Wales's Most Deprived Estate: The Fight Back Week In Week Out

Lansbury Park, is a council estate in Caerphilly seven miles

From up here it seems as if it might have lot going for it,

but take a closer look on the ground and it's a different story.

Lansbury Park is officially the most deprived

We are not all animals down here, you know, and scum.

You know, we have been branded as scum, but that's not fair.

It's not the poorest or most crime-ridden estate,

the challenge here is to break a cycle of hopelessness.

I want them to do really great at school.

Life on the dole is not fun, you know, and I try to explain

More than 50% of people on Lansbury do not have a single

We get children coming in to nursery who can't talk,

they certainly can't read and write, or hold pens and pencils,

so they really are starting well below where we'd expect a child

to be when they come into nursery or reception.

..where people feel forgotten and neglected.

These women are among a group who are determined to put the pride

We have been let down whether it be Communities First,

the Council, the Government, we have been let down big time.

This derelict community centre, abandoned for 25 years,

symbolises the decay they are determined to stop.

We've filmed on the estate for a year with women

who are fighting back for a better future for themselves

But will they succeed against the odds?

Lansbury Park has 700 homes, and most are council owned.

Among the challeges here is the fact that there are almost twice as many

unemployed single parents on the estate than the average for Wales.

all right, I am coming. All right, sweetheart.

Single mum of five Clare Masters is one of them.

Four generations of her family lives on this estate.

She has struggled to bring up a family on her own but she wants

It is Pro-Am city here. Here is my boy.

Clare has been on benefits most of her adult life.

Yeah, it was a long time ago, and of course I had children then,

and see I've just spent all my time and life devoting it to them really.

Dole-wallers that's what they normally label us,

that's not the case, find me a job and I'll take it tomorrow.

I can't live on benefits rest of my life.

It does my head in because I can't do things I want to now.

Her daughter Chantelle became pregnant when she was 15.

The person who got me pregnant left me, he met someone else,

so I didn't know if I wanted to carry on with pregnancy but did.

At this age it's weird because, like, all your friends are going out

and, like, you've given up everything, but I don't know...

The father of her baby sees Freya now but

I've sent all the letters off, I am just waiting for a house now.

I can't stay here because, I don't know, just feel

Like you see all these families on Facebook and stuff and they've

all got their own homes and that, and Christmas time coming up,

I just want that for me and Freya because, no offence, Mum,

I don't want to be stuck here another Christmas.

I mean I'd like her to stay but obviously, if she's ready to go,

Freya can stay with Nanny, and Chantelle can go.

That's going to happen, isn't it! That is really going to happen.

Lansbury Park was built in 1965 to an award winning design

but after 50 years it's hard to imagine why.

It has fallen into decline and the narrow lanes separating

the houses have become a magnet for crime.

The three major reasons why it was found to be the most deprived

estate in a Welsh Government's report were a lack of facilities,

high unemployment and the main culprit, poor educational

This means children are growing up with few prospects and it's

a cycle which has repeated itself through generations.

It's one the women are determined to change.

Mum of six Annemarie Bridgeman has high hopes her children

Move this stuff out of the sink, please.

Niall, 10, and eight-year-old Lee are getting ready

Miley, two, and baby Cian are her youngest.

They are in a competition, these two kids are.

The year before last Niall won 100% achievement,

100% day and last year Lee did, and they are always competing

Niall is quite bright, but not as bright as Lee,

but Niall is more better in sport but Lee wants to be in the sport's

category like Niall, but it don't work, so hard work

when they on one together, but they both love school,

You know, they don't want to miss a day from school,

I don't want my kids on the dole I want them to do

Life on the dole is not fun you know and I tried to explain that to them,

so work hard and you get a good job and you can go places.

Like he wants to be a professional football player, I reckon Lee

could be the next PM because he is that clever

in the head, but it is finding the right education around

There is 50p each for you. ?30 each after school.

The boys finally head off to school, taking with them their mum's

Their best chance for a good start lies at the other end of this

footpath known as the Stretch which runs through the

Niall and Lee are pupils at St James's, the mainstream

primary in the Lansbury Park catchment area.

