Hollington Community Spirit
CHRIS WATKINS
Back at the start of this long, hot Summer, at The Bowl Play Park on Wishing Tree North, Hollington celebrated itself. The Hollington Community Spirit group worked with Tornado Twirl Stars, Hastings 1st Scouts Hollington, Women’s Voice, Gozmina’s Circus Skills and Just Jam/Ark in the Park to programme a day of play activities, the like of which many residents reported not having seen since the early 2000s.
Volunteers from Craig’s Cabin cooked up free food for the crowds, and community organiser Andrea Cowhig explained how Hollington had come out in their masses to celebrate the community and speak up for their play spaces and how they feel about them. Families that remembered using the play parks when they were better maintained talked about what they would like to see from their housing associations and the local council.
Andrea emphasises that as well as raising local spirit and community connection, the event was intended to highlight how resources are spent locally. “Most were aware that there has been a big grant given from the government for new play provisions and are hopeful that we’ll see some of that here in Hollington and Wishing Tree including The Bowl, Blackman Avenue, Kent Road and Willingdon Avenue. There was also discussion of more sports and activities being put on in the area, like other areas have in their parks.”
Andrea and her mother experienced a long-running disagreement with Southern Housing over the condition of their accommodation and, a couple of years ago, joined with other residents to form Hastings Area Southern Housing Tenants Association to better organise, pressure and work to improve conditions in local housing.
After a significant medical diagnosis, Andrea says stepping up as a community organiser provided her with a new confidence and motivation. “I know what it’s like to struggle, and it’s better to struggle together than alone. Especially working in a community that is struggling with things like loneliness, the cost of living, addictions, disability and a massive housing crisis. Standing up for myself gave me my voice again. I’ve always been someone who stood up for the underdog and been very passionate about what’s right.”
In the face of significant socio-economic challenges in the Hollington area, Andrea argues that problems like antisocial behaviour are best addressed by involving residents in regular activities and developing a shared sense of community responsibility. She formed Hollington Community Spirit group to organise events and, following the release of significant Government funding for community development, the group has recently applied for a Pride in Place grant.
As well as hoping to organise meetings, craft days for young people and community events several times a year, the grant application includes a plan for an ongoing six-week cookery course to help families learn more about healthy eating, budgeting and gain confidence making fresh food. Each course would end with a community meal, shared with family and friends of the participants.
Andrea says: “There’s pocket parks in Hollington which have been closed down – little parks which were intended for the roads around them, and we’re hoping to open one of those up to grow fruit and vegetables which will eventually be used to provide ingredients.”
Whilst recognising the danger of anti-social behaviour, Andrea is positive that involving often under-employed young people in community projects can create better community ownership. Since 2022, one of these ‘pocket parks’ has already been successfully developed into Craig’s Cabin, a community garden created within a small patch of fenced and otherwise unused land off Tile Barn Road.
Granted a lease by Southern Housing but otherwise run by volunteers, this charitable venture serves as a wellbeing garden, runs foraging walks, hosts men’s support meetings, regular social activities for children and monthly Community Spirit meetings.
Both groups are involved in the second part of the Pride in Place application, hoping to establish a location where young people can be taught practical trade skills and vegetable gardening to increase their resilience, community engagement and self-belief.
Andrea is not currently keen to repeat her recent unsuccessful run at the recent local elections. “I’dd rather be out there caring about the community. I think I can get more done not being a councillor.”
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