Changemakers: Inspiring residents to become leaders

In Cambridgeshire, Val Fendley was part of Ramsey Million Big Local when it first began. When it became one of the first areas to spend its £1million of Big Local funding, Val went on to join Ramsey Neighbourhoods Trust – the organisation continuing the Big Local area’s work in the community. Here Val, now a Young People and Families Development Manager, shares her experience of being involved in over a decade of community development in Ramsey.

Val’s story

“Nobody ever listens to us.” That’s what Ramsey residents said when we consulted them in 2012 about setting up a Big Local partnership. They were talking about how they wanted local people to run it.

At that time, the town council wasn’t representative of the local community. Ramsey was a town of two halves: a very affluent half and the social housing half that experienced multiple deprivation, from education and unemployment to health issues.

Traditionally, it was people from the more affluent area who were in decision-making roles. Generally, people from the other half of Ramsey didn’t feel like they were consulted.

I’m most proud of all of the people who … have gained skills, had training, and gone into workplaces… Now we’re all in the canoe, paddling upstream together.”

The biggest legacy of Big Local is everyone now works together for the benefit of Ramsey. We’ve moved from having massive arguments about who should do what, and groups doing things on their own, to developing the skills of local people from across the demographic of our community.

I’m most proud of all of the people who, through Ramsey Million, have gained skills, had training, and gone into workplaces. It’s incredible. Now we’re all in the canoe, paddling upstream together.

By listening to them, valuing their input and getting people involved from all of the communities in the town, trust and partnerships with the council have grown. Now five residents that have been involved in Ramsey Million are on the council.

I am too. I’m a councillor and deputy mayor of Ramsey, roles that I was undoubtedly led to by being involved with Big Local.

My nickname was ‘The Palette Knife’ because I’d smooth things over and try to get people to see things from other perspectives.”

I worked in libraries for 25 years and I’m a people person. I wanted to get involved in Ramsey Million because the community were taking it forward, not ordinary decision-makers. It was about local people bringing about change for themselves.

Keeping momentum

I started off as a volunteer in 2012, reaching out to all the communities in Ramsey to get them involved with Big Local and feeding in thoughts on how it could work. When the partnership for Ramsey Million was set up, they made the brave decision to use some of the £1million to employ me part-time, to help keep momentum and coordinate the things that they wanted to see happen.

I helped the partnership of 24 with their first project plan, supporting them to consider risks and benefits and creating a business case. My nickname was ‘The Palette Knife’ because I’d smooth things over and try to get people to see things from other perspectives.

Being part of Ramsey Million has been a support network for me over the last 10 years, when I’ve been a carer for my dad who had dementia. There were times in the pandemic when my dad was sleeping and I’d be on the laptop allocating roles to volunteers. It has helped me to have another focus.

Supporting children and young people

Our approach was to ask the local community what they wanted and deliver projects as pilots to see how they worked. We gathered data and took the pilots forward for more funding to build on them.

For example, Ramsey Million has supported hundreds of children and young people. Local people who ran one of our youth groups identified a need for mental health support. So, they commissioned a Young People’s Counselling Service for a pilot scheme which is now self-funded.

It’s been amazing to watch how young people have developed thanks to these groups.”

Bring on School Holidays, or BOSH, was the first project Ramsey Million delivered in the summer of 2013. It became a weekly club and summer play scheme for five to 10 year-olds.

Another club, CRUNCH, came out of this. It’s a weekly youth club for 11 to 16 year-olds. Both are continuing to run through the Ramsey Neighbourhoods Trust, with the support of Ramsey Town Council, which has part-funded the staff costs for several years.

It’s been amazing to watch how young people have developed thanks to these groups. After attending themselves, some became volunteer youth leaders with us, completing free training and getting jobs in schools and nurseries.

A rich history right on our doorstep

Our Discover Ramsey project has been a major success. The project, which started in 2015, was about making the most of our market town heritage and raising the profile of the area to help develop it.

Ramsey has a lot to offer, including a museum and the remains of an abbey. Discover Ramsey, with further funding from the Lottery’s Heritage Fund, helped to organise twice yearly heritage open days and a website to promote the town.

This focus on our heritage led to us becoming a finalist in an East of England tourism award, raising our profile with more councils. An evaluation found that visitor numbers increased to the town’s attractions.

Discover Ramsey has also led to the formation of Ramsey Heritage Partnership, a Community Interest Company. It is continuing the legacy of promoting the history of Ramsey to tourists and local people who didn’t realise what was right on their doorstep.

Residents told us that there’s so much more happening in Ramsey now. They talk about continuing the work Ramsey Million started.”

Celebrating community achievements

Our annual music festival CREATE-Fest celebrated the achievements of Ramsey Million as it reached its end. The partnership felt it was really important to close the Big Local with this event, which brought people together.

We used it to listen to local people, to see what they think has been achieved. They told us that there’s so much more happening in Ramsey now. They talked about continuing the work Ramsey Million started by keeping local bus services going in the rural area and working with developers and planners to secure a site for a skatepark.

Ramsey Million has proved that, if you give local people money and time and support them, this model of community development can work.”

Estate agents and local people talk about Ramsey being ‘vibrant’ now. Ramsey Million has had this impact, helping – alongside Ramsey Neighbourhoods Trust – to bring in over £600,000 of funding for community projects. Now, as soon as a shop becomes empty in the town, three or four businesses want to rent it.

The town council is listening to, consulting and communicating with local people more. There’s a lot of development, with houses being built and major supermarket chains coming to Ramsey. And there’s more growth to come, with the town council working on a neighbourhood plan for the area.

Ramsey Million has proved that, if you give local people money and time and support them, this model of community development can work. It has set a foundation, which we will build from. The young people who have come through Big Local and are developing their skills will keep the community development going.

I’ll continue to be involved in developing Ramsey too, because it’s my passion. I think the local community must have seen I have some leadership skills and that I’m a grafter.

Interview by Trina Wallace

Read more Changemakers stories from the people delivering Big Local on our Voices page.