Hyde Park Source

Volunteering for Hyde Park Source one day a week one summer is one of the best things I have done in Leeds. In the Hyde Park/​Burley area they re-​develop the bin yards that every 4 houses shares on the streets of narrow back-​to-​backs that are usually totally unusable for anything and often filled with rubbish. The bin yards — with permission and in-​put from the residents — are transformed into spaces that are nice to be in and usable, for growing plants or having bbq’s. Mosaics get made, walls get painted and planters filled all with the help of volunteers like me and kids from school who don’t necessarily get on in the classroom.
It was such a rewarding experience for me. I got to learn how to lay paving, render walls, make mosaics, use a saw, all whilst supporting the young people on the project. Working with people in the community like this also widened my eyes to Leeds beyond the impermanent student bubble; I became aware of an older group of people involved in things such as Unity Day. The gardens really brighten up the area too and sometimes I wish I had a bin yard so they could come and jazz up my space!

From humble begins stemming from locals aggravated by the state of their streets, in particular the somewhat hazardous bin areas that proliferate in Hyde Park and Burley, Hyde Park Source has developed to become a resource centre for on-​site skills and training based on renovating outdoor spaces. Focusing on up-​skilling young folks projects and skills encompass anything from brick-​laying to demolition and finer decorative skills such as mosaics and gardening. HPS is open to joint bids on projects as well as offering learning services and so can be useful to many areas of the community. On top of this it cleverly be abbreviated to something you’d buy in a supermarket, like what they’ve done there.

I volunteer for Hyde Park Source once a week, and am really glad I do. It is really rewarding and I get to learn new skills and try out things I have never done before. They started out in 1998 with the idea of improving the local environment through building and renovating spaces that were not safe or just really dirty, into gardens, play areas and social spaces for people to enjoy. Nowadays the organisation is more based around training and development, but integrated with the environmental aspect it was previously surrounding. They provide support and training to disadvantaged young people through the various projects they take on around the community, teaching various construction, gardening, art and design and technology skills. Things such as digging, designing and making mosaics, willow weaving and bird house making are among many of the activities you can expect to find. It is a highly valued part of its community and provides a positive and educational place for people to come and learn or who just want to give something back.