:00:00. > :00:00.Lansbury Park, is a council estate in Caerphilly seven miles
:00:07. > :00:14.From up here it seems as if it might have lot going for it,
:00:15. > :00:23.but take a closer look on the ground and it's a different story.
:00:24. > :00:25.Lansbury Park is officially the most deprived
:00:26. > :00:36.We are not all animals down here, you know, and scum.
:00:37. > :00:40.You know, we have been branded as scum, but that's not fair.
:00:41. > :00:43.It's not the poorest or most crime-ridden estate,
:00:44. > :00:48.the challenge here is to break a cycle of hopelessness.
:00:49. > :00:52.I want them to do really great at school.
:00:53. > :00:56.Life on the dole is not fun, you know, and I try to explain
:00:57. > :01:02.More than 50% of people on Lansbury do not have a single
:01:03. > :01:07.We get children coming in to nursery who can't talk,
:01:08. > :01:10.they certainly can't read and write, or hold pens and pencils,
:01:11. > :01:13.so they really are starting well below where we'd expect a child
:01:14. > :01:17.to be when they come into nursery or reception.
:01:18. > :01:21...where people feel forgotten and neglected.
:01:22. > :01:24.These women are among a group who are determined to put the pride
:01:25. > :01:30.We have been let down whether it be Communities First,
:01:31. > :01:36.the Council, the Government, we have been let down big time.
:01:37. > :01:39.This derelict community centre, abandoned for 25 years,
:01:40. > :01:46.symbolises the decay they are determined to stop.
:01:47. > :01:48.We've filmed on the estate for a year with women
:01:49. > :01:51.who are fighting back for a better future for themselves
:01:52. > :02:13.But will they succeed against the odds?
:02:14. > :02:25.Lansbury Park has 700 homes, and most are council owned.
:02:26. > :02:28.Among the challeges here is the fact that there are almost twice as many
:02:29. > :02:33.unemployed single parents on the estate than the average for Wales.
:02:34. > :02:40.all right, I am coming. All right, sweetheart.
:02:41. > :02:43.Single mum of five Clare Masters is one of them.
:02:44. > :02:46.Four generations of her family lives on this estate.
:02:47. > :02:51.She has struggled to bring up a family on her own but she wants
:02:52. > :03:04.It is Pro-Am city here. Here is my boy.
:03:05. > :03:06.Clare has been on benefits most of her adult life.
:03:07. > :03:14.Yeah, it was a long time ago, and of course I had children then,
:03:15. > :03:19.and see I've just spent all my time and life devoting it to them really.
:03:20. > :03:24.Dole-wallers that's what they normally label us,
:03:25. > :03:27.that's not the case, find me a job and I'll take it tomorrow.
:03:28. > :03:31.I can't live on benefits rest of my life.
:03:32. > :03:36.It does my head in because I can't do things I want to now.
:03:37. > :03:40.Her daughter Chantelle became pregnant when she was 15.
:03:41. > :03:54.The person who got me pregnant left me, he met someone else,
:03:55. > :03:58.so I didn't know if I wanted to carry on with pregnancy but did.
:03:59. > :04:07.At this age it's weird because, like, all your friends are going out
:04:08. > :04:13.and, like, you've given up everything, but I don't know...
:04:14. > :04:22.The father of her baby sees Freya now but
:04:23. > :04:31.I've sent all the letters off, I am just waiting for a house now.
:04:32. > :04:33.I can't stay here because, I don't know, just feel
:04:34. > :04:47.Like you see all these families on Facebook and stuff and they've
:04:48. > :04:50.all got their own homes and that, and Christmas time coming up,
:04:51. > :04:52.I just want that for me and Freya because, no offence, Mum,
:04:53. > :04:55.I don't want to be stuck here another Christmas.
:04:56. > :04:59.I mean I'd like her to stay but obviously, if she's ready to go,
:05:00. > :05:11.Freya can stay with Nanny, and Chantelle can go.
:05:12. > :05:16.That's going to happen, isn't it! That is really going to happen.
:05:17. > :05:18.Lansbury Park was built in 1965 to an award winning design
:05:19. > :05:21.but after 50 years it's hard to imagine why.
:05:22. > :05:25.It has fallen into decline and the narrow lanes separating
:05:26. > :05:29.the houses have become a magnet for crime.
:05:30. > :05:33.The three major reasons why it was found to be the most deprived
:05:34. > :05:35.estate in a Welsh Government's report were a lack of facilities,
:05:36. > :05:38.high unemployment and the main culprit, poor educational
:05:39. > :05:45.This means children are growing up with few prospects and it's
:05:46. > :05:49.a cycle which has repeated itself through generations.
:05:50. > :05:58.It's one the women are determined to change.
:05:59. > :06:06.Mum of six Annemarie Bridgeman has high hopes her children
:06:07. > :06:16.Move this stuff out of the sink, please.
:06:17. > :06:18.Niall, 10, and eight-year-old Lee are getting ready
:06:19. > :06:22.Miley, two, and baby Cian are her youngest.
:06:23. > :06:28.They are in a competition, these two kids are.
:06:29. > :06:30.The year before last Niall won 100% achievement,
:06:31. > :06:33.100% day and last year Lee did, and they are always competing
:06:34. > :06:36.Niall is quite bright, but not as bright as Lee,
:06:37. > :06:43.but Niall is more better in sport but Lee wants to be in the sport's
:06:44. > :06:46.category like Niall, but it don't work, so hard work
:06:47. > :06:51.when they on one together, but they both love school,
:06:52. > :06:56.You know, they don't want to miss a day from school,
:06:57. > :07:04.I don't want my kids on the dole I want them to do
:07:05. > :07:12.Life on the dole is not fun you know and I tried to explain that to them,
:07:13. > :07:15.so work hard and you get a good job and you can go places.
:07:16. > :07:18.Like he wants to be a professional football player, I reckon Lee
:07:19. > :07:20.could be the next PM because he is that clever
:07:21. > :07:23.in the head, but it is finding the right education around
:07:24. > :07:39.There is 50p each for you. ?30 each after school.
:07:40. > :07:42.The boys finally head off to school, taking with them their mum's
:07:43. > :07:47.Their best chance for a good start lies at the other end of this
:07:48. > :07:49.footpath known as the Stretch which runs through the
:07:50. > :08:04.Niall and Lee are pupils at St James's, the mainstream
:08:05. > :08:09.primary in the Lansbury Park catchment area.
