Neighbourhood and Youth Board workshops inspire £10,000-per-ward investment in community-led projects
Residents and young people across Eastbourne have come together through a series of Neighbourhood and youth workshops hosted by the Eastbourne Neighbourhood Board (ENB) and local councillors. The ideas shared are now shaping the town’s next wave of local investment, with £10,000 allocated to every ward to kick-start the projects that matter most to local people.
Residents and young people took part in the recent sessions, offering practical ideas to improve their streets, parks, and local facilities. Each event was rooted in ENB’s guiding principle: listen first, act locally. The workshops built on Eastbourne’s strong volunteer spirit, giving people of all ages and abilities the chance to co-design visible improvements for their neighbourhoods, and bring communities together to share bigger ideas.
Community ideas taking root
From wildflower verges and safer road crossings to youth clubs, repair cafés, and community events, residents’ suggestions reflect Eastbourne’s creativity and concern for the environment. Among the most popular priorities were:
• Public realm greening and planting, including accessible community gardens and pollinator-friendly spaces.
• Active travel and accessibility upgrades such as safer crossings and improved walking and cycling routes.
• Youth and family projects, creating inter-generational activities, outdoor learning spaces, and youth pop-ups.
• Community hubs and wellbeing spaces, offering shared facilities, repair cafés, and food-sharing initiatives.
• Safety and pride-in-place efforts, including improved and local clean-up campaigns.
Each of these themes connects to the ENB’s long-term mission of helping Eastbourne to thrive by building stronger communities and empowering local people.
Young voices leading the way
The first ENB Youth Board, made up of young people from local schools met alongside the main workshops to share their own ideas for Eastbourne’s future. Many of their priorities echoed adult residents’ concerns – cleaner, greener spaces, better lighting, and safer routes – but the young people also introduced fresh thinking around creativity, inclusion, and climate action.
Youth Board members called for informal hang-out spaces and café-style hubs, more accessible sports and recreation areas, and new opportunities to learn outdoors. They also placed strong emphasis on mental health and inclusion, suggesting safe places spaces for girls, mindfulness and anti-racism campaigns, and encouraged greater youth involvement in local decision-making. One standout idea was a ‘Beach School’ programme, combining opportunities to learn how to swim safely in the sea with coastal and environmental education, and local career pathways in tourism and sustainability.
A community-led approach
Richard Garland, Chair of the Eastbourne Neighbourhood Board, said: “We’re proud to be an independent, volunteer-led board – rooted in our community. The £10,000-per-ward investment is just the start of putting local ideas into action and this is what local decision-making should look like: transparent, fair, and built on real conversations. I am especially delighted that Eastbourne’s young people have shown they’re part of the solution. Their ideas about the environment, wellbeing, and community spaces have strengthened our town-wide plan.”
Next steps
The ENB will now work with residents, young people, and community partners to prioritise and deliver the first round of local investments in early 2026. It will publish updates on how its £10,000 allocation in each ward will be spent.
Residents and young people are encouraged to continue to share their ideas and stay involved via the forms and contact sections of this website.