We have all the parents smiling and laughing.

Welcoming pupils and parents back to school is head teacher Paul Samuel.

Lee and Niall finally arrive at school, and head straight

Almost 60% of pupils have free school meals,

Paul took over as head of St James' at the end of 2012.

Like the mums he's also on a mission to encourage hope in a brighter

Lots of generations come through this school,

so children here now, I taught their parents

and even, dare I say, some of their grandparents.

School really is at the heart of the community and as a result

of that it's important for us to try and do as much as we can

He faced major challenges when he took on the job.

We get children coming in here nursery who can't talk,

Many are not self-toileting, so still coming into school

with nappies, they certainly cannot read or write or hold a pen

or pencil, so really are starting well below where you would

expect for a child to be in nursery or reception.

He knows that children's lives and prospects can be changed

if they can see the benefit of learning.

The challenge is to win hearts and minds.

What we do tend to see is that as children move through the system

they become more and more disengaged, so doing lots of work

in partnership with comprehensive school to try and make sure firstly

we develop within our students a real love for learning

so they want to go on and continue learning and continuing

their studies, and I think if we get that embedded well in primary

school, and the transition to comprehensive school builds

on that, then I think we'll see a lot more children

When they heard their estate had been labelled the most deprived

We are not scum. We have all been branded as scum and that is not

fair. There is good and bad everywhere

as far as I'm concerned. They downgraded us on telly,

know what I mean? There is poverty everywhere,

why single out Lansbury Park The only thing that's lacking

is facilities for the kids, And the Council need to start

helping us out more Those people who named us like that

should come and see We haven't got horns growing out

of our head or fire coming Come and take a look,

then say we are the most deprived They were so upset they complained

to their county councillor, The community felt insulted by it

because to the people who live on Lansbury Park this is their home

and I think they also seen the deprivation levels as poverty,

and very 1920s style poverty where children walk around with no

shoes on their feet, and so on and so on,

and it's not like that, it's not about how your children

are dressed, it's more for your children and

the opportunities for yourself. She's been spurred on by the women

who say something must be done. They asked her to go back

to her Labour council colleagues to demand more support

for new facilities and fresh hope. The women formed their own group

and called it Lansbury Matters. They asked Michelle

Jones to lead them. I had everything down and we are

doing so the council can see it as well, that we are doing their work

for them. So, with their group formed,

stage two was gathering I just spoke to a few people

about what they felt needed to be introduced on the estate

and I particularly remember one lady in Trevelyan Court she said it

would be really nice That lady was Jan Crimmins,

known affectionately on the Estate She's lived on Lansbury for almost

50 years and remembers the centre There was lots and lots of things

that happened there. I used to go to bingo

with my husband, my daughter entered Miss Van, came third,

was in the rock It was a really good time,

it was really good times, and sadly they're gone because that

community centre has been out of action for so many years that,

sadly, a little bit of the community spirit went when the community

centre closed down. We have been let down,

whether it be Communities First, the Council, the Government,

we have been let down big time. The women feel the council has

neglected the estate. Along the Stretch a scheme called

Communities First was set up But the women say it

hasn't delivered. It's one reason why they've taken

matters into their own hands. Their first target was to get

a new community centre, To show they mean business they took

hundreds of signatures and a call for action direct to

Caerphilly Council HQ. My son is thinking there was nothing

here now and I do not want him to move away but I imagine he might

move for the sake of the children. This isn't just about new bricks

and mortar, it is the first step in their campaign to put

back the pride. They are making choices between

feeding their children are putting the central heating on. People are

struggling to make ends meet so let us bring in facilities to help them

with in that. Let us bring in food Co-op 's and credit unions say they

do not take payday loans. Let us bring in the facilities that they

need. As a Labour councillor she agrees

with the women that, whatever the intention,

the Communities First scheme it has not delivered on the estate,

and it's time for a new approach. I think Communities First should

be run by the people. That's exactly what the whole

theory was about. I do not think there are enough

residents involved in communities first to bring in the changes needed

and that is where we make the difference now.

