clacton

The project will improve the inside and outside of the Clacton Open Road Centre. Currently the centre is in a poor condition and has a negative impact on staff, volunteers, and local residents. The improvements will enable greater use of the centre, providing improved areas for the support and treatment for alcohol and drug misusers. The project will also include an extension to provide the group with more space. The applicant states 500 service users people will benefit from this project.

Shocott Spring Community Woodland

This delightful project co-ordinated by the Marston Vale Trust will expand on the existing Shocott Spring Community Woodland that lies between the rural communities of Shortstown and Cotton End in Bedfordshire. The People’s Millions award of £67,712 will pay for 23,000 trees and shrubs which will be added to the existing community woodland. A key part of the project was to involve the community in every stage from planning the woodland to planting the trees. Through the support of the local community, the Mayor of Bedford Frank Branston and Patrick Hall MP, the Trust planted their millionth tree at an event in February. More than 1200 houses are being built in the area within the next few years so there is clearly a need to hold on to local woodland. The creation of more green space with the involvement of the local community means that everyone will be able to enjoy the natural environment. Tony Talbot, managing director of Marston Vale Trust said, "The Forest of Marston Vale is all about engaging with communities to create woodlands and wild places for everyone to enjoy. Not only has People’s Millions allowed us to plant a beautiful new woodland in an area that desperately needs it, the award process has enabled us to involve the community in everything from design to raising the money and planting the trees. What’s more the process brought great TV and press coverage, making more people aware of our exciting project and helping them to get involved – a fantastic result for the forest and the community."

Crossroads Young Carers Project

The project will provide help, support and group sessions to young carers under 19 whose lives are restricted by their caring responsibilities. It would offer one on one support, days out, life skills and focus days, short projects and residential trips. It will begin carer groups in schools and encourage carers to become volunteers. The programme will be decided by the young carers through a youth council, and will include sporting and outdoor activities and new healthy eating and cookery groups. The project will benefit 280 people.

The Listen Here! Minibus

The project will provide a mobile outreach service for elderly, deaf people in the rural areas of Norfolk. The group will purchase and adapt a minibus to make it accessible for people with physical as well as sensory impairments. The minibus will follow a regular monthly route, and the service will be operated by trained volunteers, who will offer support on hearing aid maintenance, as well as providing information and guidance on other aspects of deafness. Families will be able to receive support via the service including access to lip reading and sign language courses. The group will also use the minibus for community and public events, promoting the service and raising awareness. There will be an estimated 2,500 beneficiaries.

Splashing Out

The project will refurbish the currently unused open-air pool and transform it into a modern, enclosed and heated pool that can be used all year round. The facility will be available to the children at Colneis Junior School, as well as other primary schools in the Felixstowe area during the school day. Swimming is a compulsory part of the National Curriculum, and the proposed indoor pool will enable more local children to develop their skills. It will also be available for hire by other local groups in the community outside school hours. Around 1,300 members of the community will benefit, and the resource will be accessible to all.

Environment Project

The project will provide a sensory garden for students and the local community. The students, who have severe learning difficulties, will have a more interactive learning environment and will be able to play outside with other local groups, play schemes and mainstream student bodies. The school has recently moved into new refurbished premises, sacrificing a hydrotherapy pool and other therapeutic aids at their old site, and have no resources to develop the large area of undeveloped land around the school building. Members of the local community will also be able to access the sensory garden free of charge, thus encouraging awareness raising of the school and its students, helping them to integrate into everyday community life. The school are also expecting GPs and health professionals to make referrals to the garden, to make use of its therapeutic benefits.

The Town And Bridge Community Garden

The project will renovate a number of vacant plots at Maidenhall Allotments, Ipswich, in order to create a community garden. The land is currently disused and will provide a valuable community resource for all ages. The garden will feature growing areas, a sensory garden and accessible toilets. The community will be supported to grow fruit, vegetables, plants and herbs as a way of improving their health and well-being. Older people, BME groups, people with physical and learning disabilities, as well as those experiencing mental health difficulties will be encouraged to access the site and its facilities. The project will also provide opportunities for volunteering and placements from a range of local organisations.

Golden Gardens

The project aims to convert two unused and vandalised garage sites into community gardens. The organisation will work with community policemen, street rangers, residents and children in Goldington on the designs for the sites and the delivery of the project. The project will encourage involvement and the sharing of gardening skills to create an open access garden and a green training area where the community can grow food and plants. The gardens will be for all ages to enjoy and include areas for food production and natural habitats. Two garages will be set up as tool stores/workshops to be used as educational centres.

Tennis for All at Wickham

The project will provide additional sporting facilities in Wickham Market, which are accessible to the whole community. Three hard tennis courts with nets and fencing will be installed, and a tennis club will be developed to encourage active participation by residents of the village and surrounding areas. The courts will be located close to the primary school so children can get involved. Local volunteers will be trained as coaches, and both children and adults will be offered the opportunity to develop and improve their tennis skills. The project will benefit around 600 people.