Camp Hill is among the 10 per cent most deprived wards in the UK. The housing estate was originally built in the 1950s and 1960s to house the influx of miners moving to find work. As the coal dust settled following the decline of the industry in the 1980s, with it came unemployment, falling educational attainment, poor health, increased crime, and a loss of camaraderie and hope.

We set to work in 2000 to transform Camp Hill and make it a better place to live. Armed with £2 million of Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) funding and grants from our key partners, we are striving, along with residents, to deliver a new and better Camp Hill for the future.

To achieve this aim, we work on three principles - to bring physical, social and economic change and to introduce service delivery improvements. It is a difficult balancing act, but we are making extensive progress.

Physical - As part of the physical plans, we are building new homes and improving old ones. We also plan to provide additional leisure, commercial, industrial and retail developments to improve the physical environment.

Social and Economic - Progress can never come solely from new buildings. We are providing better childcare facilities, helping to create vibrant community facilities and a place where residents feel proud to live.

We are working to boost training in Camp Hill and give residents new opportunities. With the help of our Camp Hill Enterprise and Employment ResourceS (CHEERS) project, funded by SRB and European Regional Development Funding, we aim to provide advice on employment and enterprise issues, to support businesses, individuals, business start-ups and community enterprises.

Service delivery - We aim to address the issues of educational attainment, improve the look of Camp Hill, reduce crime and improve the quality of life for residents. We also want to maximise community consultation.

As work on these strands entwine, our aims on paper are fast becoming reality. Please click here for more on progress so far.