Almost three-quarters of single parents in

That's almost double the average for Wales.

Clare says she's applied for jobs without success,

but she has ideas and an ambition to set up her own florists.

Her problem is a lack of confidence.

That's a bouquet is made, that's my bouquet.

The price of flowers these days. It is something everyone is destined to

do, diet, unfortunately. But people can get them because they can't

afford them. A lot of residents are on benefits. That's what I do it

for, I don't get paid for it. As long as they cover the cost of the

flowers and that I just do it to help out. My children and my son

have all to me, you could be a fortune. A few more holidays or

whatever. It would be nice to have her own business. I can cope working

demand, I work better in demand. As long as it is appreciated, what I

do. I think it is. Some people can't think be enough, as I said. So it's

all good. She's also set up her own recycling

scheme on Facebook to help others I opened this site about two years

ago. For people at a disadvantage. I started it off because I was in need

of things and I saw another site on here and it was people giving away

things for nothing so I started recycling myself and its head off.

It's really gone massive. 2461 members. We started off just in the

Lansbury area, but now it's gone to Caerphilly, the valleys. You don't

ask him you don't get. Someone's trash is someone else's treasure.

50% of men and 56% of women don't have a job, far more

And more young people drop out of secondary school without a single

qualification here than anywhere else in the county.

Before she had her baby, Chantelle had already given

You blame me? No, it's nothing to do with you.

You tried to get me up in the morning.

The last year of school was really that. I couldn't go back to sleep at

all. Bed at six in the morning

and that went on for ages. I'd sleep all the way till school

finished. Before she left St Martin's,

Chantelle got three GCSEs. The only thing I liked about school

was doing art. I took art for GCSE, but with all my friends, other than

that, I hated everything. I didn't like the teachers, didn't get on

with most of them. They try to send me in with the high people and I was

like, no. You just lived in different areas. You just happen to

have the Lansbury lingo. But they were really judgmental. They have

the finer things in life and we... At the primary level,

they're working hard at St James to motivate the estate's

younger children. I think the problem with the whole

poverty issue is that it's a label. When that label is there, it's very

easy to use it as an excuse. Do know any places around Caerphilly that

have graffiti? Remapped OER tried to do here is to ignore the poverty

thing is much as we can, we don't think it is a label or an excuse for

our children not to achieve. Before I apply for the post, I knew the

standards of the school or something that needed to be approved. They

were not where the school wanted them to be. That was clearly

something that needed to be worked on. Attendance within the school was

another issue that needed to be addressed.

To tackle that, Paul and senior teacher Bethan Jones

have a plan, and they're up early to put it into effect.

They are walking pupils living on the estate into school to make

sure they get there on time. They call it the Walking Bus,

and it's also a good way of reducing non-attendance.

We are ready, let's go, Josh. It's a really nice start to the day.

We get a chance to chat with them and find out a bit about them,

sometimes in school there isn't time to do that. Is your data from

Africa, then? And then one or two of those children are not always on

time. When they're walking past us, they want to be part of the Walking

Bus. So they are in school nice and early. It's a shame we can't do that

five days a week. Our attendance data went from 90% to

93.6% in two years. Our exclusion rate has plummeted significantly. So

all of our indicators have been very positive.

Attendance still doesn't match the national average.

Experts say unless pupils go to school for at least 95%

of the time, they'll struggle to eventually get five GCSEs.

But Paul has another plan to improve performance.

And we are in the process of appointing a family liaison

officer and pastoral support officer for the school for next

two or weeks. It will be really exciting to see

the work they're going to do with us over the next two or three years.

The Lansbury Women's complaints and their petition

for a new community centre has started started to stir things up.

They've been invited to a meeting with Communities First to sort

out their differences and come up with a plan of action.

By rights, council should do something about the roof.

It is dangerous. Something 's got to be done about

the new building, we can't leave it like that. Good morning! Tea or

coffee? We weren't allowed to film

in the meeting which lasted an hour. I think it went off well.