:08:10. > :08:11.We have all the parents smiling and laughing.
:08:12. > :08:15.Welcoming pupils and parents back to school is head teacher Paul Samuel.
:08:16. > :08:24.Lee and Niall finally arrive at school, and head straight
:08:25. > :08:39.Almost 60% of pupils have free school meals,
:08:40. > :08:45.Paul took over as head of St James' at the end of 2012.
:08:46. > :08:48.Like the mums he's also on a mission to encourage hope in a brighter
:08:49. > :08:51.Lots of generations come through this school,
:08:52. > :08:55.so children here now, I taught their parents
:08:56. > :08:57.and even, dare I say, some of their grandparents.
:08:58. > :09:00.School really is at the heart of the community and as a result
:09:01. > :09:04.of that it's important for us to try and do as much as we can
:09:05. > :09:07.He faced major challenges when he took on the job.
:09:08. > :09:11.We get children coming in here nursery who can't talk,
:09:12. > :09:15.Many are not self-toileting, so still coming into school
:09:16. > :09:19.with nappies, they certainly cannot read or write or hold a pen
:09:20. > :09:29.or pencil, so really are starting well below where you would
:09:30. > :09:32.expect for a child to be in nursery or reception.
:09:33. > :09:34.He knows that children's lives and prospects can be changed
:09:35. > :09:36.if they can see the benefit of learning.
:09:37. > :09:38.The challenge is to win hearts and minds.
:09:39. > :09:41.What we do tend to see is that as children move through the system
:09:42. > :09:44.they become more and more disengaged, so doing lots of work
:09:45. > :09:48.in partnership with comprehensive school to try and make sure firstly
:09:49. > :09:51.we develop within our students a real love for learning
:09:52. > :09:54.so they want to go on and continue learning and continuing
:09:55. > :09:57.their studies, and I think if we get that embedded well in primary
:09:58. > :10:00.school, and the transition to comprehensive school builds
:10:01. > :10:03.on that, then I think we'll see a lot more children
:10:04. > :10:11.When they heard their estate had been labelled the most deprived
:10:12. > :10:32.We are not scum. We have all been branded as scum and that is not
:10:33. > :10:34.fair. There is good and bad everywhere
:10:35. > :10:37.as far as I'm concerned. They downgraded us on telly,
:10:38. > :10:39.know what I mean? There is poverty everywhere,
:10:40. > :10:42.why single out Lansbury Park The only thing that's lacking
:10:43. > :10:46.is facilities for the kids, And the Council need to start
:10:47. > :10:49.helping us out more Those people who named us like that
:10:50. > :10:53.should come and see We haven't got horns growing out
:10:54. > :10:57.of our head or fire coming Come and take a look,
:10:58. > :11:01.then say we are the most deprived They were so upset they complained
:11:02. > :11:06.to their county councillor, The community felt insulted by it
:11:07. > :11:15.because to the people who live on Lansbury Park this is their home
:11:16. > :11:21.and I think they also seen the deprivation levels as poverty,
:11:22. > :11:24.and very 1920s style poverty where children walk around with no
:11:25. > :11:33.shoes on their feet, and so on and so on,
:11:34. > :11:42.and it's not like that, it's not about how your children
:11:43. > :11:45.are dressed, it's more for your children and
:11:46. > :11:48.the opportunities for yourself. She's been spurred on by the women
:11:49. > :11:51.who say something must be done. They asked her to go back
:11:52. > :11:53.to her Labour council colleagues to demand more support
:11:54. > :11:56.for new facilities and fresh hope. The women formed their own group
:11:57. > :11:58.and called it Lansbury Matters. They asked Michelle
:11:59. > :12:08.Jones to lead them. I had everything down and we are
:12:09. > :12:10.doing so the council can see it as well, that we are doing their work
:12:11. > :12:12.for them. So, with their group formed,
:12:13. > :12:14.stage two was gathering I just spoke to a few people
:12:15. > :12:19.about what they felt needed to be introduced on the estate
:12:20. > :12:21.and I particularly remember one lady in Trevelyan Court she said it
:12:22. > :12:23.would be really nice That lady was Jan Crimmins,
:12:24. > :12:29.known affectionately on the Estate She's lived on Lansbury for almost
:12:30. > :12:38.50 years and remembers the centre There was lots and lots of things
:12:39. > :12:50.that happened there. I used to go to bingo
:12:51. > :12:53.with my husband, my daughter entered Miss Van, came third,
:12:54. > :12:55.was in the rock It was a really good time,
:12:56. > :12:59.it was really good times, and sadly they're gone because that
:13:00. > :13:01.community centre has been out of action for so many years that,
:13:02. > :13:05.sadly, a little bit of the community spirit went when the community
:13:06. > :13:17.centre closed down. We have been let down,
:13:18. > :13:20.whether it be Communities First, the Council, the Government,
:13:21. > :13:25.we have been let down big time. The women feel the council has
:13:26. > :13:28.neglected the estate. Along the Stretch a scheme called
:13:29. > :13:30.Communities First was set up But the women say it
:13:31. > :13:33.hasn't delivered. It's one reason why they've taken
:13:34. > :13:35.matters into their own hands. Their first target was to get
:13:36. > :13:38.a new community centre, To show they mean business they took
:13:39. > :13:43.hundreds of signatures and a call for action direct to
:13:44. > :14:00.Caerphilly Council HQ. My son is thinking there was nothing
:14:01. > :14:02.here now and I do not want him to move away but I imagine he might
:14:03. > :14:06.move for the sake of the children. This isn't just about new bricks
:14:07. > :14:09.and mortar, it is the first step in their campaign to put
:14:10. > :14:15.back the pride. They are making choices between
:14:16. > :14:18.feeding their children are putting the central heating on. People are
:14:19. > :14:23.struggling to make ends meet so let us bring in facilities to help them
:14:24. > :14:28.with in that. Let us bring in food Co-op 's and credit unions say they
:14:29. > :14:29.do not take payday loans. Let us bring in the facilities that they
:14:30. > :14:31.need. As a Labour councillor she agrees
:14:32. > :14:33.with the women that, whatever the intention,
:14:34. > :14:35.the Communities First scheme it has not delivered on the estate,
:14:36. > :14:38.and it's time for a new approach. I think Communities First should
:14:39. > :14:40.be run by the people. That's exactly what the whole
:14:41. > :14:50.theory was about. I do not think there are enough
:14:51. > :14:53.residents involved in communities first to bring in the changes needed
:14:54. > :14:54.and that is where we make the difference now.
