Teen transforms 'unsafe' alley into 'vibrant' space
BBCRubbish, mattresses, broken televisions and drugs paraphernalia - all items found littering an alleyway in a residential area of a city.
For families living near Exmoor Road, in the St Mary's area of Southampton in Hampshire, it was inaccessible and not a safe place for young people to socialise in.
So, when local teenager, Ibrahim, was asked "if you could make a change in your area, what would it be?" he decided to lead the transformation of the alleyway into a welcoming, community space.
Supported by charity The Agency of Change, Ibrahim saw the project through to the end - one of three teams of young people working to make a difference in the SO14 postcode area.
"Before, no one could use it. It was a neglected alleyway – you couldn't even access it", he said.
Exmoor Road is in one of the most deprived areas in Southampton.
Young people in the area working, with the support of the charity, have provided career support, sports groups and community clean-ups.
Each year, young people in SO14 are offered the chance to become a "change maker".
Originating in Brazil by artist and activist Marcus Faustini, the concept uses the idea of creativity as a method for young people to make differences in underserved communities.
Once being involved for 10 weeks, projects pitch for funding and the three successful ideas are supported.
"It's so important for young people to be the change makers of tomorrow," project manager Nik Tubbs says.
Ibrahim formed his Alive the Alleyway clean up mission, but it was not an overnight success.
Months of rejections, sending emails, writing applications, risk assessments and going door-to-door to ask for support paid off for Ibrahim who says it was "100% worth it".
The planning efforts culminated in a community volunteer clean up weekend - a day for cleaning and another for painting.
Now, Ibrahim says the alleyway is the "vibrant, safe space" he had hoped for.
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