It started off negatively. I've got to be honest, we had bad

news, but I think we got a plan in place and I'm more than happy to

move on with it. It's going to be a long battle, she

said it would take over a year... Before we see any action, it will be

at least a year. But your kids are little. Your kids will benefit.

I think when people see things new, more and more will get involved.

The women are fired up. If they can get a new community

centre, it'll be a real achievement. News about their effort is spreading

and other women on the estate want to get involved.

Anne Marie's friend Christine lives a block away.

They help each other out with babysitting.

On Friday I collect Miley at school and I mind her until her partner

picks her up and she has Elizabeth and Ryan for me a Sunday.

Christine has six children. She works part time but on minimum

wage, it's tough making ends meet. Two-thirds of children living below

the poverty line in Wales are now from working families.

If the kid speeches, I cannot just go get them, I have to work around

it. If they need anything, I've got a thing, right, I've got to get this

this week, what can I do? It's working everything out, really.

Christine's worked since she was 14 and now she's pulling pints

at the Caerphilly Social Club. She'd like a better paid job,

so she's been packing in the hours studying for extra qualifications.

I decided I wanted to learn computers to better myself.

To see if I could do something other than working at the bar. I took the

entry and passed, I took level one and past but unfortunately now I can

no longer continue because they've lost the funding for the building.

That is where I was doing the course.

She's had to travel miles away to study because there is nowhere

on the estate to hold classes. So could the campaign

for a new community centre change all that?

At St James', they're still trying to inspire young minds.

One of their success stories is Anne Marie's son,

Lee, who's bucking the trend. You get to do lots of things.

In math, I'm good at subtraction, the timetables, the 12 times table.

In fact, he's doing so well that, in the latest national numeracy

tests, he's scored almost top marks. That's two above average...

..which places him in the top 2% of all pupils his age in Wales.

He's a bright boy - he loves his work.

It's a brilliant school. I've got to take by hacked off. It's always been

a good school. All my other two kids have done really well.

Teachers spotted his potential and moved him up a year.

He's a very capable boy who is applying himself well in school.

He's obviously engaging with a provision he had available to him in

the school and his greatest see him doing so well and there's no reason

why he won't go on to achieve fantastic results at the end of Key

stage two and a two comrades of school. There's lots of examples of

children just like him who are doing very well in primary school and have

the capacity to go on and do very well when they moved to Saint

Martin's. But Anne Marie is worried

about which school Lee is going to go to next.

I don't know what's going on in St Martin's.

They need to pull their fingers out. Attendance at St Martin's

is improving along with results. Last year, more than 50% of pupils

achieved five A-star to C grades, including English

and Maths, at GCSE. It's the last day of

the school year at St James'. Have a lovely summer to both of you!

Take care! I've never seen him so it said it

all the years he's been with us. We're going to miss him, he's a

character. Have a lovely summer. We will see you back in September.

It's the start of the six-week summer holidays.

Just over the mountain in Cardiff, Lansbury Matters chair Michelle

and her fiance Cory are preparing for their wedding.

University student Michelle met Cory on Facebook before moving to this

block of flats on Lansbury Park two years ago.

I was living in Aberbargoed but it was too far away

and my family live in Caerphilly. So on home swapper so I said I would

swap with them. As soon as I moved in, I googled my flat, took my

laptop out, they were gone. Problems continued when Cory moved

from Scotland to be with Michelle. Worried about security,

they put up a CCTV camera. When I moved down, there were kids

who used to come into the flat and if it was raining and stuff,

they would sit down and drink and if it was raining and stuff,

they would sit down and drink alcohol and have joints.

When it put the camera up, that stopped all that in the floods. So

if everyone had done the same or if they put secure doors and so you

couldn't get into the flats, it would stop a lot of problems.

It spurred them on to join Lansbury Matters.

It's all run down, isn't it? There's no one maintaining it -

the council leave it until everyone complains at once.

But back on the estate, one of the founding members

of the Lansbury Matters group has decided to leave.

Clare is unhappy with the direction it's taken.