:14:55. > :14:55.Almost three-quarters of single parents in
:14:56. > :15:03.That's almost double the average for Wales.
:15:04. > :15:06.Clare says she's applied for jobs without success,
:15:07. > :15:10.but she has ideas and an ambition to set up her own florists.
:15:11. > :15:17.Her problem is a lack of confidence.
:15:18. > :15:19.That's a bouquet is made, that's my bouquet.
:15:20. > :15:35.The price of flowers these days. It is something everyone is destined to
:15:36. > :15:41.do, diet, unfortunately. But people can get them because they can't
:15:42. > :15:47.afford them. A lot of residents are on benefits. That's what I do it
:15:48. > :15:51.for, I don't get paid for it. As long as they cover the cost of the
:15:52. > :15:57.flowers and that I just do it to help out. My children and my son
:15:58. > :16:02.have all to me, you could be a fortune. A few more holidays or
:16:03. > :16:09.whatever. It would be nice to have her own business. I can cope working
:16:10. > :16:13.demand, I work better in demand. As long as it is appreciated, what I
:16:14. > :16:16.do. I think it is. Some people can't think be enough, as I said. So it's
:16:17. > :16:17.all good. She's also set up her own recycling
:16:18. > :16:32.scheme on Facebook to help others I opened this site about two years
:16:33. > :16:37.ago. For people at a disadvantage. I started it off because I was in need
:16:38. > :16:40.of things and I saw another site on here and it was people giving away
:16:41. > :16:46.things for nothing so I started recycling myself and its head off.
:16:47. > :16:57.It's really gone massive. 2461 members. We started off just in the
:16:58. > :17:01.Lansbury area, but now it's gone to Caerphilly, the valleys. You don't
:17:02. > :17:04.ask him you don't get. Someone's trash is someone else's treasure.
:17:05. > :17:08.50% of men and 56% of women don't have a job, far more
:17:09. > :17:16.And more young people drop out of secondary school without a single
:17:17. > :17:23.qualification here than anywhere else in the county.
:17:24. > :17:27.Before she had her baby, Chantelle had already given
:17:28. > :17:43.You blame me? No, it's nothing to do with you.
:17:44. > :17:48.You tried to get me up in the morning.
:17:49. > :17:51.The last year of school was really that. I couldn't go back to sleep at
:17:52. > :17:52.all. Bed at six in the morning
:17:53. > :17:56.and that went on for ages. I'd sleep all the way till school
:17:57. > :18:01.finished. Before she left St Martin's,
:18:02. > :18:14.Chantelle got three GCSEs. The only thing I liked about school
:18:15. > :18:22.was doing art. I took art for GCSE, but with all my friends, other than
:18:23. > :18:26.that, I hated everything. I didn't like the teachers, didn't get on
:18:27. > :18:32.with most of them. They try to send me in with the high people and I was
:18:33. > :18:40.like, no. You just lived in different areas. You just happen to
:18:41. > :18:42.have the Lansbury lingo. But they were really judgmental. They have
:18:43. > :18:45.the finer things in life and we... At the primary level,
:18:46. > :18:48.they're working hard at St James to motivate the estate's
:18:49. > :19:00.younger children. I think the problem with the whole
:19:01. > :19:06.poverty issue is that it's a label. When that label is there, it's very
:19:07. > :19:11.easy to use it as an excuse. Do know any places around Caerphilly that
:19:12. > :19:16.have graffiti? Remapped OER tried to do here is to ignore the poverty
:19:17. > :19:25.thing is much as we can, we don't think it is a label or an excuse for
:19:26. > :19:28.our children not to achieve. Before I apply for the post, I knew the
:19:29. > :19:31.standards of the school or something that needed to be approved. They
:19:32. > :19:35.were not where the school wanted them to be. That was clearly
:19:36. > :19:38.something that needed to be worked on. Attendance within the school was
:19:39. > :19:39.another issue that needed to be addressed.
:19:40. > :19:43.To tackle that, Paul and senior teacher Bethan Jones
:19:44. > :19:48.have a plan, and they're up early to put it into effect.
:19:49. > :19:50.They are walking pupils living on the estate into school to make
:19:51. > :20:02.sure they get there on time. They call it the Walking Bus,
:20:03. > :20:05.and it's also a good way of reducing non-attendance.
:20:06. > :20:16.We are ready, let's go, Josh. It's a really nice start to the day.
:20:17. > :20:20.We get a chance to chat with them and find out a bit about them,
:20:21. > :20:26.sometimes in school there isn't time to do that. Is your data from
:20:27. > :20:29.Africa, then? And then one or two of those children are not always on
:20:30. > :20:34.time. When they're walking past us, they want to be part of the Walking
:20:35. > :20:40.Bus. So they are in school nice and early. It's a shame we can't do that
:20:41. > :20:46.five days a week. Our attendance data went from 90% to
:20:47. > :20:52.93.6% in two years. Our exclusion rate has plummeted significantly. So
:20:53. > :20:52.all of our indicators have been very positive.
:20:53. > :20:55.Attendance still doesn't match the national average.
:20:56. > :20:58.Experts say unless pupils go to school for at least 95%
:20:59. > :21:01.of the time, they'll struggle to eventually get five GCSEs.
:21:02. > :21:07.But Paul has another plan to improve performance.
:21:08. > :21:09.And we are in the process of appointing a family liaison
:21:10. > :21:11.officer and pastoral support officer for the school for next
:21:12. > :21:18.two or weeks. It will be really exciting to see
:21:19. > :21:25.the work they're going to do with us over the next two or three years.
:21:26. > :21:28.The Lansbury Women's complaints and their petition
:21:29. > :21:31.for a new community centre has started started to stir things up.
:21:32. > :21:34.They've been invited to a meeting with Communities First to sort
:21:35. > :21:39.out their differences and come up with a plan of action.
:21:40. > :21:40.By rights, council should do something about the roof.
:21:41. > :21:46.It is dangerous. Something 's got to be done about
:21:47. > :21:55.the new building, we can't leave it like that. Good morning! Tea or
:21:56. > :21:58.coffee? We weren't allowed to film
:21:59. > :22:00.in the meeting which lasted an hour. I think it went off well.
