What Is Spacemakers Bristol?
Spacemakers, Hartcliffe, Bristol, BS13. A space designed for all.
Spacemakers Bristol began as a youth-led design project to transform a rundown public area in Hartcliffe & Withywood, Bristol into vibrant, community-driven space. Today, we continue that mission with local volunteers, community partners, and creative projects that make a difference in our neighbourhoods.
Our Mission
- Improve public spaces in Hartcliffe & Withywood.
- Support youth engagement and community pride.
- Create opportunities for local residents to get involved.
- Partner with schools, charities, and city organisations.
How Spacemakers Began
Spacemakers began as an educational project initiated by the Architecture Centre in Bristol. The project evolved into the successful redevelopment of a run-down public area in Hartcliffe — an area often described as one of the most deprived in the city.
The journey started with an educational visit to Trafford Hall in Manchester, alongside trips to Glasgow, London, and the Eden Project in Cornwall. These experiences helped young people explore how architecture, public space, and community design could transform places and lives.
Following these visits, it became clear that something bigger was possible. The young people involved identified Wilmott Park in Hartcliffe as the space they wanted to redevelop — a place that mattered to them and their community.
Over a short period of time, the young people worked alongside adults, designers, and community partners to plan, design, and implement improvements to the space.
Spacemakers in Wilmott Park
The original project is now represented by a dedicated section within Wilmott Park in Hartcliffe, known as Spacemakers. The space stands as a lasting example of what youth-led design and community collaboration can achieve.
The Revival: 2022 to Today
In June 2022, Shane Richardson — one of the original young people involved in Spacemakers — was inspired to bring the space back to its former glory.
After his children asked why the space looked run down, what started as shared dad jokes and community puns quickly turned into action. The response from the local community was immediate and overwhelming.
Within 12 months, the renewed Spacemakers project gained widespread local support, engaged councillors and council workers, and was recognised with a Lord Mayor’s Award.
How You Can Help
Whether you want to volunteer, donate, or suggest a project idea, we’d love to hear from you.
June 2022: The Turning Point
The photos below were taken in June 2022 and captured the condition of the space before restoration began. These images helped spark conversations with local councillors, council workers, and other like-minded people who wanted to support positive change in the area.
About Spacemakers
Spacemakers was initially about educating young children, however, soon after its first steps – there was a realisation of the potential to develop a public open space in the Hartcliffe area of Bristol.
Mark Rooney (Project Manager), Mike Snow & Clare Warren (Withywood School Mentors), Paul Spatchurst (Youth Worker) and Kathrin Böhm (Project Artist) were the initial leads for the project – the latter of which left before project completion – who were joined later by Landscape Architect Greg White of Loci Design later in the project.
Starting with the educational element of the project, the group encountered various trips to some very key places including Manchester, Glasgow, Westonbirt Arboretum, the Eden Project, London and the Netherlands – which included visiting various spaces and even the Anne Frank Muesum and an Amsterdam Boat Tour. Whilst on these trips, the young people were tasked with looking around the local areas, finding inspiration of what they liked about the particular spaces – and what they didn’t like so much.
Once all the educational aspects of the project were complete, it was time to select a space, and find a Landscape Architect – which through a process that started as 10 spaces & 10 candidates architects, ended with a vote on the space, and a shortlist of 3 candidates for the Landscape Architect who were interviewed.
Having met Greg at Royston Road Park, Glasgow the young people had a dream of working with him. So unanimously, he we chosen to represent them and design their chosen space. See below the image of the young people pointing to the Spacemakers park.
Selecting our space – Spacemakers, Wilmott Park
The adults used all information & experiences from the trips as key information when discussing with Greg White regarding ideas – with the main focuses including;
The range of people the space was designed for – in this instance it was designed as a space for ALL.
The type of features in the park.
Types of materials & features used throughout the park.
How the features were arranged in the space.
How the space was cared for.
The size and location of the public space within a local community.
