Maindee is an urban neighbourhood just over the river from Newport City Centre, in South Wales. To an outside eye it might seem beset by high levels of deprivation and a seemingly struggling high street.
This belies the fact that on closer inspection, Maindee is also a diverse multi-cultural community, has a flourishing festival that reflects this, a lively night life and some retail gems. It’s also got cheap parking!
Importantly, from the perspective of local leadership, Maindee Unlimited has emerged over the last two years as a community-led group with joined-up aspirations to reinforce the local identity, boost business and create a culturally vibrant place to live, work and relax. It is building a new Maindee. Maindee Unlimited has good relations with its local authority, Newport City Council; epitomised by the ongoing asset transfer of the Community Library and a partnership approach to working with local businesses.
As well as laying solid foundations through a visionary action plan and its own forward framework as a community enterprise, Maindee Unlimited has worked with local businesses to help run a trial street market, made practical progress through parking signage, promoted the local identity created by its shops and been upfront with its use of social media. Its innovative and arts-based Finding Maindee Project works to explore the area’s identity and how residents see its past, present and future. An impressive and evolving track record for a ‘young’ organisation and one which draws all of its trustees from the local community.
It’s challenging, unusual but arguably essential to sustain an organisation to champion such a relatively small and impoverished neighbourhood.
Read how Maindee is an example of leading a local revival .