:22:01. > :22:09.It started off negatively. I've got to be honest, we had bad
:22:10. > :22:12.news, but I think we got a plan in place and I'm more than happy to
:22:13. > :22:22.move on with it. It's going to be a long battle, she
:22:23. > :22:27.said it would take over a year... Before we see any action, it will be
:22:28. > :22:32.at least a year. But your kids are little. Your kids will benefit.
:22:33. > :22:36.I think when people see things new, more and more will get involved.
:22:37. > :22:47.The women are fired up. If they can get a new community
:22:48. > :22:50.centre, it'll be a real achievement. News about their effort is spreading
:22:51. > :22:53.and other women on the estate want to get involved.
:22:54. > :22:56.Anne Marie's friend Christine lives a block away.
:22:57. > :23:02.They help each other out with babysitting.
:23:03. > :23:09.On Friday I collect Miley at school and I mind her until her partner
:23:10. > :23:11.picks her up and she has Elizabeth and Ryan for me a Sunday.
:23:12. > :23:15.Christine has six children. She works part time but on minimum
:23:16. > :23:18.wage, it's tough making ends meet. Two-thirds of children living below
:23:19. > :23:32.the poverty line in Wales are now from working families.
:23:33. > :23:37.If the kid speeches, I cannot just go get them, I have to work around
:23:38. > :23:42.it. If they need anything, I've got a thing, right, I've got to get this
:23:43. > :23:44.this week, what can I do? It's working everything out, really.
:23:45. > :23:48.Christine's worked since she was 14 and now she's pulling pints
:23:49. > :23:51.at the Caerphilly Social Club. She'd like a better paid job,
:23:52. > :23:54.so she's been packing in the hours studying for extra qualifications.
:23:55. > :23:58.I decided I wanted to learn computers to better myself.
:23:59. > :24:06.To see if I could do something other than working at the bar. I took the
:24:07. > :24:11.entry and passed, I took level one and past but unfortunately now I can
:24:12. > :24:16.no longer continue because they've lost the funding for the building.
:24:17. > :24:17.That is where I was doing the course.
:24:18. > :24:23.She's had to travel miles away to study because there is nowhere
:24:24. > :24:25.on the estate to hold classes. So could the campaign
:24:26. > :24:32.for a new community centre change all that?
:24:33. > :24:37.At St James', they're still trying to inspire young minds.
:24:38. > :24:40.One of their success stories is Anne Marie's son,
:24:41. > :24:46.Lee, who's bucking the trend. You get to do lots of things.
:24:47. > :24:53.In math, I'm good at subtraction, the timetables, the 12 times table.
:24:54. > :24:58.In fact, he's doing so well that, in the latest national numeracy
:24:59. > :25:01.tests, he's scored almost top marks. That's two above average...
:25:02. > :25:04...which places him in the top 2% of all pupils his age in Wales.
:25:05. > :25:09.He's a bright boy - he loves his work.
:25:10. > :25:18.It's a brilliant school. I've got to take by hacked off. It's always been
:25:19. > :25:18.a good school. All my other two kids have done really well.
:25:19. > :25:25.Teachers spotted his potential and moved him up a year.
:25:26. > :25:31.He's a very capable boy who is applying himself well in school.
:25:32. > :25:34.He's obviously engaging with a provision he had available to him in
:25:35. > :25:38.the school and his greatest see him doing so well and there's no reason
:25:39. > :25:42.why he won't go on to achieve fantastic results at the end of Key
:25:43. > :25:47.stage two and a two comrades of school. There's lots of examples of
:25:48. > :25:51.children just like him who are doing very well in primary school and have
:25:52. > :25:52.the capacity to go on and do very well when they moved to Saint
:25:53. > :26:00.Martin's. But Anne Marie is worried
:26:01. > :26:02.about which school Lee is going to go to next.
:26:03. > :26:03.I don't know what's going on in St Martin's.
:26:04. > :26:14.They need to pull their fingers out. Attendance at St Martin's
:26:15. > :26:21.is improving along with results. Last year, more than 50% of pupils
:26:22. > :26:23.achieved five A-star to C grades, including English
:26:24. > :26:24.and Maths, at GCSE. It's the last day of
:26:25. > :26:40.the school year at St James'. Have a lovely summer to both of you!
:26:41. > :26:44.Take care! I've never seen him so it said it
:26:45. > :26:49.all the years he's been with us. We're going to miss him, he's a
:26:50. > :26:56.character. Have a lovely summer. We will see you back in September.
:26:57. > :27:00.It's the start of the six-week summer holidays.
:27:01. > :27:06.Just over the mountain in Cardiff, Lansbury Matters chair Michelle
:27:07. > :27:14.and her fiance Cory are preparing for their wedding.
:27:15. > :27:22.University student Michelle met Cory on Facebook before moving to this
:27:23. > :27:27.block of flats on Lansbury Park two years ago.
:27:28. > :27:28.I was living in Aberbargoed but it was too far away
:27:29. > :27:42.and my family live in Caerphilly. So on home swapper so I said I would
:27:43. > :27:47.swap with them. As soon as I moved in, I googled my flat, took my
:27:48. > :27:54.laptop out, they were gone. Problems continued when Cory moved
:27:55. > :27:59.from Scotland to be with Michelle. Worried about security,
:28:00. > :28:03.they put up a CCTV camera. When I moved down, there were kids
:28:04. > :28:06.who used to come into the flat and if it was raining and stuff,
:28:07. > :28:09.they would sit down and drink and if it was raining and stuff,
:28:10. > :28:13.they would sit down and drink alcohol and have joints.
:28:14. > :28:22.When it put the camera up, that stopped all that in the floods. So
:28:23. > :28:25.if everyone had done the same or if they put secure doors and so you
:28:26. > :28:27.couldn't get into the flats, it would stop a lot of problems.
:28:28. > :28:32.It spurred them on to join Lansbury Matters.
:28:33. > :28:36.It's all run down, isn't it? There's no one maintaining it -
:28:37. > :28:44.the council leave it until everyone complains at once.
:28:45. > :28:46.But back on the estate, one of the founding members
:28:47. > :28:51.of the Lansbury Matters group has decided to leave.
:28:52. > :28:57.Clare is unhappy with the direction it's taken.
