WOW Catton Grove!
WOW Catton Grove! was a community initiative funded by Norwich Opportunity Area and Catton Grove Big Local.
The aim of the project was to provide young people, parents and their extended community with an extensive awareness, knowledge and ownership of the ‘world of work’ within their neighbourhood and beyond. It aimed to build confidence between adults and children to enable regular conversations about the world of work and feel well equipped to support each other to think about the future.
The project worked with families of Catton Grove Primary School who became the WOW Catton Grove Experts exploring their community’s past, present and find ‘world of work’ solutions for their futures.
The Treasure Hunt
The project kicked off in October 2019 with an engagement event at Catton Grove Primary School. The WOW Catton Grove Treasure Hunt followed the story of ‘Brave Robyn, the Highwaywoman of Catton Grove!
The WOW Catton Grove Treasure Hunt participants followed Brave Robyn’s story and hunted for the WOW Catton Grove community treasure chests to reveal just what services, sectors and skills make their community function.
WOW Catton Grove! The Experts
Catton Grove Primary School family teams became the WOW Catton Grove Experts. We used ‘Mantle of the Expert’ methodology to empower families to reveal just how Catton Grove had formed, grown and how they could ensure it thrives into the future. The families worked on different tasks which led to conversations about their children’s future world of work. Together we also talked about plans and aspirations for their children’s future after they leave education for a job or to study further.
Around Our Block
This session questioned what ‘treasured’ services, sectors and skills would fade, grow or be introduced in Catton Grove over the next decade when the Catton Grove Primary School students leave education. We were joined by Emma Penfold, Community Enabling Officer, Norwich City Council who brought some fascinating Norwich City Council Survey maps dating from 1880 to present day. Emma then commissioned the families to create their own WOW future maps of their community. Their completed maps were placed in a time capsule which will be kept at the school to be opened in 2029! There were some ambitious plans!
Horrible History or Pleasant Past?
In this session we became ‘WOW History Heroes’ and asked a series of questions: When and why was Catton Grove built? How did it grow and change? What services did it need? What was living in Catton Grove like?
The aim was to uncover the heritage, growth and changes in services, sectors and skills needed to build and run Catton Grove. By understanding WOW changes in the community we found parents/carers began to appreciate that jobs and careers can change quickly and the needed to encourage their young people plan their future worlds of work.
If you would like your school to get involved in a WOW project similar to WOW Catton Grove
please get in touch using the contact form below or call us on 07506717773