When we started it, it was about that but everyone seems to have

joined up with the other group. The just been passed along to somebody

else. So I left the group. Select those going on. I send ideas their

way. But the women are on a mission.

For them - change can't come quickly enough.

Today they are having another meeting with Communities First

to find out what's happening with the community centre.

THEY CHATTER. The council is deciding

whether to refurbish it or demolish it.

The women just want action. We want more schemes

going on for the kids. To Lee, he wants a pop-in library.

He loves to read. We want all that in the community centre.

They take their ideas into the meeting.

An hour later, and it's mixed news. We have been told we can have the

centre, we are still waiting. This is for months now.

So, still no decision on the Community centre

but they have secured a ?400 grant for a children's fun day.

The grant is for the kids to have something free

like a climbing frame. We are a small group and we don't

have a lot of money and insurance and licenses can cost a bit so it is

finding the funding for it at the moment that we have struggled. We

have got enough and we're ready to go.

It will be a treat - many of the locals aren't

going away on holiday. And Anne Marie wouldn't

even if she could afford it. No chance, no chance.

It is too much hard work and I like my feet on Lansbury Park. It is not

about holidays, if you can make this an apt and fun, it is just the kids

are so bored it is nothing. There is just one small area serving

250 children under the age of ten on the estate.

It's not enough for Lee and his friends, who find other ways

to amuse themselves. They find flat roofs irresistible...

And an ideal place for the stash pf scrap metal they've found on the

estate. I found it over there. It is fun to

play with. But thanks to the women

of Lansbury Matters, Lee and his friends won't be bored

today - the group has organised a fun day,

and today is the day. It's all about pulling together

and bringing back the pride. One little girl said she did not

know the other streets in Lansbury Park. We need to start building the

community. An hour later, after the hard work's

done, it's time to party. They are trying to nurture

their vision of what life could be like here.

Stressful. I am not green fingered at all. We will give it all try for

kids. The women are also selling an idea

that, together, the people here can build a new future,

even if they have a steep hill to climb.

And, as things liven up, Councillor Elaine takes one

for the cause. So the fun day was fun,

and everybody's happy - but there's still a long way to go.

And a week later, Elaine comes back from the council with the news

that the community centre can't be saved.

Caerphilly council has undertaken or the assessments to actually bring

the council up to a reasonable standard for use. It is in

everybody's hearts here completely but it is not suitable for purpose

at the moment, it is not suitable for the needs of this community

anymore. It is a very small building and it would cost so much to bring

it up to the level and it still would not be up to a decent

standard, I don't think. Elaine has a vision for this patch

of land just off the stretch - a ?1 million resource centre,

which could provide all the support services the community needs

under one roof. A resort centre is a multi-agency

centre where we can have things like a food bank or a nappy scheme or a

school uniform recycling scheme, job support clubs, we could hold them

here rather than having them in a little office or an area outside the

estate, a resource centre would bring in all the agencies that we

need to manage the poverty issues on the estate.

So that's the big idea, and it's given the Lansbury

women fresh hope. But will it happen?

Christina Harrhy is Head of Communities

at Caerphilly Council. Why haven't they done more

to stop the Lansbury's slide into depravation?

We're not proud of being number one on the deprivation list,

we want to change that and we will change that.

And that must bother you? It does bother me. The council is

not happy with that and there is a genuine will and commitment to take

that forward and take Lansbury Park forward in a collaborative way. The

people we have been filming have talked to us and said that they have

had to take action themselves because they feel quite strongly

that they are forgotten people. Fair? Think there is an opportunity

for the council. It is a comment and a view that the community has and we

have to take notice of that and it is very much a conversation I would

welcome to have with the community. Education has come out as the most

important factor in Lansbury Park becoming the most deprived estate

and people haven't had a huge amount of confidence in themselves or their

ability to change their lives. 50% in this area have no qualifications.

We have absolutely found that a challenge, with

all the intervention programmes we had in place that has been a

challenge in terms of the lack of aspiration. They want to do better

and the fact that the community have come to the table and a very vocal

about the fact that they want a better Lansbury Park and a better

environment had a better life, that is something that we will not shy

away from. Summer on Lansbury is almost over

and there's one last treat to come. But the parents and the kids know

they have to earn it. It's all part of their effort

to take the initiative and help themselves.

