Why Feltham?

We’ve spent a lot of time over the past eight years listening to children, young people, and families describe their hopes for the local community.

We’ve also worked alongside and spoken with the local professionals who support families who’ve told us about their worries and ambitions for Feltham. Local people are deeply concerned about the younger generations in the area, but are also keen to point out the many brilliant things about Feltham as a place to grow up.

From working in the community, listening to local people, and analysing relevant data, we have been especially struck by three key points which suggest the need for a collective impact project in the local area.

Across a range of indicators, children and young people in Feltham have worse outcomes than their peers in other parts of Hounslow, and in other parts of London.

For instance, only a fifth of young people in Feltham go on to University; down the road, in Osterley, it’s three quarters. The causes of this are wide-ranging and complex, relating to many different aspects of local families’ lives and difficulties. There’s a variety of different agencies, services, businesses, organisations and institutions that work with children, young people and families in the local area, or that have a significant influence over their lives. The opportunity we have with this project is to bring in the necessary resource and capacity to bring them together effectively, support their coordination, and significantly improve their collective impact

Feltham can feel forgotten, and local families don't have access to as many services as people living elsewhere.

Feltham is statistically one of the places in Britain which faces the most significant barriers to services, and we hear this from those we work with all the time, who struggle to obtain the support or provision they need. This affects children, young people and families in particular: it affects their sense of place, their sense of hope and their sense of the future. This issue can only be addressed through collective work on the part of local organisations, institutions, services and residents

The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the complex difficulties affecting families in Feltham, but has also demonstrated the area's collective strength.

The pandemic shone a spotlight on pre-existing inequalities and difficulties experienced by local people. But the brilliant response of the local community showed the power of collective efforts to address local needs and improve lives.

I wish I had known more about life with a baby - I knew about pregnancy but nothing about life with a new baby. The GP has been fine - no real continuity though as I don’t think I’ve ever seen the same GP more than once. I haven’t had any info on child development yet, although I have done my own research on the internet.

Parent with a baby of 3 months

I want my child to have opportunities to develop their sense of self and to make progress, through part-time work, activities, work experience… I want them to be exposed to many things locally.

Parent

Parents with children who have additional educational needs deserve more support. It can be so stressful for the parent and child trying to attend playgroups or other activities. They need to feel included and supported.

Special Educational Needs teacher

Some young people within the social care system have experienced so many different professionals coming in and out of their lives. What they need is someone to care for them, to be interested - and to challenge them when needed.

Community support worker

You expect teachers to have your best interests at heart and to give you the best support, and not necessarily just teachers - the school in general. Every school should have therapeutic support available.

Sixth Former

We need to build opportunities into the system for young people to be mentored - and to be mentors to others.

Local resident

When I think about the future, it’s scary and daunting. Thinking about university or employment, especially now after Covid. I think our parents need support with these things too.

Sixth Former