Fresh ideas, Greenock
The Greenock Town Board and Inverclyde Council have been engaging with Greenock’s young people on the future of their town, recognising that place-based regeneration is only sustainable if it meets the need and aspirations of the next generation. The Greenock Town Board manages UK Government Pride in Place funding for the town and oversees the implementation of the Greenock Pride in Place Plan.
Initial work has included arts-based engagement in schools and youth clubs, which found that young Greenockians have both a strong creative streak and lots of interesting ideas for the future – in particular in how post-industrial Greenock reimagines its relationship with the Clyde and makes the most of its riverfront location.
The Council and Town Board also worked with Scotland’s Towns Partnerships to engage S2 pupils from Inverclyde Academy and Notre Dame High School on the future of their town centre. The session asked them to draw inspiration from a new shopfront design guide for Greenock and come up with imaginative ideas for future uses in the town centre. This formed part of the launch event for the Greenock Shopfront Improvements Scheme (offering up to £15,000 grant for participating businesses) and piloted activity as part of an emerging ‘Future Ready Greenock’ youth entrepreneurship programme. The programmes asks the young people involved to develop an elevator pitch for a new town centre business and draw up a shopfront for it.
This collaborative effort with Inverclyde Council, the Town Board, Scotland’s Towns Partnership, Page/Park Architects and school teachers saw huge amounts of enthusiasm that this group of 12 and 13-year-olds had for their town and its future.
Kimberley challenged the young people to come up with ideas for businesses that they would like to see in Greenock town centre and which would support its future as an attractive, vibrant place that people would like to visit. The young people came up with a range of ideas featuring culture, sport, fashion and ‘things to do’, including ‘The Pallet’, a new art gallery and studio spaces for creatives and ‘Wave Rider’, where adventurous locals and visitors could hire boats and jetskis and get on the water.
These fresh ideas are influencing and informing future Pride in Place projects with continued engagement with young people expected over the next decade of delivery.