:28:58. > :29:09.When we started it, it was about that but everyone seems to have
:29:10. > :29:19.joined up with the other group. The just been passed along to somebody
:29:20. > :29:22.else. So I left the group. Select those going on. I send ideas their
:29:23. > :29:26.way. But the women are on a mission.
:29:27. > :29:29.For them - change can't come quickly enough.
:29:30. > :29:31.Today they are having another meeting with Communities First
:29:32. > :29:46.to find out what's happening with the community centre.
:29:47. > :29:48.THEY CHATTER. The council is deciding
:29:49. > :29:50.whether to refurbish it or demolish it.
:29:51. > :30:00.The women just want action. We want more schemes
:30:01. > :30:05.going on for the kids. To Lee, he wants a pop-in library.
:30:06. > :30:14.He loves to read. We want all that in the community centre.
:30:15. > :30:16.They take their ideas into the meeting.
:30:17. > :30:33.An hour later, and it's mixed news. We have been told we can have the
:30:34. > :30:36.centre, we are still waiting. This is for months now.
:30:37. > :30:39.So, still no decision on the Community centre
:30:40. > :30:42.but they have secured a ?400 grant for a children's fun day.
:30:43. > :30:43.The grant is for the kids to have something free
:30:44. > :30:47.like a climbing frame. We are a small group and we don't
:30:48. > :30:50.have a lot of money and insurance and licenses can cost a bit so it is
:30:51. > :30:54.finding the funding for it at the moment that we have struggled. We
:30:55. > :30:57.have got enough and we're ready to go.
:30:58. > :31:00.It will be a treat - many of the locals aren't
:31:01. > :31:03.going away on holiday. And Anne Marie wouldn't
:31:04. > :31:08.even if she could afford it. No chance, no chance.
:31:09. > :31:16.It is too much hard work and I like my feet on Lansbury Park. It is not
:31:17. > :31:18.about holidays, if you can make this an apt and fun, it is just the kids
:31:19. > :31:25.are so bored it is nothing. There is just one small area serving
:31:26. > :31:27.250 children under the age of ten on the estate.
:31:28. > :31:32.It's not enough for Lee and his friends, who find other ways
:31:33. > :31:47.to amuse themselves. They find flat roofs irresistible...
:31:48. > :31:49.And an ideal place for the stash pf scrap metal they've found on the
:31:50. > :31:50.estate. I found it over there. It is fun to
:31:51. > :31:58.play with. But thanks to the women
:31:59. > :32:02.of Lansbury Matters, Lee and his friends won't be bored
:32:03. > :32:09.today - the group has organised a fun day,
:32:10. > :32:11.and today is the day. It's all about pulling together
:32:12. > :32:19.and bringing back the pride. One little girl said she did not
:32:20. > :32:24.know the other streets in Lansbury Park. We need to start building the
:32:25. > :32:38.community. An hour later, after the hard work's
:32:39. > :32:40.done, it's time to party. They are trying to nurture
:32:41. > :32:43.their vision of what life could be like here.
:32:44. > :32:48.Stressful. I am not green fingered at all. We will give it all try for
:32:49. > :32:52.kids. The women are also selling an idea
:32:53. > :32:55.that, together, the people here can build a new future,
:32:56. > :33:00.even if they have a steep hill to climb.
:33:01. > :33:14.And, as things liven up, Councillor Elaine takes one
:33:15. > :33:18.for the cause. So the fun day was fun,
:33:19. > :33:32.and everybody's happy - but there's still a long way to go.
:33:33. > :33:36.And a week later, Elaine comes back from the council with the news
:33:37. > :33:42.that the community centre can't be saved.
:33:43. > :33:47.Caerphilly council has undertaken or the assessments to actually bring
:33:48. > :33:52.the council up to a reasonable standard for use. It is in
:33:53. > :33:56.everybody's hearts here completely but it is not suitable for purpose
:33:57. > :34:00.at the moment, it is not suitable for the needs of this community
:34:01. > :34:04.anymore. It is a very small building and it would cost so much to bring
:34:05. > :34:05.it up to the level and it still would not be up to a decent
:34:06. > :34:10.standard, I don't think. Elaine has a vision for this patch
:34:11. > :34:12.of land just off the stretch - a ?1 million resource centre,
:34:13. > :34:13.which could provide all the support services the community needs
:34:14. > :34:22.under one roof. A resort centre is a multi-agency
:34:23. > :34:27.centre where we can have things like a food bank or a nappy scheme or a
:34:28. > :34:31.school uniform recycling scheme, job support clubs, we could hold them
:34:32. > :34:35.here rather than having them in a little office or an area outside the
:34:36. > :34:39.estate, a resource centre would bring in all the agencies that we
:34:40. > :34:40.need to manage the poverty issues on the estate.
:34:41. > :34:44.So that's the big idea, and it's given the Lansbury
:34:45. > :34:46.women fresh hope. But will it happen?
:34:47. > :34:50.Christina Harrhy is Head of Communities
:34:51. > :34:52.at Caerphilly Council. Why haven't they done more
:34:53. > :34:56.to stop the Lansbury's slide into depravation?
:34:57. > :34:58.We're not proud of being number one on the deprivation list,
:34:59. > :34:59.we want to change that and we will change that.
:35:00. > :35:08.And that must bother you? It does bother me. The council is
:35:09. > :35:12.not happy with that and there is a genuine will and commitment to take
:35:13. > :35:17.that forward and take Lansbury Park forward in a collaborative way. The
:35:18. > :35:20.people we have been filming have talked to us and said that they have
:35:21. > :35:23.had to take action themselves because they feel quite strongly
:35:24. > :35:31.that they are forgotten people. Fair? Think there is an opportunity
:35:32. > :35:35.for the council. It is a comment and a view that the community has and we
:35:36. > :35:40.have to take notice of that and it is very much a conversation I would
:35:41. > :35:45.welcome to have with the community. Education has come out as the most
:35:46. > :35:48.important factor in Lansbury Park becoming the most deprived estate
:35:49. > :35:52.and people haven't had a huge amount of confidence in themselves or their
:35:53. > :35:57.ability to change their lives. 50% in this area have no qualifications.
