Members decide their programme collectively and this Saturday morning walk has been organised by Ruth, a Portland Street resident in her early 20s and member of SMUT. When they get to the park she leads the group through some gentle stretches.
“Working out has had such a positive impact on me since I started doing it properly a few years ago, so when we were coming up with ideas for what to do next with the group I thought I could lead the other women,” Ruth says.
“You have to be sensitive to everyone’s needs, which can be very different because we have a lot of different people here, but I like thinking about that.”
The range of ages and abilities varies considerably. Single mother Sarah is here with her young daughter – one of the most enthusiastic stretchers of the group.
“We moved here a few years ago and it’s been great having this project. My daughter’s always here doing the gardening club, things like that. It’s also nice to get some time to myself.”
All of the women emphasise the positive impact of the community support they’ve found in SMUT, the benefits of having a space to come together, and the friendliness the programme encourages in the neighbourhood.
While the PIP is now the thriving centre of the community, Francis says initially some residents were wary of the project.
“When we first moved here people had been through a really traumatic time – to have your community condemned. There was a lot of anger and there was some animosity towards the new £1 homeowners which was really understandable.
“People were like, ‘Why have these new families been given these homes and we’re still living in damp, bad housing conditions?’ So there was a really slow process to build trust and confidence because people had been really knocked down.”
The strain on vital childcare, social welfare, education and health services that locals felt keenly meant they struggled to see how resourcing arts projects like PIP could help them but, as Davies points out: “It shouldn’t be a question of having one or the other”.
“Things like the cost of living crisis impact here so fast because of the type of neighbourhood we are,” adds Francis. To combat this, PIP has developed a groundbreaking 100 Year Plan. Launched in 2021, the plan has aimed to instil a sense of long-term thinking in local residents – promoting sustainable change and encouraging contemplation of climate, community and developmental issues over the course of a century. In a landscape often marred by short-termism in arts and community sector funding, the 100 Year Plan champions a hopeful and aspirational approach to social, political and environmental issues.