Aim of this project was to engage the community of Chervil Rise, Heathtown in Wolverhampton. The estate which ranks amongst the most deprived areas across the Black Country with low levels of participation, high levels of health inequities and high unemployment) in sport and physical activity.
The Project
“I have seen the wonderful impact that the yoga sessions have had on the community of Heath Town. By providing an opportunity to be active and learn new skills we have shown young people there is hope and a future - as there was nothing here before. Deon has shown me the way to think and work with others, we have grown this from nothing. The love I have been shown by the community is priceless” – Akil Maylor
The Heath Town estate in Wolverhampton is one of the most deprived areas in the Black Country with low levels of participation in physical activity, high levels of health inequities and high unemployment. Active Black Country developed a project that aimed to upskill a local resident to deliver yoga, tai chi and martial arts across the estate - addressing mental and physical health inequalities. The project, developed in partnership with ‘Black Country Make’ was the brainchild of local resident Akil Maylor. The project was run at a disused shop acquired by Black Country Make in the middle of the Heath Town estate. The shop was turned into a yoga dojo though a combination of sportivate investment and donations from local community
A community audit, undertaken by the ‘Youth Charter for Sport, Culture and Arts’ highlighted a culture of demotivation and mistrust within the community, with scepticism towards outside organisations delivering on the estate who didn’t understand the needs of the local community and couldn’t effectively engage residents.
Akil Maylor, mentored by Deon Morgan a traditional martial arts & yoga teacher, has successfully developed a community hub to run classes for the estate whilst gaining his own qualification to deliver sessions. He now aims to mentor others, developing a local workforce delivering social and economic benefit across a range of projects. Uniting people from a variety of backgrounds and developing skills through experience. The hub has become a ‘Safe Haven’ for people within the immediate community.
The skills that Akil possesses and has used to grow the project centre on effectively engaging with local residents through empathy, flexibility, awareness of mental health issues, communication and leadership - with over 500 participants benefiting from the project since its inception.
“We plan to increase the range of activities on offer in Heath Town. Nurturing and developing skills amongst the community to provide for themselves and not relying on parachuting people in, is so important to developing people and helping them get work, become healthier and show others across the estate how to grow the community”- Deon Morgan
Heath Town Demographic Indicators
- Heath Town in Wolverhampton has a population of 13,965 people (2011 census), with 37.3% (5,219) aged between 0-24.
- Heath Town has a very high Child Poverty rate with concentration areas above 43.5% well above national average of 20.6% for England.
- Although White British residents still make up the largest represented group within the area (48%), there is still a diverse multi-cultural, with refugees and asylum seekers from around 46 different countries.
- Heath Town has an above average crime level in comparison to neighbouring wards, however, is just outside the top 10 highest areas for crime in the country (UK Crime Rates, 2015).