Project Mission
Project Purple started in 2014 as a result of a regular Hang10 ‘Park It’ session that Uprising held at Cressfield playing fields, South Ashford. Many of the children that were regularly attending this session were pupils at Ashford Oaks Primary School, who had been going into school and telling teachers about Hang10. It became clear that there was a unique opportunity to come up with a joint project that would help year 6 students to become more invested in their local community and Project Purple was born. Our mission through the project is for every child that attends to
• Build a sense of belonging
• Have improved Social Skills
• Increased Self Esteem and confidence
• Better Understanding of local issues
• Improved behaviour
From the outset it was important for us that the children had input and our original cohort came up with the name, logo and ideas to get the project started.
Delivery
Project Purple runs every Tuesday after school 3 – 4.15 pm during term time. Over the last 10 years we have been building and developing a community space on a plot land in South Ashford between Crownfield and Brookfield Road. Log benches, raised planters, tree seating, picnic benches have been built alongside a weekly litter pick. Every year 6 student is expected to attend at least 3 sessions and at the end of the year they receive a Project Purple T-Shirt. In 2015, the project was entered for the Kent Housing Groups Excellence Award which resulted in the project winning the Excellent Community Project Category.
At the end of 2024 a review of the Project was carried out and again the students were asked ‘What they wanted to see from Project Purple’. Whilst they still wanted to carry on maintaining the Crownfield site they also wanted to give more back to some of the elderly residents. It was suggested that we started a games afternoon and we are now meeting every week in a home where the students play a variety of games with the residents.
Funding
Project Purple is currently funded directly by Uprising using money earnt from our Community Action Teams adhoc work.
Pupils’ Views
“It has been so good to see the change to what was a wasted bit of land. The children from Ashford Oaks have done a fabulous job”
“What we have liked seeing is young people taking a real interest in the local community”
“Tuesday is my favourite afternoon the week, I love the children coming in and playing games with us”
“Project Purple helps keep me out of trouble and I can improve where I live”
“Project Purple helps me realise how important the environment is”
“Project Purple helps to make us feel proud of where we live”.