Today that means washing cars for a bus ticket to Barry Island.

It's part of a scheme called Time Credits run by Communities

First, which is now supporting the Lansbury Women.

At one is multicolour. Shall we have a bucket and spade?

It'll be a welcome break for Anne Marie and her family.

A great day. We will make the most of it now. It should be a laugh. We

have built sand castles with the little kids.

Although this has been a great day, it's a rare treat and only possible

thanks to the women's organisation and the Time Credits scheme,

which has been running on other deprived estates in Wales for years.

It is just too expensive otherwise. Getting them down here. We enjoyed

our day out today, didn't we? It cost me about ?50 so it is not too

bad. I have still got a bit of money left in my purse, I will say that

much, a little bit of money left. We had a fab time, didn't we, darling?

Give us a kiss. A couple of weeks later

and the new school year begins at St James' primary and Paul

is back winning hearts and minds. This time, he's being supported

by Jake from the Caerphilly Outdoor Education Team.

They are heading for the woods - the idea is to help disengaged

pupils who are supported by their classmates.

We have got marshmallows so we will get some sticks and we will make two

fires and once we have done that we can cook the marshmallows then. We

identify children throughout the course of the year who for whatever

reason are quite withdrawn from school and quite withdrawn from

learning and they may be lack self-confidence and we put on the

enrichment curriculum that is about giving them a practical and hands-on

experience, using the outdoors as much as we can, and getting them out

of the traditional setting. Don't push me in, whatever you do. Are you

OK? Hopefully they will re-engage with

the learning process and one another and that is what it is all about. A

round of applause for Rhys! Today the object of the lesson

is to learn how to work together as a team.

This way. Yes, that way. That is how you do it.

And from hard work and education, there can often come rewards.

Paul understands from his own personal experience that some

children need more encouragement than others to enjoy school.

I came from an area very similar to Lansbury Park, from very humble

beginnings. I did not do very well at school, I dropped out of school

at 14 and I was probably every teacher's nightmare. I spent a

number of years bumbling through life and not knowing what I was

going to do and somehow, some hour ended up in teacher training college

and so when I got a job here in Lansbury Park in 1995 and realising

that I was now doing a job that I never thought I would do, in an

establishment that I never really engaged with, it gave me the real

opportunity to say I would make a difference and this was my chance to

make sure that young people coming through the system don't have the

experiences that I had. I guess I felt that I knew what was needed.

As autumn arrives, there is the promise of better

news to come. A special meeting of

the Lansbury Matters group has been called to hear it.

Elaine has been told there's a chance that money might be

available to build a resource centre and improve the whole estate,

thanks a Welsh Government grant. It's generally for town centres

but I think with Lansbury Park being top of the deprivation list

at the moment, it will be well used here.

The resource centre is our main focus but it will mean

regeneration of Lansbury Park completely,

And it will make a big difference to the group who live here.

For the group, it's exciting news after only seven months

into their battle. It is massive. It is a really big

battle. And we started it. I don't want to sound big headed but we

would not be here if we hadn't mounted that petition in March. We

have come a long way. Look what we have got up and running so far. I

never thought we get this far. They feel it's people power

that's finally got things moving. But where has the council

been up to now? There aren't many people

who have good things to say about Communities First -

that's disappointing. Just the opposite. That is

disappointing because it has been targeted at Lansbury Park and there

are a number of interventions and work streams that we have been

working with the community on but if the community is saying that that is

not appropriate or what they need then I am happy to have that

conversation with them. It is almost like a social revolution here that

has happened, in a way. People have said, they are not going to help us

so we have to do this ourselves. But we will help them and we are going

to help the man we have a leading role in making sure that this

happens. It began with the call

for a new community centre. But the women have also built

a bridge between residents and the council and a much more besides.

Single mum of two Natasha helps to run activity groups with Michelle

and between them they have won a community award.