:35:58. > :36:08.We have absolutely found that a challenge, with
:36:09. > :36:12.all the intervention programmes we had in place that has been a
:36:13. > :36:15.challenge in terms of the lack of aspiration. They want to do better
:36:16. > :36:18.and the fact that the community have come to the table and a very vocal
:36:19. > :36:20.about the fact that they want a better Lansbury Park and a better
:36:21. > :36:21.environment had a better life, that is something that we will not shy
:36:22. > :36:25.away from. Summer on Lansbury is almost over
:36:26. > :36:28.and there's one last treat to come. But the parents and the kids know
:36:29. > :36:30.they have to earn it. It's all part of their effort
:36:31. > :36:35.to take the initiative and help themselves.
:36:36. > :36:40.Today that means washing cars for a bus ticket to Barry Island.
:36:41. > :36:43.It's part of a scheme called Time Credits run by Communities
:36:44. > :36:50.First, which is now supporting the Lansbury Women.
:36:51. > :36:57.At one is multicolour. Shall we have a bucket and spade?
:36:58. > :37:01.It'll be a welcome break for Anne Marie and her family.
:37:02. > :37:09.A great day. We will make the most of it now. It should be a laugh. We
:37:10. > :37:38.have built sand castles with the little kids.
:37:39. > :38:06.Although this has been a great day, it's a rare treat and only possible
:38:07. > :38:09.thanks to the women's organisation and the Time Credits scheme,
:38:10. > :38:18.which has been running on other deprived estates in Wales for years.
:38:19. > :38:27.It is just too expensive otherwise. Getting them down here. We enjoyed
:38:28. > :38:33.our day out today, didn't we? It cost me about ?50 so it is not too
:38:34. > :38:38.bad. I have still got a bit of money left in my purse, I will say that
:38:39. > :38:40.much, a little bit of money left. We had a fab time, didn't we, darling?
:38:41. > :38:46.Give us a kiss. A couple of weeks later
:38:47. > :38:49.and the new school year begins at St James' primary and Paul
:38:50. > :38:51.is back winning hearts and minds. This time, he's being supported
:38:52. > :38:58.by Jake from the Caerphilly Outdoor Education Team.
:38:59. > :39:00.They are heading for the woods - the idea is to help disengaged
:39:01. > :39:04.pupils who are supported by their classmates.
:39:05. > :39:11.We have got marshmallows so we will get some sticks and we will make two
:39:12. > :39:15.fires and once we have done that we can cook the marshmallows then. We
:39:16. > :39:18.identify children throughout the course of the year who for whatever
:39:19. > :39:22.reason are quite withdrawn from school and quite withdrawn from
:39:23. > :39:25.learning and they may be lack self-confidence and we put on the
:39:26. > :39:30.enrichment curriculum that is about giving them a practical and hands-on
:39:31. > :39:36.experience, using the outdoors as much as we can, and getting them out
:39:37. > :39:40.of the traditional setting. Don't push me in, whatever you do. Are you
:39:41. > :39:43.OK? Hopefully they will re-engage with
:39:44. > :39:47.the learning process and one another and that is what it is all about. A
:39:48. > :39:53.round of applause for Rhys! Today the object of the lesson
:39:54. > :39:54.is to learn how to work together as a team.
:39:55. > :40:07.This way. Yes, that way. That is how you do it.
:40:08. > :40:13.And from hard work and education, there can often come rewards.
:40:14. > :40:15.Paul understands from his own personal experience that some
:40:16. > :40:25.children need more encouragement than others to enjoy school.
:40:26. > :40:32.I came from an area very similar to Lansbury Park, from very humble
:40:33. > :40:36.beginnings. I did not do very well at school, I dropped out of school
:40:37. > :40:39.at 14 and I was probably every teacher's nightmare. I spent a
:40:40. > :40:44.number of years bumbling through life and not knowing what I was
:40:45. > :40:48.going to do and somehow, some hour ended up in teacher training college
:40:49. > :40:52.and so when I got a job here in Lansbury Park in 1995 and realising
:40:53. > :41:01.that I was now doing a job that I never thought I would do, in an
:41:02. > :41:03.establishment that I never really engaged with, it gave me the real
:41:04. > :41:06.opportunity to say I would make a difference and this was my chance to
:41:07. > :41:09.make sure that young people coming through the system don't have the
:41:10. > :41:15.experiences that I had. I guess I felt that I knew what was needed.
:41:16. > :41:19.As autumn arrives, there is the promise of better
:41:20. > :41:21.news to come. A special meeting of
:41:22. > :41:25.the Lansbury Matters group has been called to hear it.
:41:26. > :41:28.Elaine has been told there's a chance that money might be
:41:29. > :41:31.available to build a resource centre and improve the whole estate,
:41:32. > :41:44.thanks a Welsh Government grant. It's generally for town centres
:41:45. > :41:47.but I think with Lansbury Park being top of the deprivation list
:41:48. > :41:52.at the moment, it will be well used here.
:41:53. > :41:54.The resource centre is our main focus but it will mean
:41:55. > :41:57.regeneration of Lansbury Park completely,
:41:58. > :42:01.And it will make a big difference to the group who live here.
:42:02. > :42:04.For the group, it's exciting news after only seven months
:42:05. > :42:15.into their battle. It is massive. It is a really big
:42:16. > :42:18.battle. And we started it. I don't want to sound big headed but we
:42:19. > :42:25.would not be here if we hadn't mounted that petition in March. We
:42:26. > :42:30.have come a long way. Look what we have got up and running so far. I
:42:31. > :42:34.never thought we get this far. They feel it's people power
:42:35. > :42:36.that's finally got things moving. But where has the council
:42:37. > :42:39.been up to now? There aren't many people
:42:40. > :42:40.who have good things to say about Communities First -
:42:41. > :42:49.that's disappointing. Just the opposite. That is
:42:50. > :42:52.disappointing because it has been targeted at Lansbury Park and there
:42:53. > :42:56.are a number of interventions and work streams that we have been
:42:57. > :43:01.working with the community on but if the community is saying that that is
:43:02. > :43:06.not appropriate or what they need then I am happy to have that
:43:07. > :43:09.conversation with them. It is almost like a social revolution here that
:43:10. > :43:15.has happened, in a way. People have said, they are not going to help us
:43:16. > :43:18.so we have to do this ourselves. But we will help them and we are going
:43:19. > :43:20.to help the man we have a leading role in making sure that this
:43:21. > :43:22.happens. It began with the call
:43:23. > :43:25.for a new community centre. But the women have also built
:43:26. > :43:33.a bridge between residents and the council and a much more besides.
:43:34. > :43:40.Single mum of two Natasha helps to run activity groups with Michelle
:43:41. > :43:41.and between them they have won a community award.
