REPORT ON FUTURE SEARCH –
UPPER TEAN
September 20th
– 22nd 2002
What happened at Future Search?
There was
a clear outline for the weekend. On Friday evening, participants were
asked what Tean has meant to them in the past and also what significant events
have taken place in the world. These were put together to see how, for example,
technology and transport affected the mill and the village. The process was
called “time lines” and concentrated on the period’s pre 1950s, 1960-80 and 1980
to date.
We then
went to a very large wall chart and marked up “what concerns us now” –
this resulted in the production of a “Mind Map” which is illustrated in
Appendix A. Each person then was able to vote on the 10 most significant
concerns and the outcome is also included at Appendix B. That took up all of
the Friday evening.
Saturday. The
conference then moved to meeting in “stakeholder groups” to highlight
significant positive and negative trends for the village.
Highlighted the lack of accommodation, the needs for organisers in the 30-60 age group and the lack of parking. They all wanted a new community centre with meeting rooms for different age groups.
Said the positive trends were the ‘after school club’, the Tean Telegraph, the work to regenerate the mill and village, people’s search for spirituality while noting the need for younger people in churches and society’s focus on material possessions.
Were concerned about
parking and traffic, scruffy and unused buildings, red tape which has badly
affected employment, and the way it has changed from a settled, to a more
commuting village. They wanted traffic management measures and the need to
create ‘local jobs’ and therefore more ‘spending power’ in the village. They
looked for a visual facelift for the village and that business could sponsor
such a scheme, so that there is a new image of the village.
Were impressed by the friendliness of people as Tean’s greatest asset, but wanted to do something about the mill and it’s surroundings. They wanted to make better use of Meadow Gardens and the Recreation ground. “Who is the recreation ground for?” they asked and “how could it be better used?” They wanted a skateboard ramp and suggested that residents could be asked to pay £1 a month to improve the village facilities. They wanted the Youth Café to open on other nights for different age groups.
Saw the problem as traffic, which adversely affected the environment, the need for better community facilities and the regeneration of the mill. The future possibilities were that the mill could provide the community facilities as well as a one-stop shop, a farm co-operative, a place for adult learning and they might be able to help with funding sources.
Members felt there was a strong case for a new Community Centre which could offer daytime and evening, meeting room facilities, for the many off street parking facilities and have a multi-purpose hall large enough for the many Community organisations who take part in indoor sports and social events that villagers require. A new or enlarged Medical Centre was also considered to be a future priority for young and old alike, again with adequate car parking facilities. Perhaps this could be incorporated into a new community centre in the Mill complex?
From these trends were produced a list of what people were most proud about Tean. Most were proud of the schools which helped to produce open minds and hearts and support community action, the churches, who visit, proclaim the gospel and support education in Tean, lively voluntary groups, that business support the local community, that people have worked hard on the future of the mill by drawing people together and putting on Future Search itself, for the Millennium and Golden Jubilee events and for the Tean community spirit.
But there were also things about Tean, which people were sorry about and these included vandalism, the anti-social behaviour and the community’s failure to help the problem constructively, that business is limited in that it can do for the village, that shops have closed, about the state of the mill.
On Saturday afternoon, people were asked to dream of how the village could be in 2010 using any medium including drama, song, or the media. The results were very creative and often amusing visions of Tean. An example was given of how such an exercise in the Black Country has actually led to a real change in a community and many of the visions had been realised.
Saturday ended with groups being asked to look at what they wanted for Tean in the future. A ‘common agenda’ was produced and ideas about how to effect them. Issues which had been raised but which unresolved were noted and these included pedestrianisation, walking buses to school to reduce traffic at school times, community radio, a market, the use of the mill as a call centre, a web site for the village, how to involve more people in looking at Tean’s future, the need for affordable housing, Tean to enter the ‘best kept village’ competition, a by-pass, and celebratory village events annually.
Sunday concentrated on listing common ground from all that was wanted for Tean’s future and three groups were formed. One group looked at shops and a heritage centre. Possible developments of the mill could include an arcade of 5 shops, which could attract visitors and tourists. Theses could be specialist shops such as the cycle shop, Outsyde, a farm shop selling local produce, and quality craft studios, which could attract funding from “Creative Industries”.
The Young people suggested an Environment Centre as part of the Heritage Centre. There was strong support for a Working Mill Museum, which could produce a history of the narrow fabric so long associated with Tean. This could be linked with other tourist attractions in the area. A café/restaurant was considered vital both to attract villagers and tourists. This group’s short-term aim was to develop a business plan to find a home for the looms already obtained and start work on restoring them. Medium term help would be needed from the County and District Council and a developer willing to work with local people.
Another group looked at the Mill and the need for a developer and funding sources. It agreed with the need for flats for the elderly and starter homes as well as studio apartments. The urgent need for a community hall and other rooms was agreed with parking to support both the hall and the local shops.
The third group looked at how to communicate this with the rest of Tean and 2 extra people offered to help with the Tean Telegraph and that the two schools would be asked to send home copies to parents. Some agreed to explore having a web site for the village with the idea of “Tean – home of red tape” as a possible starting point. It was agreed to set up a Tean Youth Council and the young people all volunteered to be on it. An adult mentor was asked to assist in its work.
‘Future Search’ ended on Sunday afternoon
with grateful thanks being expressed to Vista and all the participants.
Great Enthusiasm was expressed for the future
of Tean and everyone left feeling that they had participated in a positive,
valuable and worthwhile exercise.