We just don't stop. We come up with ideas all of the

time. We are starting a dance group and also our football group. We have

a fitness group as well. Yes, and one for toddlers. We had done really

good so far. But as Lansbury Matters' success

grows, one of the founding members has had to leave to go

for another important position. I left because I wanted to pursue

governor, and as a mother of six kids I can't do everything, you

know, and I think I am best, my parties with my kids and the

well-being of the school so I think I am better served there.

By the November 5th, there seem to be good reasons

to celebrate on the estate. But some things stay the same.

On Bonfire Night, it is traditional to light a fire on every block,

even though the Council tries to prevent it.

The largest fire is lit on the site of the proposed resource centre,

right next to the main road. The next morning, it's

going to be a big clean-up, which is left to the council.

They want the residents to play their part, too.

Next year perhaps - if the new spirit continues,

the message might get across. Chantelle has moved

into her new house. She's got her wish to spend her

first Christmas in her own home with baby daughter Freya.

Are you going on an adventure? Hello! Hello, look what Granny got

you! Chantelles' mother Clare

is ready with support. It's going really well so far. It

was stressful moving everything in and buying stuff for the house, but

I have loads of support. I'm just glad now that we can

just make a home of it - somewhere to call ours.

I think we get on better. Do you think we get him better? Yes,

because we are not together all the time. Yes, I'm not picking up after

her all the time, I think we get on a bit better. Definitely!

Clare has spent years at home raising her children.

But will history repeat itself? Chantelle is thinking

about further education. I used to work in hairdressers.

But they laid me off because they couldn't afford to keep me.

She'd like to do something similar again but, like her mum,

she has to find some confidence. I'm really nervous about going back

to college. I can feel my anxiety kicking in already in its half a

year away until they start back. But I'm really confused on what I want

to do, I don't know what I want. But what Chantelle does know

is she wants to become more mobile. I'm definitely going to start

driving this year. Are you? Yeah, I'm innocent of a

provisional next month. -- I'm going to send off my

provisional next month. Christmas is here and the women

are making sure it's a good one for the children.

Say hello! Hello, Leon. It is that? Its centre!

At St James' Primary, Christine has been watching her children,

Elizabeth and Ryan, in the school concert.

It can be a challenging time of year for many people on the estate,

not least because there's the question of how to afford it.

After the concert, Christine has a busy shift ahead

at Caerphilly Social Club. And while she's grateful

for the work, it'll be on the minimum wage.

She's taken on as many shifts as she can, but money

is still tight. I mean, from half a live until half

past seven tomorrow, Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, and then I start

again. So I've only got Christmas Day off homer really.

Buying presents can mean making difficult decisions.

But her children always come first. What I really wanted was a 3-piece

suite, but Christmas is coming, got to get them instead of what I want.

If I had the cash, it would be about ?300. I don't like going into debt

at Christmas, but with this I did. I thought I would spoil them. It's

going to take me close on two years, really. So I'll still be paying for

this year. -- this time next year. After her tax credits were cut this

year, she's struggling to buy for all her six children

and grandchildren. I like to buy for them all of them,

you see, and I've got six kids, even though most of them are grown

up, but I couldn't do it this year really.

I don't buy the older ones a lot, but I like to give them something,

to say Merry Christmas. But the grandkids and the kids, I'd like to

spoil them a bit. But they have to understand I couldn't do it this

year, really. Christine has one Christmas wish -

she doesn't want to be struggling this time next year.

I really do need to look for second job full time in the new year -

I really don't want to be in this position again.

It's New Year on Lansbury. The women won't know if they have

won the battle to rid the estate of its deprived status for another

year but they've received news that brings them one step closer.

We've heard the centre is going to be demolished and it

should be about 2-3 weeks. It has been a really long battle.

Where was the last to know, as well. The Council don't keep us updated

with everything going on. We find out through Facebook

and that's really heart-breaking. The women are determined to be out

in force at the demolition. We are going to be down

at the community centre. We're going to watch it beat

demolished, aren't we, girls? That is one thing we cannot wait

for. For Clare, it hasn't been such

a good start to 2016. Now Chantelle's left home,

she's fallen behind with her rent. I mean, I have a letter now this

morning seeking possession of my home for ?69 -

not even a week's rent. Clare has to pay an extra ?28

per month because she has an empty bedroom.