:43:42. > :43:56.We just don't stop. We come up with ideas all of the
:43:57. > :44:03.time. We are starting a dance group and also our football group. We have
:44:04. > :44:07.a fitness group as well. Yes, and one for toddlers. We had done really
:44:08. > :44:11.good so far. But as Lansbury Matters' success
:44:12. > :44:12.grows, one of the founding members has had to leave to go
:44:13. > :44:18.for another important position. I left because I wanted to pursue
:44:19. > :44:23.governor, and as a mother of six kids I can't do everything, you
:44:24. > :44:25.know, and I think I am best, my parties with my kids and the
:44:26. > :44:29.well-being of the school so I think I am better served there.
:44:30. > :44:35.By the November 5th, there seem to be good reasons
:44:36. > :44:40.to celebrate on the estate. But some things stay the same.
:44:41. > :44:43.On Bonfire Night, it is traditional to light a fire on every block,
:44:44. > :44:57.even though the Council tries to prevent it.
:44:58. > :45:01.The largest fire is lit on the site of the proposed resource centre,
:45:02. > :45:11.right next to the main road. The next morning, it's
:45:12. > :45:15.going to be a big clean-up, which is left to the council.
:45:16. > :45:17.They want the residents to play their part, too.
:45:18. > :45:18.Next year perhaps - if the new spirit continues,
:45:19. > :45:28.the message might get across. Chantelle has moved
:45:29. > :45:31.into her new house. She's got her wish to spend her
:45:32. > :45:40.first Christmas in her own home with baby daughter Freya.
:45:41. > :45:47.Are you going on an adventure? Hello! Hello, look what Granny got
:45:48. > :45:47.you! Chantelles' mother Clare
:45:48. > :45:57.is ready with support. It's going really well so far. It
:45:58. > :45:59.was stressful moving everything in and buying stuff for the house, but
:46:00. > :46:09.I have loads of support. I'm just glad now that we can
:46:10. > :46:10.just make a home of it - somewhere to call ours.
:46:11. > :46:17.I think we get on better. Do you think we get him better? Yes,
:46:18. > :46:22.because we are not together all the time. Yes, I'm not picking up after
:46:23. > :46:25.her all the time, I think we get on a bit better. Definitely!
:46:26. > :46:28.Clare has spent years at home raising her children.
:46:29. > :46:31.But will history repeat itself? Chantelle is thinking
:46:32. > :46:36.about further education. I used to work in hairdressers.
:46:37. > :46:41.But they laid me off because they couldn't afford to keep me.
:46:42. > :46:43.She'd like to do something similar again but, like her mum,
:46:44. > :46:52.she has to find some confidence. I'm really nervous about going back
:46:53. > :46:57.to college. I can feel my anxiety kicking in already in its half a
:46:58. > :46:58.year away until they start back. But I'm really confused on what I want
:46:59. > :47:00.to do, I don't know what I want. But what Chantelle does know
:47:01. > :47:09.is she wants to become more mobile. I'm definitely going to start
:47:10. > :47:19.driving this year. Are you? Yeah, I'm innocent of a
:47:20. > :47:21.provisional next month. -- I'm going to send off my
:47:22. > :47:24.provisional next month. Christmas is here and the women
:47:25. > :47:28.are making sure it's a good one for the children.
:47:29. > :47:36.Say hello! Hello, Leon. It is that? Its centre!
:47:37. > :47:39.At St James' Primary, Christine has been watching her children,
:47:40. > :47:44.Elizabeth and Ryan, in the school concert.
:47:45. > :47:47.It can be a challenging time of year for many people on the estate,
:47:48. > :47:53.not least because there's the question of how to afford it.
:47:54. > :47:59.After the concert, Christine has a busy shift ahead
:48:00. > :48:01.at Caerphilly Social Club. And while she's grateful
:48:02. > :48:06.for the work, it'll be on the minimum wage.
:48:07. > :48:08.She's taken on as many shifts as she can, but money
:48:09. > :48:24.is still tight. I mean, from half a live until half
:48:25. > :48:28.past seven tomorrow, Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, and then I start
:48:29. > :48:30.again. So I've only got Christmas Day off homer really.
:48:31. > :48:32.Buying presents can mean making difficult decisions.
:48:33. > :48:50.But her children always come first. What I really wanted was a 3-piece
:48:51. > :48:55.suite, but Christmas is coming, got to get them instead of what I want.
:48:56. > :49:03.If I had the cash, it would be about ?300. I don't like going into debt
:49:04. > :49:08.at Christmas, but with this I did. I thought I would spoil them. It's
:49:09. > :49:09.going to take me close on two years, really. So I'll still be paying for
:49:10. > :49:18.this year. -- this time next year. After her tax credits were cut this
:49:19. > :49:20.year, she's struggling to buy for all her six children
:49:21. > :49:24.and grandchildren. I like to buy for them all of them,
:49:25. > :49:27.you see, and I've got six kids, even though most of them are grown
:49:28. > :49:32.up, but I couldn't do it this year really.
:49:33. > :49:43.I don't buy the older ones a lot, but I like to give them something,
:49:44. > :49:46.to say Merry Christmas. But the grandkids and the kids, I'd like to
:49:47. > :49:47.spoil them a bit. But they have to understand I couldn't do it this
:49:48. > :49:53.year, really. Christine has one Christmas wish -
:49:54. > :49:56.she doesn't want to be struggling this time next year.
:49:57. > :49:59.I really do need to look for second job full time in the new year -
:50:00. > :50:12.I really don't want to be in this position again.
:50:13. > :50:18.It's New Year on Lansbury. The women won't know if they have
:50:19. > :50:21.won the battle to rid the estate of its deprived status for another
:50:22. > :50:25.year but they've received news that brings them one step closer.
:50:26. > :50:27.We've heard the centre is going to be demolished and it
:50:28. > :50:37.should be about 2-3 weeks. It has been a really long battle.
:50:38. > :50:39.Where was the last to know, as well. The Council don't keep us updated
:50:40. > :50:44.with everything going on. We find out through Facebook
:50:45. > :50:47.and that's really heart-breaking. The women are determined to be out
:50:48. > :50:49.in force at the demolition. We are going to be down
:50:50. > :50:55.at the community centre. We're going to watch it beat
:50:56. > :50:57.demolished, aren't we, girls? That is one thing we cannot wait
:50:58. > :50:59.for. For Clare, it hasn't been such
:51:00. > :51:07.a good start to 2016. Now Chantelle's left home,
:51:08. > :51:09.she's fallen behind with her rent. I mean, I have a letter now this
:51:10. > :51:17.morning seeking possession of my home for ?69 -
:51:18. > :51:22.not even a week's rent. Clare has to pay an extra ?28
:51:23. > :51:25.per month because she has an empty bedroom.
