Value & IMpact

Between 1996 and 2005 Barclays SiteSavers invested around £5.5 million in the fabric of some of the country’s most disadvantaged neighbourhoods. It involved 76,000 people in practical projects to change their surroundings, improved more than 590 hectares of land and planted more than 101,000 trees and some 355,000 shrubs. It was a programme that undoubtedly made an impact in many communities.

The real key to its value however, lies in the nature of this impact and what, if anything it has led to. Evaluation of the programme has revealed that the programme had contributed to sustainable development in six key areas :

• delivering lasting physical change
• connecting people and place
• acting as a catalyst
• providing spin-offs
• building social capital
• changing the way things happen

Delivering lasting physical change

Obviously, Barclays SiteSavers helped to change the physical landscape in many communities. In some areas the programme had been used to lever in or complete funding for major physical enhancements while in others it was used to support complementary projects over a number of years.

Barclays SiteSavers projects engendered respect for new facilities and created models for the management of public space.

Connecting people and place

One of the major benefits of community-led environmental projects is that they provide the opportunity for residents to find out more about their surroundings and help generate increased pride in the local area : Barclays SiteSavers projects helped nurture these connections to contribute to a sense of ownership and encourage people to make more productive use of the environment on their doorstep.

Acting as a catalyst

One of the strengths of Barclays SiteSavers was its ability to kick start activity and deliver promises in areas where there was once a great deal of mistrust and disaffection or where other agencies had found it difficult to operate.

It gave both residents and agencies an opportunity to ‘test the water’ while at the same time building relationships and the confidence that improvements could be made and sustained. Where projects worked well they provided proof that it is worth getting involved and helped to persuade other agencies to commit further resources.

Providing spin offs

The programme delivered community-led environmental improvements. It also delivered imaginatively designed projects, with the potential to deliver significant added value in a range of connected areas, for example improving health, delivering education or reducing anti-social behaviour. Achieving this added value was considered an important part of the programme and was built into the application process.

Building social capital

Barclays SiteSavers provided an opportunity for Groundwork, BTCV and The Wildlife Trusts to work with local residents to implement changes identified by communities. There were many different ways in which this was approached. In some instances, grants were used to help bring together a group of residents for the first time while in others they presented an opportunity to develop further a ‘core’ group who may already have been involved.

Changing the way things happen

The nature of Barclays SiteSavers and the projects it supported meant that Groundwork, BTCV and The Wildlife Trust often played the role of ‘neutral intermediary’. This entailed on the one hand helping local residents and groups understand more about the priorities and limitations of public agencies while on the other enabling local authorities and businesses and other bodies understand the needs and aspirations of communities. Building capacity on both sides was important, and in some instances, Barclays SiteSavers had been instrumental in changing relationships and practices for the better.