Major environmental improvement contract awarded by Better Start Bradford

We are pleased to announce that we have awarded a £518,000 contract for its Better Place project to Groundwork North, East and West Yorkshire.

The Better Place project will work with the local community in the Better Start Bradford area  (Little Horton, Bowling and Barkerend and Bradford Moor) to develop safer and healthier places for children under four to play and walk, and increase access to green spaces. The project will also find ways to reduce exposure to harmful traffic fumes for pregnant women and small children.

Groundwork will start the three-year Better Place project on 1 February 2018. Better Place will identify and oversee improvements to the local environment in the Better Start Bradford area with the aim of providing a healthier and happier environment for babies, young children and families. The project will be delivered in collaboration with Bradford Council, Public Health, voluntary and community sector groups and our own Better Start Bradford projects.

Michaela Howell, Programme Director, Better Start Bradford, said: “As the name suggests, Better Place is all about making our local area a great place for families.  The project will explore how we can help families have access to good quality parks, other green spaces and places to play, and safe walking and cycling routes where they are protected from harmful pollution. There’s so much opportunity for making sure our local area is a safer, healthier, and happier place to bring a child into the world. We are very excited about this project getting underway.”

Peter Murphy, Operations Director, Groundwork, said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Better Start Bradford to deliver their Better Place project. This project is all about working with local families to see how we can make improvements in the area to make it a more child and family friendly place.”

“We’re looking forward to getting out in the community where we will be meeting and talking to families in the area about their needs, hopes and concerns. It’s widely accepted that a poor environment affects health and well-being, and that applies to babies and small children too. The Better Place project will show how improving and investing in key features of the local environment can improve children’s emotional health and fitness and set them up for life.”

The Better Place project will look at:

• Access to high quality green spaces and outdoor play facilities that are important to children’s health and wellbeing, such as parks, playgrounds and woodland to connect with nature.
• Opportunities for children to play and enjoy nature, looking for opportunities to ‘reclaim’ spaces for families’ use.
• Access to safe, high quality routes and spaces for families to walk and exercise, so they can get around through healthy, safe, affordable and enjoyable means.
• Air quality in the local area, especially in places where children live and play, considering how local sources of pollution can be addressed and how we can help protect pregnant women and children from exposure to fumes.