:51:26. > :51:30.She now only has twins Elise and Erin at home.
:51:31. > :51:32.I did say to them, why couldn't the girls have bedroom each?
:51:33. > :51:35.There's no law saying they had to share bedroom,
:51:36. > :51:41.but they insisted with bedroom tax...
:51:42. > :51:45.It's just accumulated because I refuse to pay it.
:51:46. > :51:56.Feed the kids or pay the rent. What do you do?
:51:57. > :51:59.There's only one solution. I'll just smash through the wall
:52:00. > :52:01.and extend their bedroom then. As Clare tries to keeping a roof
:52:02. > :52:04.over the family's heads, at St James', Paul has received
:52:05. > :52:09.a bit of a setback, too. The school's performance
:52:10. > :52:11.has been marked down. Moving from yellow to amber didn't
:52:12. > :52:20.come as a big surprise or a big shock to us.
:52:21. > :52:25.Our Year Six last year had a challenging cohort of kids -
:52:26. > :52:34.we had a number of children educated off-site and off
:52:35. > :52:36.with long term illnesses. And when you factor in the data,
:52:37. > :52:39.it's not as good as previous cohorts.
:52:40. > :52:42.We predict going back to a yellow category going into next year.
:52:43. > :52:48.But Paul's does at least have a new family liaison officer.
:52:49. > :52:57.He hopes Natalie will help improve attendance to boost performance.
:52:58. > :52:59.Spurred on by the Lansbury Women, Christine is determined
:53:00. > :53:07.to make her New Year's resolution for a better paid job a reality.
:53:08. > :53:12.Have you got a CV at the moment? No, that is one thing I do need.
:53:13. > :53:16.Greg from Communities First is giving her advice.
:53:17. > :53:18.A week away from demolition and the battle is almost won
:53:19. > :53:24.for Lansbury Matters, but for those who have left
:53:25. > :53:27.the group, life goes on. Clare has won a community award
:53:28. > :53:28.and she is still thinking about starting a business,
:53:29. > :53:33.but hasn't done anything about it yet.
:53:34. > :53:41.I'm just went to go with the flow. I am going to try to do something, I
:53:42. > :53:44.have to do something. I have always told her to start a
:53:45. > :53:50.market. Or a shop, she has always said that.
:53:51. > :53:55.She's wasting her talent and all she does is put it on Facebook.
:53:56. > :54:00.It's just getting out there. That day will come come up I suppose.
:54:01. > :54:02.Until that day, I will carry on regardless, do what I do.
:54:03. > :54:13.Spend your days on the computer. But what about Anne Marie?
:54:14. > :54:17.She realised her ambition at the school.
:54:18. > :54:19.They haven't announced yet, but I have definitely got it.
:54:20. > :54:27.I can't wait to see if I can help out a little bit more with my kids
:54:28. > :54:32.and the rest of the kids. But is Paul prepared for Annemarie?
:54:33. > :54:36.She's very vocal, isn't she, Mrs B? Yes, Mrs B is definitely very vocal,
:54:37. > :54:42.but I like vocal people - you know, I like people to say
:54:43. > :54:45.things as they are and express their opinions and she is never
:54:46. > :54:47.backwards in getting forwards. Anne Marie's son Niall has had
:54:48. > :54:49.a trial for Cardiff City, but what does the future hold
:54:50. > :54:57.for eight-year-old Lee? I will probably get A's
:54:58. > :55:02.in everything apart from art. What's wrong with art?
:55:03. > :55:05.I can't do art tidy. Anne Marie's attention
:55:06. > :55:07.is on her children's futures, but what about the future
:55:08. > :55:11.of the community centre and the hope it could bring
:55:12. > :55:19.Lee and his generation? The day of the demolition
:55:20. > :55:22.has finally arrived - there is pride in their achievement.
:55:23. > :55:24.But they have so much to build and the fight has only begun.
:55:25. > :55:56.The community centre, it's the sort of symbol of the deprivation and
:55:57. > :55:59.frankly the last of interest. I reckon is is is a very sensitive
:56:00. > :56:02.issue with the community, but I want to move forward and have the
:56:03. > :56:07.dialogue with them in terms of what they need. We do want to get it
:56:08. > :56:16.right and we will get it right. We need the community to work with us.
:56:17. > :56:23.We didn't! We did this.
:56:24. > :56:31.They listen to us, didn't they? They had to!
:56:32. > :56:35.Can we look forward to a new era on the Lansbury Park is stay?
:56:36. > :56:39.Meaningful comms positions? Absolutely, we recognise that need
:56:40. > :56:44.some hard conversations. -- meaningful conversations.
:56:45. > :56:47.I have a feeling this is one of the biggest occasions that as happened
:56:48. > :56:53.in 12 months for me. It's a bittersweet moment, I'll be honest,
:56:54. > :56:59.what it's about moving forward, it's about changing things in Lansbury
:57:00. > :57:02.Park. There's good memories, lots of good
:57:03. > :57:07.memories coming down in that building. But hopefully there will
:57:08. > :57:16.be better to follow. That's all we can hope though, that there will be
:57:17. > :57:18.better to follow. I want to ask the community, what are the facilities
:57:19. > :57:23.you need and I need you to prove to me they will be used, because we
:57:24. > :57:27.cannot afford to have buildings stood idle. It is time to get
:57:28. > :57:29.something for the kids to go to, to get them off the streets and for
:57:30. > :57:38.them to enjoy. What would be nice
:57:39. > :57:43.is to take the grey out of Lansbury. I actually feel Lansbury
:57:44. > :57:47.is being listened to for a change. So it will be a better place
:57:48. > :57:50.and I need this stigma to go. Lansbury earned its title
:57:51. > :57:52.as the most deprived estate in Wales because it was a place
:57:53. > :57:55.with little hope. But people power is bringing back
:57:56. > :57:59.the pride - the question now is, will the ambition be matched
:58:00. > :58:06.with results and will the council deliver on its promise?