Hartcliffe and Withywood children build local pride

Three hundred children about to leave primary school in Hartcliffe and Withywood are identifying how their communities have contributed to the city through a new project, ‘Changing Landscapes, Changing Lives’.

As a result of close working between the M-shed and Bristol City Council’s extended services team, this programme has helped children to understand how their area has developed. They have explored how their area may be similar or different to other areas of Bristol, by interviewing friends and family about their memories, taking a coach tour of key landmarks, and visiting the M-Shed.

The children will all be working on a display of what they have done in the classroom and found out about at the M-Shed. On Tuesday 10 July, they will be going to Hartcliffe Library, where they will work with local artist, Chris Fisher, who will draw things for them, which they feel represent their area. This will be added to the display.

Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Councillor Clare Campion-Smith said: “We want children in Hartcliffe and Withywood to feel closer to the rest of the city and to understand what an important role their families have made in contributing to the prosperity of Bristol. We know some children don’t often get the opportunity to visit the city centre and make the most of what is on offer there.

“We also hope this project will help bring together different parts of the community. Most housing is not much more than fifty years old and therefore all families were ‘newly arrived’ in the relatively recent past. As our children reach an important stage in their lives by starting secondary school, it is a good time to help foster community pride and improve understanding of diversity in the city.”

Head teacher at Gay Elms Primary School, Annette Osborne, said: “The staff at Gay Elms were delighted to be offered the opportunity to participate in this project, which has enriched the curriculum for our Year 6 pupils by encouraging them to respect and value their local community. Through the project our children have recognised the historical importance of their immediate locality and how this has contributed to developments within the city.

“Transition from primary to secondary education can be a difficult time for some children and participation in the project has enabled them to view changes positively, while recognising their own importance as citizens of Bristol.”