Haverhill: 'We want to shine a light on our town'

Haverhill lost many of its historic buildings in a great fire in 1667 and the town centre now is relatively small

The people of Haverhill say their home town, which sits close to the boundaries of three counties, is "disconnected" and often overlooked. What is being done there to "move the town forward"?

Some might assume Haverhill is a newish town, swelling as it did during the 1960s with people moving out of London.

But the town actually dates back to at least Anglo-Saxon times.

Sitting at the edge of Suffolk, Haverhill is overshadowed by better-known destinations such as Cambridge, Bury St Edmunds and Colchester, all of which sit about 15 miles (24km) away in different directions.

Might this overshadowing have allowed the town to develop an identity all of its own?

Michelle Brace, a project coordinator in the town, certainly thinks so.

"Haverhill is in a bit of a strange location, it's a bit isolated and is physically and geographically quite disconnected," she says. "But it's got its own style and eco-system, and it's an exciting and interesting place.

"So to develop projects locally makes a lot of sense and we want to shine a light on the good things that are happening."

'We want to give young people hope'

Project coordinator Michelle Brace says they are trying to "shine a light on the good things" in the town

Two initiatives helping to bring the community together are the Have You project and a series of Summer Saturdays.

When the idea for Have You came about, it was first envisaged that young people would want a physical place to have their voices heard.

But instead, what came out of discussions, is that they wanted an online platform.

Funded by West Suffolk Council's Community Chest Fund and the town council, the engagement project showcases the good things that are happening in Haverhill and connects with young people, giving them a voice.

Projects that have come out of it include a summer series featuring things to do in Haverhill for young people, a chillout zone and a podcast.

Ms Brace says: "We want to give young people a sense of hope that it's possible to come from somewhere like Haverhill and do fantastic things."

Isla, 14, who performed at the town's "buskathon", an event held as part of the Summer Saturdays programme

Meanwhile, a Summer Saturdays outdoor events programme has been lined up for the whole community, running until the start of September.

At the weekend, the town's first "buskathon" was held, featuring musicians of all ages, while other events have been lined up including a "join up day" this Saturday for organisations looking for new members after the disruption of the pandemic.

Organiser Nick Keeble says: "We have ploughed our own furrow for quite some time but we have got a great community spirit here and since lockdown we have noticed that the town centre is buzzing."

'We need to brush away the stigma'

Finley, 14, and his dad Matthew Sisson say they are proud to live in Haverhill

Teenager Finley says a key place that helps bring the community together is the Puddlebrook Pump Track.

Located in south Haverhill, the other side of town from the skatepark, the asphalt track is used by people of all ages, from toddlers with their parents through to adults who have been BMXing since the 1970s.

It was brought to fruition by the Haverhill South People's Forum about three or four years ago and built by the same team behind the London 2012 Olympic BMX track. It is busiest on Wednesdays when about 30 people gather and "get the conversation started" with sessions held to raise issues and get people's views.

"Everyone loves it," says Finley.

"The track is amazing and it's a really nice community, there's always someone to help if you have a problem with your bike or something.

"Or if the grass hasn't been cut, people go around there and start cutting [it] just so the kids can carry on using the pump track. It's definitely brought the community together."

The Local Conversation In Haverhill South hosts sessions on Wednesdays to get young people's views

The 14-year-old says generally Haverhill is a "lovely place to live" because of its sense of community.

"Everyone is friendly," he says. "If you've got a problem you can speak to someone and because we're not near any big cities, everyone is chilled and not rushing around and stressing."

He says some areas are associated with crime but "it's only got an odd few, a small minority, and that brings it down".

"Haverhill, especially some places, has got a stigma attached to it but if we can brush that stigma away it would be amazing," he says.

"I'm definitely proud of Haverhill, and how it's come on with the pump track and all the facilities for us kids to do stuff."

People of all ages use the pump track and it is used by people with scooters as well as BMX bikes

His dad Matthew Sisson agrees Haverhill has "had a bad reputation over the years" but it's "getting to a position where things are slowing moving forward".

The 40-year-old, who is Haverhill born and bred, says the town is "100 times better" than when he was growing up and it is a "great feeling" to see it grow and develop.

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'Other towns can only dream of some of our services'

Dan Cooke says he is "so thankful" the mental health services for young people in Haverhill

For Dan Cooke, Haverhill's youth wellbeing group SignPost has been "life-changing".

It was set up in 2015 as a focus group and offers support to 16 to 24 year olds for their wellbeing, confidence and self-esteem.

"It was set up by young people for young people," says Mr Cooke, whose journey with the project started in 2016.

Now 26, he says he had debilitating depression and anxiety from the age of 16 and was unable to finish his education, get a job or go to the shops.

He says by attending SignPost, he progressed on to volunteering with the group and after a year got an apprenticeship. He now works for Haverhill Town Council as a youth skills advisor.

"I'm so thankful, it's given me another lease of life," he says.

Mr Cooke says he is humbled that Haverhill has "achieved so many things"

He says projects like SignPost and others such as Haverhill Lifelink and One Haverhill Youth Skills Department, which help young people connect with social activities and build on their skills, show the town's ability to forge its own path.

Mr Cooke says: "As we are on the border of Cambridgeshire and Essex and in the south-west of Suffolk, we do sometimes get forgotten and don't always see the services that Bury St Edmunds or Ipswich get.

"So we have to make these links and services in our own community that benefit us because we know Haverhill, we live here, we work here and we can create services that suit the local people.

"It's humbling that we have done that and we have achieved so many things," he says.

"Other towns could only dream of some of the services that we have got."