She now only has twins Elise and Erin at home.

I did say to them, why couldn't the girls have bedroom each?

There's no law saying they had to share bedroom,

but they insisted with bedroom tax...

It's just accumulated because I refuse to pay it.

Feed the kids or pay the rent. What do you do?

There's only one solution. I'll just smash through the wall

and extend their bedroom then. As Clare tries to keeping a roof

over the family's heads, at St James', Paul has received

a bit of a setback, too. The school's performance

has been marked down. Moving from yellow to amber didn't

come as a big surprise or a big shock to us.

Our Year Six last year had a challenging cohort of kids -

we had a number of children educated off-site and off

with long term illnesses. And when you factor in the data,

it's not as good as previous cohorts.

We predict going back to a yellow category going into next year.

But Paul's does at least have a new family liaison officer.

He hopes Natalie will help improve attendance to boost performance.

Spurred on by the Lansbury Women, Christine is determined

to make her New Year's resolution for a better paid job a reality.

Have you got a CV at the moment? No, that is one thing I do need.

Greg from Communities First is giving her advice.

A week away from demolition and the battle is almost won

for Lansbury Matters, but for those who have left

the group, life goes on. Clare has won a community award

and she is still thinking about starting a business,

but hasn't done anything about it yet.

I'm just went to go with the flow. I am going to try to do something, I

have to do something. I have always told her to start a

market. Or a shop, she has always said that.

She's wasting her talent and all she does is put it on Facebook.

It's just getting out there. That day will come come up I suppose.

Until that day, I will carry on regardless, do what I do.

Spend your days on the computer. But what about Anne Marie?

She realised her ambition at the school.

They haven't announced yet, but I have definitely got it.

I can't wait to see if I can help out a little bit more with my kids

and the rest of the kids. But is Paul prepared for Annemarie?

She's very vocal, isn't she, Mrs B? Yes, Mrs B is definitely very vocal,

but I like vocal people - you know, I like people to say

things as they are and express their opinions and she is never

backwards in getting forwards. Anne Marie's son Niall has had

a trial for Cardiff City, but what does the future hold

for eight-year-old Lee? I will probably get A's

in everything apart from art. What's wrong with art?

I can't do art tidy. Anne Marie's attention

is on her children's futures, but what about the future

of the community centre and the hope it could bring

Lee and his generation? The day of the demolition

has finally arrived - there is pride in their achievement.

But they have so much to build and the fight has only begun.

The community centre, it's the sort of symbol of the deprivation and

frankly the last of interest. I reckon is is is a very sensitive

issue with the community, but I want to move forward and have the

dialogue with them in terms of what they need. We do want to get it

right and we will get it right. We need the community to work with us.

We didn't! We did this.

They listen to us, didn't they? They had to!

Can we look forward to a new era on the Lansbury Park is stay?

Meaningful comms positions? Absolutely, we recognise that need

some hard conversations. -- meaningful conversations.

I have a feeling this is one of the biggest occasions that as happened

in 12 months for me. It's a bittersweet moment, I'll be honest,

what it's about moving forward, it's about changing things in Lansbury

Park. There's good memories, lots of good

memories coming down in that building. But hopefully there will

be better to follow. That's all we can hope though, that there will be

better to follow. I want to ask the community, what are the facilities

you need and I need you to prove to me they will be used, because we

cannot afford to have buildings stood idle. It is time to get

something for the kids to go to, to get them off the streets and for

them to enjoy. What would be nice

is to take the grey out of Lansbury. I actually feel Lansbury

is being listened to for a change. So it will be a better place

and I need this stigma to go. Lansbury earned its title

as the most deprived estate in Wales because it was a place

with little hope. But people power is bringing back

the pride - the question now is, will the ambition be matched

with results and will the council deliver on its promise?