The project spanned a two-year period and, at inception, involved 16 children ages 13/14 years old. 16, which later reduced to 10, young people were chosen from a range of backgrounds within the Hartcliffe and Withywood local community – all of which were from Withywood Community School (replaced by Merchants Academy in September 2008), which is now represented by a section within Wilmott Park in Hartcliffe, called Spacemakers.
How did the original project meet its goals and objectives
What were the goals and objectives of the project?
There were FIVE clear goals/objectives for the project when it first started in 2002. These goals (or objectives if you like) were; to involve youth in the project; to develop a feeling of community; to create a level of ownership; to improve the self worth of the young people and finally to improve career prospects of the youth people.
To the right, we summarse the five of the points, to outline how the project included these elements in the project and therefore achieved these goals.
Below, we have testimonials from some of the original Young People involved with Spacemakers, and how the project helped them – focusing on these key goals and objectives.
16 Young People started the project in 2002, with trips to Manchester, Glasgow and more. The project finished with 10 Young People, due to individual circumstances meaning some dropped out during the project.
Projects that include Young People to the extent that Spacemakers did, by involving them in every aspect of from their visions on each trip, their ambitions for Spacemakers, the inclusion in the design and development stage and the culture set by the adults helped to improve each Young Persons self worth.
Spacemakers become the Young Peoples park – one that meant something not only to those Young People, but to their families, their friends and others associated with them. This meant for the years after Spacemakers opening day, it gave everyone involved a sense of ownership and even took pride in making it known they were one of the Spacemakers.
The project brought the whole community together whilst the building process was underway – keepig the community up to date with Radio and Television interviews, which culminated with a gathering of over 150 people attending for the opening event.
Many challenges were face accross the project, but these all helped the Young People understand difficulties that may be found in the “real world”. In addition, the project included various educational elements including role play, presentations and other elements.
The biggest learning curve for most what interviewing the project Landscape Architect which helped them to understand interviewing techniques – setting them in good stead for when their turn came for being interviewed themselves.
Young Peoples testimonials
Spacemakers was a fantastic initiative, and one I’d love to see repeated again, and again throughout the UK. With the closures of so many youth clubs in underprivileged suburbs of Bristol, now, more than ever projects like this are absolutely vital to build self-confidence, a sense of culture, and basic life skills for youths in these areas. As an alumnus of Spacemakers, I can confidently say that if it weren’t for this project I would have never even thought I could get a degree, travel the world, or run a business. All of which I have achieved, largely thanks to the inspiring experiences this program gave us. Through workshops, team exercises, presentations, and visits to various amazing locations, Spacemakers helped us see all the work that goes into creating a communal space. In doing this it gave us a real sense of ownership and pride for not just the park, but Hartcliffe as a whole.
Spacemakers revamp – 2022 onwards
June 2022 – Almost 18 years since Spacemaker opening day, one of the original Spacemakers young people (now 33) was taking his two children to Spacemakers Park on a regular basis. Shane Richardson, 33, said that “taking my children to the park was meant to be a proud moment, however both my children (who are 6 & 8 years old) were saying it wasn’t very tidy. There was always too much litter, and the grass was too long. They loved the slide though.”
Dubbed the biggest lone slide in Bristol when it was built. They asked why him why can’t he just sort it! Shane then started taking photos, made a Facebook and Instagram page – and made some puns which got a lot of attention. Some posts amassing just short of 5,000 impressions on Facebook. Check out our Facebook & Instagram pages for some PUNderful content.
Since these posts started getting attention, Shane has managed to speak to some hugely important and influential individuals, including reconnecting with Spacemakers Project Manager, Mark Rooney; Labour Councillor, Kerry Bailes and various contacts from Bristol City Council including Steve Clampin, Tom Penn & Hayley Swift amongst others.
In addition, he has spoken with Karen (Morrisons, Hartcliffe, Community Champion), Jan & Hayley from Millennium Green and Simon from the BMX Park at the bottom of Wilmott Park. With discussions currently ongoing at the moment, working with such individuals will only work in the spaces favour.
